Irian Jayan Carpet Python--VPI Image Archives

This is a picture of a two-year-old Irian Jaya Carpet. OK, ok, I've heard that the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya is now renamed "Western Papua." These carpets still seem to me to be best called "Irian Jaya carpets" until the relationships between the several carpet python populations in New Guinea are better understood. Maybe they are all one taxon and maybe they are not. No, this particular animal does not have any jungle carpet blood in him. He is a pure Irian Jaya--a very pretty black-and-gold animal, but pure Irian Jaya. Both parents were wild-caught normal-looking Irian Jaya adults. He was hatched in 1995, long before the carpet python breeders began indescriminantly cross-breeding all the carpets together. Most Irian Jaya carpets that are this age are not so "black-and-gold." They typically are very pretty at this age, but usually more a pale brown with dark brown pattern and not so gold. This snake is a good illustration of why we were so fond of this population of carpets. These carpets did very well in captivity, were small in size, matured early, and were very gorgeous, all of them.

Dave - vpi@beecreek.net