#Antaresia childreni

[great-and-small]

Furious parent at seven year old’s suddenly chaotic birthday party: what is wrong with you?? in what world would it ever be okay for you to give my kid a fucking python as a birthday gift??

Me: oh my god Cheryl calm down I’m not an idiot I got the one that is literally specifically labeled for kids relax jeez

[snototter]

A Children's python (Antaresia childreni) in Kimberley, Western Australia

by Ian Bool

[sleepychipmunk]

Ghost, Sythe, and Zim are all officially moved into their new enclosures! Sad to say the moss didn’t quite make it, but I’m going to keep it in for decor/humidity reasons. For their part, the boys seem happy with their new accommodations, and that makes me happy!

[monarchbutt]

daily snake #16

🤎The Children's Python (Antaresia childreni), named after John George Children, is a nocturnal species native to the northern half of Australia. Growing to about 3 ft in length, it's primarily found on the ground, but may also climb trees.

[pastelanthophila]

Mlp sona jumpscare raaaghhh!

[herpsandbirds]

Children’s ("Stimson's") Python (Antaresia childreni), juvenile, family Pythonidae, Port Hedland region of the Pilbara, Western Australia

This population was formerly referred to as Stimson’s Python, but they are no longer considered to be a distinct subspecies. No subspecies are currently recognized for Children’s Python.

Some people do though consider Stimson's to be a distinct species, A. stimsoni.

photograph by Adam Brice

Is there anyone with a good knowledge of these snakes that could give us an opinion on the status of Stimson's Pythons?

[is-the-snake-video-cute]

Children's Python Shopping List

If you've decided on a Children's python (Antaresia childreni) for your first pet snake, you're in for a treat! These lovely little pythons are awesome pets and fun to watch and interact with. You can expect your pet Children's python to grow around 1-1.5 m (3-5 ft) as an adult, and they can live to be over 20 years old with appropriate care.

Enclosure setup shopping list:

You will want to set up your enclosure so your snake has room to stretch out, climb, and explore! You will need to set up a temperature gradient of about 32-25 C (90-78 F), and Children's pythons need a humidity level of around 50-60%.

Enclosure. For a baby Children's python, a 20 gallon is fine, and a 40 gallon works well for yearlings. As an adult, your snake will need an enclosure at least as long as they are, and ideally with vertical space to climb. A 120 gallon enclosure is a good minimum, and bigger is always better!

If your enclosure has a screen lid, two sets of screen clips. Never bring a snake home without screen clips!

To retain humidity, if your enclosure has a screen lid, cut a piece of cardboard or plywood to cover at least half of the lid to help keep humidity in.

A dome heat lamp with ceramic sockets. Any big reptile brand is fine - Fluker's, Zoo Med, and Exo Terra are all trustworthy brands here. Make sure your dome lamp is rated for the wattage of bulb you will be using - 150 is usually a safe bet.

Heat bulbs. I use ceramic heat emitters for my Children's pythons. You can choose to provide halogen light and UVB if you'd like, but as these are nocturnal snakes, monitor your snake's reaction to visible light - some individuals won't adapt well to it, and that's okay! Arcadia makes high-quality heat sources your pet will love. The wattage you choose will depend on your enclosure size and the temperature in your home.

A thermostat to plug your heat source into. Vivarium Electronics thermostats are excellent but pricey; you can go as expensive as you like but here is a cheap one I swear by.

Digital thermometer/hygrometer reader with probes - Zoo Med and Exo Terra make great dual gauges. Avoid stick-on dials!

At least two identical hides, one on either side

A container to make a humidity hide. Simply cut a hole in the lid, fill with damp moss, and you're set! Providing your snake with a humid hide will help them have perfect sheds every time!

A large water bowl

(Insider tip: if you go to the grocery store and buy a pack of black plastic food storage containers, you can easily make hides, humidity hides, and a water bowl out of them! Here's my go-to option, you can easily take care of all that for one baby snake cheaply and easily!)

Sphagnum moss for your humid hide. Make sure your humid hide is always moist!

Substrate. Children's pythons can do well on a range of substrates, but options that help hold humidity are best. Cypress mulch and coconut fiber are good options.

Climbing branches and other decor - climbing is a must, and vines, rocks, and tunnels made from cardboard tubes are other great options. Children's pythons love to climb, so be sure to take advantage of vertical space!

