Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So this question is two fold...Firstly, asking for advice and suggestions on my set up and secondly, asking for advice on a blood pythons temperment.

I am a zookeeper at Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend, IN and I have had around 5 years of experience w/ herps of my own as well as at the zoo and so when I was at the Indy Reptile Expo on Nov. 4th, I decided that I wanted a snake that not everyone has, gets to an impressive yet manageable size, and is maybe a little more difficult than I'm used to. Therefore, I bought a male Malaysian Blood Python. He is about a foot and a half long. I have him in a 15 gallon tank. There is about 2 inches of cypress mulch covered by about 3 inches of pear tree leaves (don't worry, I baked them to disinfect them). He has a hide box and a water bowl large enough to soak in. As for heat and humidity, the ambient temp is 80 with a hotspot of 88 and I mist lightly once every morning. I waited a little over a week after I got him to feed him, but when I did, he ate a freshly killed rat fuzzie. My question is...Does anyone see anything major in my set-up that I should be aware of? I understand everyone has different opinions on how animals should be cared for so if it's not a life or death matter, try to be gentle.

My second question is...I have never been bitten by any of my animals before. Call it luck...call it being attentive to my animals...whatever. What I do realize though is that this little snake is pissier than many that I've seen and I haven't gotten to know him well enough to read his behavior very well. What I want to know is what can I expect if I do get bitten?

Thank you in advance for all of you who help me out.

Luke.

1.0 Dachsund/Jack Russel mix
0.0.1 Eastern Milksnake
1.0 Malaysian Blood Python
0.1 Sulcata Tortoise
1.1 Crested Geckos
0.1 Leopard Gecko
0.1 Giant Day Gecko
0.3.3 Blue Poison Dart Frogs
2.2.1 Yellow and Black Poison Dart Frogs
0.0.1 Green and Black Poison Dart Frog
0.0.1 Golfodulcean Poison Dart Frog
0.0.3 Dyeing Poison Dart Frogs

Welcome to the world of Bloods..... but be careful, they're addicting!

Your setup sounds pretty good to me, I don't see any problems. The most difficult thing in my opinion is keeping proper humidity, but I keep my snakes on newspaper, and I'm sure it would be much easier for you with the mulch.

As for their temperament, some seem to be quite feisty when they're young, but calm down easily. Gentle persistent handling should get them used to you pretty quickly. I had one that was the most evil snake I have ever seen when I got her, but by the third handling session she had stopped striking, and now she's the sweetest snake in the world.

I've only had one little bite from any of my snakes, but from what I hear, they're not too painful, but bleed like crazy! They've got crazy sharp teeth.

Well good luck with the new snake, I think Bloods and STP's are the coolest snakes ever.
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-chris-

I agree your setup appears fine. Mulch can be a bit difficult to keep clean since it is hard to see urates and feces, but cleaning periodically should help with this. Eventually you will want to shift to newspaper or some equivalent otherwise you will be going through a bag of mulch every other week.

All STP's including the bloods have relatively short and blunt teeth for a python. Something that I appreciate over the years. I have been bitten by some nasty animals but if I could pick what to get bitten buy I would choose the STP's (actually I would prefer anolis but it isn't a python

The amount of trauma you receive by a STP bite is not bad when you consider their "punching" power. But, to avoid this altogether, use a hook to remove the animal from the cage and don't handle them at night. Work on their basic behavior to hunt at night and play during the day. Just don't use your hand to suddently wake them up.

Welcome to our addiction!

Photo: Me and old borneo at the Lake Forest Wildlife Discovery Center.

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Support your local herp society
www.chicagoherp.org

I always use mulch because I find my snakes seem to be calmer when they can secure themselves in the much and peek out with their noses extended. I keep my cages very clean and dont really think it takes any more effort than newspaper, but it is a little messier and creates sweeping chores. Your setup sounds great to me. I might bump the hot spot up 2-4 degrees though.

My two worst bites ever were from large blood pythons and the holes in my hand were the least of the issues. The trauma caused by their great power and their dull teeth caused my hand to swell up, turn black and blue and be sore for weeks. There was no infection, just damage from what felt like being hit by a hammer with finishing nails attached. Some snakes with sharper and/or longer teeth, but less power have punched some very impressive holes in me but it didn't really hurt that much. GTP's can punch really deep holes but their teeth are so sharp and fine I have occasionally had to see the blood before I was sure they actually got me.

Having said that - I love blood pythons and rarely if ever get bitten by them. Do not be afraid of their ill-deserved reputation or what they could do! My blood lines are very calm and predictable. I generally send cranky snakes down the road. I dont even own a hook! The neonates can tap you pretty quickly but it doesn't do much damage. Every single time I have been bitten by an adult it was my fault or at the very least I cornered the snake and gave it little choice but to be defensive. My Malaysians are a little less tolerant of handling than others but by simply watching their body language you can usually predict the outcome. They will always tense-up, stop tongue flicking and generally tilt their noses upward.

Below is a picture of my hand after a 25 lb female latched on to it. I had it coming as I got into her cage after dark and reached into her hide box and startled her. She was also hungry. This girl is trustworthy around my children. After this picture was taken my hand really started to gush and a day later got swollen and my fingers turned blue. Eventually she forgave me!

