Only three months old, already this young Irian Jaya carpet python is beginning his color transformation that will take 4-5 years. Hatchlings are colored in shades of red and are darker in overall appearance. Hatchlings are colored in shades of rust-red. A complicated ontogenetic color change takes usually place during the first three and a half years of life. Many Irian Jaya carpets at two years of age are beautiful gold and black snakes, the equal in appearance of the best jungle carpets at that age.
Babies can be snappy, but they are small and the bites are harmless.
But when calmly and consistently handled, the youngsters grow to very docile and trusting adults. The Irian Jaya Carpet python is a rarely-seen and beautiful form of carpet python that has been maintained in captivity only since 1994. Prior to that time, we know of no record of this snake being maintained in captivity. As such, the captive population is now removed from the wild by only one generation and remains a pure locality-specific variety of carpet python ideally suited for many herpetoculturists. They are the smallest variety of carpet python available.