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Reptile Rapture,
6308 Monona dr, Monona WI 53516
608-221-0094, www.reptilerapture.net


SOUTHERN WHITE LIPPED PYTHON Caresheet


Common Name:
White lip, D'Albert's python
Scientific Name: Bothrochilus hoserae (formerly Leiopython)
Origin: New Guinea
Size: 8-9 feet
Lifespan: 30 years

You will find many ways on the internet, on "how to" take care of this animal. This care sheet is showing the way we found works best for us from our many years of experience of breeding and caring for this species.

HOUSING

White lips are not that common as a pet snake, partly because of their reputation for being "nippy". In the wild, they are semi-arboreal. Living on the ground but also in trees. So they will like some height to their enclosure. You can start babies in cages as small as 10 gallons. At around a year old, you can increase the size of the enclosure. There are several kinds that work well for white lips, e.g., glass aquariums and any of the commercially available plastic-type reptile cages. For yearlings, step up to an enclosure that is at least 30" x 12" inches (like Zilla critter cage 20 Long) or go bigger like a 36" x 18" (Exo Terra Large, or Zilla 40 gal). If you use a glass tank,  you will want to provide a humid hide--that is a hide that has some damp moss in it for extra humidity. A shy python baby will feel more secure if there is a hide for them on the cool side and the warm side of the enclosure (more about that in the heating section). You can also make a “hide” out of sturdy branches and foliage, so he can perch off of the ground. For an adult white lip,  you will want a custom enclosure or one of the large 4+ foot molded plastic reptile cages. A 4’ x 3' is a good basic size, though, many people have gone larger and have gotten quite creative with their enclosures. We do not recommend rack systems for white lips as they like to climb and explore.

You can use many types of bedding for your white lip. The ones that look the best and help hold some humidity are Zoo Med repti bark, Zilla jungle mix, Zoo Med eco earth, and Zoo Med forest floor. Spot clean the bedding whenever they defecate. You should only need to clean the whole thing out about once a month or so. Disinfect the enclosure and change out the bedding at that time. Zoo Meds wipe out or vinegar and water both work well for cage cleaning. Newspaper is also acceptable, though it doesn’t look as nice and you have to change it all out when they defecate on it.


LIGHTING AND HEAT

White lips originate from a warm climate and so they like it fairly warm. Like all reptiles, they are dependent on external thermoregulation to control their body temperature. This essentially means you need to provide a hot and a cool side to your enclosure. All the heat elements should be on one side and the other will then be the cool side. This way, your snake can move back and forth between the different temperatures depending on its needs.

The hot side basking spot should be at 88-92 degrees. Put one hide there and another the cooler side. The cool side can be between 80-85 degrees. At night the temperature can drop to the upper 70s. It's a good idea to use a basking light and an under tank heat pad also. The heat pads are usually placed on the hot side with a hide over it. We recommend a Zoo Med heat mat or Exo Terra heat pad which stays on 24/7 to give them a little bit of supplemental heat during the night. Both of these are placed on the outside, underneath the enclosure. You want a heat pad that only covers half the tank (or less). The basking light should be housed in a good quality light dome like Exo Terra and Flukers that has a ceramic housing to tolerate high heat and an on/off switch.

Use a good quality temperature gauge too, like Zoo Meds digital temp gauge or Exo Terras Thermometer. Don't guess at it. You can also use a rheostat and/or timers to control your heat source. We do not recommend the use of hot rocks. They have a tendency to heat unevenly over too small an area and can cause serious burns.


HUMIDITY

Keep a non-porous water bowl in with your white lip, and make sure it always has clean water. Exo Terras water bowls or Flukers water bowls are good decorative choices or a good ceramic crock dish. Scrub the bowl at least once a week to keep bacteria slime from building up. If you maintain a humidity level of 60-70%, your white lip will be able to shed properly. Hand misters are usually sufficient but if you don't care to remember to mist, an automatic mister like the Exo Terra monsoon or the Reptile fogger are nice options.


FEEDING

Do not handle your white lip for several hours before you are going to feed it. You can feed it in its own enclosure or move it to a feeding tub. The choice is yours. Most white lips are not picky eaters.  They do have a good feeding response. If you are worried about your pet thinking you are going to feed it every time you handle it, then get yourself a good snake hook. Just hook your snake out of its enclosure when you want to hold him. Check out these hooks: Exo Terra collapsible hook for babies and larger hooks for adults. Using a snake hook when you take your white lip out will greatly reduce the chance of you being bit from a feeding response.

Hatchlings to 2 years
1 rodent of appropriate size once a week. This means the girth of the rodent should not exceed the girth of the snake (at it's biggest point, not his neck size) Some people say you can give them rodents 1 1/2 times as big as the girth of the snake. However, most pythons have a slow metabolism and we have found that they eat better and tend not to skip meals if you don't exceed its girth by much. Do not handle your snake for at least 24 hours after it has eaten.

Adults
You can cut back to 1 rodent every 2 weeks if you want. If you do this make sure it is a decent size meal, don't skimp.
or
Continue on the once a week regime with a slightly smaller meal than if you are feeding every two weeks.

Snakes in general tend not to eat when they are in shed. Just wait to feed until it has shed.

Babies white lips usually will eat through the winter as long as they are warm enough. However, some adults may “go off food” during this time. This is a natural time for them to breed, and so not eat as much. Just keep an eye on your snake's overall condition and body weight. Typically, with a healthy white lip, this is nothing to worry about.  Offer your white lip food every 2 weeks or so until it starts eating again.


TEMPERAMENT

White lips while beautiful, are not as popular as a pet snake as some others. Mostly because of their reputation for having a quick temper. With this in mind they are best kept by people who have had some experience with keeping other snakes successfully. However, they can still be rewarding pets. You can hold your white lip, but you probably will get bit at some point. Even well acclimated white lips can be startled and react with a bite. With patience your white lip will usually tame down enough to hold them. Especially if you get them as a baby. (Captive bred being the best ) However they are still a more nervous snake than say, a ball python and probably will never get to the point of being comfortable and calm being held for hours at a time.

When holding your white lip, always remember to support your snakes body. They like to explore but will usually settle down on you after a few minutes. Give your pet some time to get used to you. Avoid touching the top of your snake's head. Even if it knows and trusts you, touching the top of the head can cause a bite reaction.

Give your snake at least a day to settle in to its new home before handling. Start slow and gradually increase the amount of time you have your snake out. Remember, your new pet's life is in your hands. So please take care of them properly.