Carpet pythons can be found in a variety of habitats, but they are also considered semi-arboreal, meaning they will spend some of their time in trees and can climb them quite well. There are several subspecies of carpet python, including the coastal carpet python, the jungle carpet python and the Irian Jaya carpet python, and their diets vary by their varied habitats.
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Diet In The Wild
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In the wild, the carpet python will eat any warm-blooded animals that are an appropriate size for it to swallow. These prey items can include rodents, birds, small mammals and marsupials.
Diet In Captivity
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In captivity, carpet pythons are primarily fed rodents that are appropriately sized, such as weanling rats for hatchling carpet pythons and adult rats for adult carpet pythons. Chicks may also be offered, and carpet pythons do not reach a size where rabbits are a suitable prey item.
Constriction
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The carpet python, like all pythons, uses the act of constriction to kill its prey before swallowing it. It does this by wrapping its body around the prey so tightly that the prey cannot breathe, suffocating it. It then swallows the prey whole.
Hunting Prey
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The wide range of habitats where the carpet python lives provide it with ample opportunities to hunt prey. The carpet python can hunt its prey by hiding in tall grasses, up on tree branches in the rainforest or by crawling into burrows in desert areas. The carpet python is nocturnal, and hunts other nocturnal prey at night.
Geography
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The various subspecies of carpet python are found in different regions of Australia and New Guinea. For example, the jungle carpet python is found in northern Australia, and the Irian Jaya carpet python is found in the formerly-named Irian Jaya province of New Guinea. This greatly affects their diet, as carpet pythons in the wild will eat prey found in their own regions, and these prey items can differ from region to region.
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