General care:

Feeding tongs.

Food for your snake. Your offered food should be about 10% of your snake's body weight.

A soldering iron, believe it or not! A cheap soldering iron will serve you well throughout your snake's life - you can use it to easily melt holes in bowls and containers to make hides.

A small snake hook can help you with handling your snake, especially if you're nervous.

If you're Australian, be sure to check your state's laws and make sure you have the appropriate license before you buy your snake. Be sure to include any associated fees in your budget!

And some common beginner mistakes:

Don't move your snake to a separate enclosure to feed. It's a myth that will make your snake "aggressive" - it can actually cause more mistaken feeding bites as they associate handling with being fed!

Don't worry if your snake spends most of their time hiding, especially while young. A hiding snake is a happy snake!

Don't be concerned if your snake is a little jumpy or defensive when you first bring them home. Children's pythons can be jumpy babies, but this will improve with gentle handling and time.

Don't over-handle your snake, and always give them at least a week to settle in before offering food for the first time.

Never handle your snake for two days after they've eaten - that could cause a regurgitation.

Children's pythons are awesome pets! They're uncomplicated to care for and are generally very hardy and not too fussy. If you take care to set up your enclosure well, you'll be all set for many happy and fun years with your new buddy!

[redrcs]

Selfie with Children's Python (Antaresia childreni) at Deadly, near Busselton

On my travels

(I need a barber, my last haircut was in April)

[tigersorange]

Small Pets Catalogue:

(Current to 2/18/2024)

If there is no picture I plan to update with a picture. Pictures are of my actual pets and not representative.

-

REPTILES:

Smaug - Gargoyle Gecko - Rhacodactylus auriculatus - 3/2023 - Poss Female - F2.5 from F1 and F2 Parents - Future Breeding Prospect from Bowling Green State University reptile collection

Housing - Reptizoo 24x24x18in - Bioactive with “Temperate White Springtails” (unknown sp.), “Panda King“ Isopods (Cubaris sp.), Assorted Plants

Elton - Leopard Gecko - Eublepharis macularius - Birthdate Unknown, at least 7 years old - Female - Rescue, provenance unknown - Pet only

Housing - Exo Terra Large wide 36x18x-18in - Bioactive with Porcellionides pruinosus “Party Mix” isopods, Unknown sp. of Arid wild springtails that colonized and outcompeted the springtails I had introduced, and assorted plants.

EVA - Children’s Python - Antaresia childreni - 5/2023 - Female - From E2Exotics on MorphMarket with untraced lineage - Pet only

Housing - S.E.S Series 4 PVC Enclosure 4x2x2ft Semi Bioactive With “Temperate White” (Unknown sp.) Springtails, currently cycling so I have not chosen the isopods yet.

Temporarily in grow out 20 gallon long tank on paper towel until she is large enough that she cannot escape through the gap in the door of the large enclosure.

FISH

Sasuke - Betta Splendens - Young - Female - From Pet Supplies Plus - Pet only

Housing - Aqueon 5.5 gallon Rimless Fish Tank - Assorted Plants, Mystery Snail (Pomacea bridgesii), Pink Ramshorn Snails (Planorbella sp.)

INVERTS LISTED ON MY BUG BLOG

[sunfish-exotics]

Such a chill little dude, if only the ladies had his attitude U_U

[boabubbles]

Little Rainbow Thea

[hotwngz]

Antaresia for ur soul

[favoriteanimal]

This is a Melville appreciation post

Melville is a male Children's python! He's at least 10 years old, and he lives in a tank in my front closet right now to keep him out of the room where the ball pythons live.

[mapleicedlatte]

Oberon the Marble Children’s Python & Tarot the T+ Stimson Python.

[mellepell]

Cinnamon, Children’s Python, Antaresia childreni

[herpsandbirds]

Love the blog!! Could you share some eastern indigo or children's python images?

Sure thing booboo, here's a little of both...

Eastern Indigo Snake (Drymarchon couperi), family Colubridae, found in the SE United States

All indigo snakes used to be within the species D. corais, which had 12 subspecies, but they are now broken up between 5 or 6 species.

photograph by Kevin Enge & USFS

More here:

Herps and Birds (and More) (Posts tagged drymarchon) (tumblr.com)

Children’s Python (Antaresia childreni), family Pythonidae, West Queensland, found in NW Australia

photographs by Matt