Pet carpet pythons eat whole, appropriately sized rodents (mice for babies, rats for adults), offered frozen-thawed every one to four weeks depending on age. In the wild, they also eat birds, lizards, and other small animals that they ambush and constrict.
What Carpet Pythons Eat in the Wild
Carpet pythons live across Australia, New Guinea, and parts of Indonesia. They are semi-arboreal ambush hunters that wait for prey to pass, strike, grab it with their teeth, coil around it, and squeeze. Typical wild prey includes small mammals such as rats and possums, birds, and lizards. Younger snakes lean toward lizards and small rodents, while adults take larger mammals and birds.
What to Feed a Pet Carpet Python
Captive carpet pythons do very well on a rodent-based diet. Most keepers rely on:
- Hatchlings and juveniles: mouse pinkies or fuzzies, moving up to hopper mice and small rats as they grow.
- Adults: adult mice, rats, and sometimes day-old chicks or quail for variety.
- Prey size: no wider than about 1.5 times the thickest part of the snake’s body. Total food over a feeding is roughly 10% of the snake’s weight.
Always choose frozen-thawed prey over live. Live rodents can bite and seriously injure a snake. Thaw the prey in the fridge and warm it in a sealed bag of warm water, never in a microwave, which creates hot spots.
How Often to Feed
Juveniles usually eat every one to two weeks. Adults do well on a meal every two to four weeks, adjusted for body condition. If your snake is getting round and heavy, stretch the gap. If you can see its ribs or backbone, offer slightly larger prey. Avoid handling for about 48 hours after a meal so your snake does not regurgitate.
Setup That Supports Healthy Feeding
- A warm end around 32 to 35°C (90 to 95°F) and a cool end around 24 to 26°C (75 to 79°F).
- Moderate humidity and a secure hide on each end.
- A tall enclosure with branches, since carpet pythons like to climb.
A snake that is too cold may refuse food or struggle to digest it, so check temperatures before assuming your snake is a picky eater.
Common Feeding Problems
- Refusing food: normal around shedding, breeding season, or after a move. Check temperatures first.
- Strong feeding response: a hungry carpet python can mistake a hand for food. Use tongs and wash your hands after handling prey.
- Regurgitation: usually from handling too soon, prey that is too large, or low temperatures.
Bottom Line
Feed carpet pythons properly sized, frozen-thawed mice or rats on a schedule matched to their age, keep the enclosure warm, and give them a couple of days to digest before handling. For more on feeding snakes, see our guides to feeding snakes frozen mice, what ball pythons eat, and what boas eat.
If your snake stops eating for a long period, loses weight, or regurgitates repeatedly, see a reptile veterinarian.
