I think a big factor is picking a small locale animal as well.
3 Likes
for sure, i was thinking jungle or Darwin if i do get one
1 Like
You could even entertain the idea of a nice black rat or Everglades rat. A nice bright orange male Everglades in an fully decked out semi to arboreal cage would be nice.
Is the 3 in your 2x2x3 height or width? I ask as the Greg Maxwell-style caging for chondros was 2 x 2 x 4 (H x D x W) for females and 2ft cubed for males. I built a couple of the 2x2x4 versions over 10 years ago that housed a decently sized female Aru GTP from Garrick DeMeyer and then some demon’s spawn bredli (most aggressive bredli I’ve ever encountered).
2 Likes
appreciate the idea of a rat. and its 2x2x3 LxWxH
1 Like
Hmmm… the 2x2 footprint may be too small for either of those rats.
I’d have to lean towards others’ suggestions. A nice tiger or garden phase Amazon would work in there.
If hots… either a squam or eyelash would work. Iirc, squams eat a bit easier on pinks. Both are on my wish list later on in life when I can be less concerned with curious minds and small hands.
1 Like
Well I think 2 feet of horizontal space is not enough but hey to each their own. I don’t consider any carpet python fully arboreal so not keen on sticking them in arboreal setups.
2 Likes
That’s why I went 4ft horz for the couple years I had bredli. Used pecan branches and had a ground level and elevated tub for hides. I was more bummed that the 2 I had were grumpy for bredli.
3 Likes
Hi, I have carpets and they are very busy, they are each in a 4x4x2 with lots of climbing structures and they use all of it, I have a sub adult GTP in a 2x2x2 cube with plenty of perches and he’s thriving, very busy after dark, I have 2 Carpondro’s in 4x3x18” with plenty of climbing frames and they are busy little guys too that use every inch of their vivs.
3 Likes
Yes, if you design the cage properly I feel you could do it. But, as Shawn rightly notes, it also needs to be the right animal as well. I would absolutely NOT advocate a coastal in such a cage, for example
.
.
.
It depends on what you are looking for. And also, while technically they are in the complex, I do not really think of bredli as real carpets. Personal quirk there maybe 
Both GTPs and carpets would be good for display animals. The GTPs are probably more visually exciting but they are also straight up lumps during the day. They criticism that they are just green ball pythons on a stick is not entirely unfair LOL. They are certainly active at night, but most of us tend to be asleep when they are doing there thing. Carpets may be a little less “flashy” in appearance, but they are a bit more day active so you will see them doing there thing a little more that the GTPs.
As far as personality… It can be a ■■■■ shoot either way. My Aru is a complete baby doll… So long as the lights are on. Once the lights go out however, she is a vicious food-oriented monster and any heat signature constitutes food, your hands and face included. Some of the other localities have reputations for being cantankerous all the time. Carpets, for the most part, tend to be a bit snappy while young but most of them mellow with age. I still would not stick my hand in their cage when their lights go out though.
Price wise, carpets are going to beat GTPs. You can get a nice CBB Darwin or Papuan for $200, any true non-import CBB GTP is probably going to start around $500 and go up from there
.
.
.
But it is not two feet of space. As I said, if properly outfitted, you can create a significant amount of surface area for the animal
.
.
.
In his studies of Darwin carpets in their habitat, Gavin Bedford has tracked numerous animals that have never left the canopy from the day they had the trackers put in them. Including nesting females. So clearly some of the carpet complex are very highly arboreal. Which is why, in my initial comment, I very clearly spoke to the need for it to be one of those ssp if this option were considered.
3 Likes
I love my carpets there considered only semi arboreal but I have a Darwin albino that perches just like a gtp 95% of the time. that size would be ok for a year or maby 2 but a4x2x2 at least would be needed for an adult. mine is super tame we handle him often and in 4 years he has never offered to bite anyone even when I had to give him shots!
I was torn between carpets and gtp glad I chose carpets I may still get a gtp someday 
3 Likes
i would assume carpets are easier husbandry wise?
No real difference, honestly
2 Likes
thank you!
1 Like
Bumping this again as i am also now considering smaller arboreal lizards that would make awesome displays, any suggestions/ideas? currently interested in a java hump headed lizard or anything bright and interesting.
2 Likes
Species of day geckos (gold dust, electric blue, etc.), mexican alligator lizard, smaller chameleon species, mourning geckos, house geckos, and I’ll add more if I think of them.
2 Likes
i actually have a colony several female day geckos! abronia are really cool! but chameleons scare me because its a PVC enclosure
2 Likes
Green keel bellied lizard Gastropholis Prasina.
2 Likes
i like their defense mechanism lol
1 Like
