Introduction
    Children's pythons come from the North of Australia and on some offshore islands (Barker and Barker, 1994).  John Grey named this python after his former mentor and supervisor, John Children. They are also called the faded python due to the reduction of pattern as they mature.  Children's pythons start out as vividly patterned snakes, which in time becomes reduced as they mature.  They inhabit many different habitats, and because of this adaptability are well suited to do well in captivity.  In the wild, children's pythons feed on lizards and frogs when young, and may include some mammalian prey as adults.

Care
    These small pythons are easy to maintain if basic needs are met.  These, as well as all pythons, need a thermal gradient so that they may choose from a range of temperatures, which temperature they need to do a certain job.  These jobs include digestion of food, reproductive cycling, energy conservation, and many others.  No one temperature will suffice and a range of temperatures must be provided.  I keep my children's pythons in cages with stacked hides below a basking light.  This allows different levels of heat at the different levels of hide boxes.  The snakes can therefore choose which level they want to get a certain temperature.  The use of an infrared temperature gun makes this job of temp monitoring an easy task.  These tools are very useful and I recommend getting a thermal temp gun to anyone that is keeping reptiles.  Temperatures are everything with reptiles, so be sure you know what temps your captives are allowed to use.
    I keep pairs or trios in a spacious terrarium with sand as a substrate.  The sand is replaced when needed, and spot cleaned weekly.  Care must be taken when housing multiple snakes together that they do not attack each other during misguided feeding responses.  Water is provided in a bowl that can not be easily tipped over.  In addition to the dry leveled heated hides, I also provide a moist hide filled with slightly damp green moss.  This allows the pythons to choose a more humid environment when needed.  If these basic needs are met, little problems will arise.
    The most important aspect of keeping reptiles is observation.  As all setups and methods of keeping animals vary, there is no one way.  The snakes know best what they need, and their needs must come over any care sheet.  For example, if you read a care page that says a snake needs a constant 80 degree heat spot and you follow that advice and the snake is always under the heat lamp out in the open, this is telling you the snake is not getting high enough temperatures.  This is where you must understand what the snake is telling you and adjust your care appropriately.  Many are under the misconception that if they follow exactly the methods of someone who has had success with an animal, they they will also have success.  This couldn't be more wrong, and the only useful information is gleaned from the animals themselves.  Watch and listen to what your snakes are telling you, and only then will you be successful.

Feeding
    Hatchlings are sometimes reluctant to take pink mice as a first meal.  If the needs are met, then starting hatchlings on mice will be much easier.  I once had a hatchling that refused mice.  One day, the heating went on the fritz and the room became lethally hot.  Many of my adult breeder snakes that were close to the heat source died, but one picky hatchling that would not eat, began feeding after the high temperature surge.  When I have a group of hatchlings, I will first make sure they have the proper thermal gradient (70-100 degrees Fahrenheit) and then will try live pinks straight out of the nest.  Some will feed on the normal pinks, but for the others I will wash the pinks and give these "unscented" to the snakes.  If they still are reluctant I will use some shed skin from some of my Australian knob-tailed geckos to trick the hatchlings into thinking it is a lizard.  This usually works for all my pythons.
    Adults will take full grown adult mice their whole lives.  They are small enough that a few adult mice makes a good meal.  There is no set regimen and I usually feed breeder snakes heavily before and after breeding season.  They can be ravenous, and I have even had females that were incubating a clutch of eggs eat mice during incubation.  Snakes must be well fed and heavy bodied to be ready for a reproductive event.

Breeding
    These pythons are extremely easy to breed, and it's basically just a matter of putting a male and a female together.  At my facility, there is a natural temp drop in the winter, but I will offer food year-round as the snakes still have access to temps conducive for digestion.  The snakes will choose lower temps on their own and will cycle in the thermogradient provided.  During the cooler months, the snakes will breed actively.  Males will sometimes refuse food during breeding time, and then females will usually follow suit once they are gravid.  This is nice, because you only have one snake to feed during the breeding season.  Again, it is important to provide the female with adequate food to allow for egg production.  About 90 days after copulation, the female will lay her eggs and coil tightly around them.  Eggs are usually laid in the moist hide, and care must be taken to keep the moss slightly damp for good humidity.
    Females can incubate the eggs maternally or the eggs can be removed and set up in a pre-warmed incubator.  I keep the incubation chamber at 89 degrees F +/- a few degrees.  A little fluctuation in temperature is not detrimental in most cases.  As moisture in incubation media such as pearlite or vermiculite will vary it is best to leave that to the person with the eggs in hand, as no one level of moisture will work for everyone.  I recommend leaving the incubation medium on the dry side.  Eggs can be killed by too much moisture as well as too little, but it is easier to reverse the effects of too little moisture.  Monitor the eggs weekly or as desired to make sure the eggs look healthy.  Dead eggs that mold will not spread mold to healthy eggs, so, unless the eggs is easily removed, the egg can be left in with the others.
    Eggs will hatch after about 2 months, depending on incubation conditions.  Patience is important during egg incubation, and clutches of eggs can be messed up if the keeper is impatient.  If all the eggs in a clutch have pipped except 1 or 2, these unpipped eggs may be gently opened, taking care not to injure the small snake inside.  The hatchlings will emerge from the egg with plenty of yolk as energy supplies.  I usually set them up similarly to the adults, except individually and in smaller cages.  The snakes must have a feeling of security, with tight hide spots to feel comfortable.  I usually wait a week or two after the hatchlings shed before offering food items.  The hatchlings will grow quickly as they feed.

Summary
    Well, that's the basics of children's python care and breeding.  This species can be very rewarding to work with and is a great addition to any collection.  Their small size and easy maintenance requirements make them great for beginners and advanced herpeteculturalist alike.  Again, to be successful with this and other species of python, make sure you observe and listen to your snakes so their needs can be met.