As I am a recent blood python owner, having come from a background of ball pythons and corn snakes, I thought I would pipe in. Eventually the long term experts will grace you with their years of experience.

First thing I recommend is research. There are three (more commonly anyway) types of 'blood' pythons...the Blood python (yeah I know confusing) borneo and Sumatran blood pythons...All are 'short tailed pythons'. Far as I can tell, all three have pretty much the same care requirements which aren't all that different from ball pythons. Only real difference is they seem to like things a bit more humid and more tight. So a small cage, especially with babies is a must to start with.

Like most baby snakes, baby short tails can be nippy but with gentle care and regular handling they do calm down. (Mine hasn't yet but I only had her since mid June of this year, but I am not worried...she's so short, she doesn't come near in tagging me.)

However captive bred animals are much easier to tame down so best bet is to find a breeder, either online or at a reptile show near you (if you live in Florida, try the big show in October I think it is, in Daytona. Look above the blood forum as well and check out the various sponsor's links, most are breeders of short tails, either one or the other, or 2-3 of them. They may have all the fancy expensive morphs but there are plenty of 'normals' around to buy, even if not advertised.

As you are already here in the blood forum, and if you haven't been already, read the back posts. Lots of great information about bloods has already been posted. General care and keeping information can be found at the sponsor/breeder websites as well.

Unfortunately I can't list out the differences between each species in care and personality...far as I can recall, there isn't much differences in care, but of course there is differences in appearances...Blood pythons are your more darker blood red, some a very bright red, depending on the breeding/quality, though most of the babies tend to look nowhere near as brilliant as adults (they do color up as they reach adulthood). The Sumatrans are your 'black bloods', they get a nice dark black/brown as they get older...quite striking. Borneos are kind of like bloods in general pattern, but with many differences...I have only really learned how to easily tell them apart with presence or lack of ocular scales (see the pinned threat above for info on identifying the various species by scale differences).

So far I am enjoying my blood...even though I am not handling her much, I am more interested in getting her well established with eating...so far she's eating regularly...which makes me quite happy.
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PHLdyPayne

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