With patience and frequent handling the risk of being bitten by most snakes can be greatly diminsihed. I would also point out that when a younger, smaller snake bites me I DO NOT put it down. That reinforces bad behavior. I wait for a few minutes until the snake has calmed down and then put it back. That shows the snake that calm behavior will be rewarded but bad behavior will get him nowhere. (Big and/or really rotten snakes get put down as quickly as humanly possible) And yes, snakes do learn things very quickly.

It should be noted that being bitten by a really pissed human is a much more dangerous proposition than getting bitten by a blood python. and I still keep a few of those around depsite what they COULD do.

Happy Snakin'

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Steve Frist

www.stevefristreptiles.com

5rings@Netscape.com

Thank you guys so much for your tips!!! It's not that I asked that question out of fear, just out of a knowledge and respect for what they have evolved to do. He is a pretty little thing though... Thanks again.

Luke.

ive been bet lots of times...by malasyians full grown to...im not that stealthy...well it is just the shock of getting bit but it is just sore...a kinda nusence....not a pain....it bleeds alot to...sooo yeah dont worry

John
Zinger Reptiles

Pain is weakness leaving the Body! At least that's what they told us in boot camp.. Another thing you can try if you don't have a hook is to have your significant other get it out for you!LOL, just kidding, I "wake" mine up with a dowl rod that has a sponge attached to it at one end. I just rub them lightly with it until they move a bit. Then I present my hand, palm towards the head, fingers together and pointing straight up like I am telling it to stop. I try to close the distance smoothly but quickly between my hand and the head. This will limmit the impact and the snake can't "wrap" it's teeth around anything to cause a bite. They will still strike but I have found that for the most part it will have them settle down real quick. Soon you won't need to do it any more. On the plus side, you look like Crocadile Dundee when you do it too! This will not work for Retics and GTPs. The teeth will still get you, on retics it's because of their "flip-top" head!
Rock on, Blue

Hey,
You've received some great feed back on this site and question. My approach is a gentle approach. They sense fear quite readily and can react quite nervously if so. Approach with the best of intension and gentle but confident handling and it will eventually appreciate the attention. Cage servicing should be a cinch!
-Angel
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In life you can fall many times, but you're only a failure, if you don't try to get back up!
Evil Canevil

I used to own an adult stp/blood hybrid (Sumantran x Black). He was very grumpy. I took a stick (dried) and used it to tap the side of his cage, and then him, to let him know I was going to reach in. Getting struck at tended to coincide with surprising him. As to how it feels....like getting your fingers/hand in a rat trap (giant version of an old fashioned mouse trap) while at the same time getting sliced open. It bleeds (a lot) and bruises up. My bite was like being bitten by a bulldog...he wouldn't let go and blood dribbled from the bite.

Guide to not getting bitten:
1. use some implement to let them know you're coming in to get them so they aren't surprised by your hand
2. use a feed box, don't feed in the cage, also use the signal stick before you reach in to get them out of the feed box
3. wash your hands after feeding so you don't smell like food
4. Bloods and short-tails do not like having their heads restrained. I've given intra-muscular shots to my blood without restraining the head and he remained fairly calm. When I did have him restrained, striking and struggling were excessive. I've seen this basic response to head holding in several other bloods and short tails. They do not like being held at the head.

If you do get bitten and they don't let go.
1. try very warm or very cold water in the mouth or on the body, especially on the last third of the body.
2. try tickling. The last third of their body and around their cloaca and tail are very sensative and they don't like being touched there. That's how I got my "bull dog" blood to let go, I tickled him.

But I agree with what others have said, persistant gentle handling will calm them down. If they bite and let go, keep holding them for a moment so they learn that biting won't get the result they want. The best thing I can suggest is getting something that you can use to let them know you're going to reach in. They do not like being surprised!!

Oh, and my blood died after a long fight with pneumonia, 4 years ago.

Barbara
6.1.2 bearded dragons
0.1 ball python
a bunch of mice
1 planted tropical freshwater fish tank with shrimp!!

at your snakes size it wont hurt. you will just bleed a little. I currently have six bloods of different varieties and in my opinion my malaysian male is the pissiest, yet I have never been bitten by him and he is a wild caught 4 footer. As far as you handling yours , do it now! the longer you wait the harder it is to calm them down. start with leather gloves until the snake is use to you messin with it. after a week or so of glove handling take off the gloves. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO NEVER GRAB THE SNAKES HEAD OR HIGHNECK AREA!!!!!!! NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE ELSE SAYS ABOUT BLOOD PYTHONS they are just as docile as ball pythons with the right handling. now keep in mind that i have been bit more times by ball pythons than bloods. If you have any more questions feel free to E mail me at mcbrayerreptiles@yahoo.com

The difference between small little holes and terrible cuts is having the wherewithal NOT to jerk your had back when they bite (snakes in general). If you jerk your hand back, all those little teeth rip your skin instead of leaving little pinholes. I have carpets, balls and a corn. I get bit all the time by small carpets, don’t even hurt, just surprises you. The worst bite I have received was from my corn (my fault) I jerked when he struck and he caught my finger and shredded it.

So, don’t startle the snake, have confidence, and if he strikes, take it like a man