Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am looking for some advice. I own two 1 year old ball pythons. when I got them the were incredably sick and needed a tough regimine of shots but now they are healthy and happy (at least they seem happy). I love pythons and would like to a single blood to my small collection only as a pet and companion (whereas I would like to try to breed the balls in a few years) the reason I bring all this up is I saw on the NERD website it listed Blood pythons as a moderate skill level to take care of. I will be building a custom wood cage for the balls and so the blood would live in the balls 40 gal. breeder. would this be big enough and do you think that the experiance with the balls is enough for me to be at a moderate skill level?
thanks for any advice!

i am not an experienced blood kepper i just got my first one jan. 11th. he's awesome & has eaten for me last week without a problem but he's not friendly yet. i'm sure alot of people here will be able to tell you more . personally i think that if you are dedicated to caring for it properly i'm sure you can keep one. i will say that i have to agree with articles i've read in saying they do not tolerate failure..lol a ball will forgive a mistake but i know my blood will not...if you get a lil one don't put it in a big tank i've read they like tighter more confined quarters. also make sure that everything it needs is set up days in advance of getting it.
go to www.proexotics.com
there is a caresheet & an amazing article from reptiles magazine that robyn did.
this article is what changed my mind about bloods & had me drooling to get one.
don't impulse think it out & when you're completely ready go get one!
good luck

>>I am looking for some advice. I own two 1 year old ball pythons. when I got them the were incredably sick and needed a tough regimine of shots but now they are healthy and happy (at least they seem happy). I love pythons and would like to a single blood to my small collection only as a pet and companion (whereas I would like to try to breed the balls in a few years) the reason I bring all this up is I saw on the NERD website it listed Blood pythons as a moderate skill level to take care of. I will be building a custom wood cage for the balls and so the blood would live in the balls 40 gal. breeder. would this be big enough and do you think that the experiance with the balls is enough for me to be at a moderate skill level?
>>thanks for any advice!

I wouldn't recommend it only because getting it hot and humid will be a bugger for you. I keep my SST in a sterlite, with a damp moss box and a large water bowl. With heat tape under one end at 95. I can't imagine keeping a tank humid and hot enough but if you want to.....If would be big enough for a male SST Otherwise I think it may get tight once it's grown. I found with my SST that the more room he has the better his poop schedule. They aren't all as lazy as you think. But why not go with a tub? Or are you looking for a display?
The difficulty with Bloods to me is keeping the humidity up, while not cutting down air flow and heat. They are less forgiving than other snakes ......meaning that they can get sick from incorrect conditions more often than a Ball.
Otherwise my SST is my favorite alongside my BRB. He doesn't strike first and ask questions later. He eats like a champ and he is gorgeous.
-----
Sonya

Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with the software.

I want to get a male black blood. The tank for the balls right now has a warm side ambiant air temp of 82 with a belly heat of 86 with a hot spot at 92 and the cool side has an ambiant air temp of 76 with a belly heat of 77 with a small hotter spot at 80...they have two hides one on each side one is slightly bigger then the other. they have a big water dish that they can lay in and drink from. I keep an ultrasonic humidifier in the room right next to the tank and it keeps the humidity right at 65% without leaving the substrate moist...

would that setup seem about right for a blood...I would make minor adjustments. I am thinking about it now because i will have to start working on the new tank for the balls this summer if I want to get the blood next year around this time. it is not an impulse buy, If I get a blood it will be from a reptile show if I can find one in a show, or from a breeder with a good reputation.

I'd aim for more like 75%....
-----
"The serpent crams itself with animal life that is often warm and vibrant, to prolong an existence in which we detect no joy and no emotion. It reveals the depth to which evolution can sink when it takes the downward path and strips animals to the irreducible minimum able to perpetuate a predatory life in its naked horror."
Alexander Skutch

Meret is right, your temps are correct but bring the humidity up about 10 percent. Do not put a baby blood in a container that big, it will get stressed out. A 40g breeder would be ok for a juvie tho. A small shoebox size rubbermaid container is appropriate for a baby. Look at previous posts on here and care sites at NERD and Pro Exotic for more info.
-----
"It's my snake, I trained it, so I'm going to eat it!" - Mad Max, The Road Warrior

I would not recommend a glass aquarium for any snake even the critter cages aren't escape proof. Everybody talks about humidity, but in order to get ambient humidity in a screened top cage is by created dampness in the substrate, which promotes mold growth. However, if you must then I recommend a bowl large enough for the snake to soak its body in and not push all the water out. A nice tight hide box where they can feel snug against the sides and dark enough inside to provide additional security.

Now another problem, short-tailed pythons (aka bloods) as hatchlings don't like large open spaces very much. A 40 breeder is fine for a three foot animal, but anything smaller will be nervous and very shy and tend not to want to eat. All the stp's I have kept thrive on tight space in darker areas of the house with proper temps of course. Fresh air (not damp) and access to fresh water. Did I repeat myself? Oh heck, it warrants repeating. You can use aspen or newspaper as substrate, aspen chip is fine deep enough to hide under is better.

Do you have what it takes? That is tough to answer. Ball pythons are forgiving and just becuase they may thrive for you doesn't mean you can or cannot have a stp. The question is how much are you willing to invest in learning. Don't take shortcuts with these guys. They are merciless sometimes. As with many snakes. I would recommend being a little more patient and get a couple of seasons with the balls. You have time to build up the collection. Of course, if you can buy a captive bred stp and get reassurance from a breeder that they can support your questions, then I say go for it. Just don't buy one "off the shelf" and learn by mistake. I have placed thousands of unwanted reptiles. The big mistake is rushing to build the collection and not taking the time to learn the basics.

Just my $0.02 plus interest....

Hey,
In short, I wouldn't stay away from SST, or bloods for that matter just because you've never owned one in the past or have read some bad stuff on them. I would however, do as much reading on them as you possibly can and talk to some of the best keepers and breeders on them, and make sure that you do not skimp on setting one up in the most appropriate cage possible.

I would take the advice as some mentioned here, and would set up the blood or sst, in a cage more suited to its size and weight. Do not for any reason set up a blood in a cage that is too large for it or its size. Young animals do stress if kept in enclosures that are too large and best suited for larger animals; making the whole experience more challenging than it is worth. Heed the warnings carefully and work with that information as best as possible and down load care information from Nerd, PE, and others to mention a few, and post here if you run into trouble. They are lovely animals and worth the work and every ounce of their weight in gold.

- Angel
-----
Sometimes on your way to your dream, you get lost and find a better way!

After learning the hard way, I wouldn't even put a blood in an aquarium. They need the high humidity that is hard to keep in an aquarium. Also, I had my blood in a 40gallon until she was a tad over 3 feet. I had to move her out because she was strong enough to break the screen lid off. I think the reason why NERD has them listed as intermediate is that they are very easy to underestimate. It is a short snake, but the power these snakes have in incredible. I have never seen a snake attack food with such verocity as a blood does.

In my experience, bloods are not terribly good pets, as it is seldom possible to pet them. They are an amazing display animal, but keep in mind that even a tame blood can turn on a hand that smells of mouse in a heartbeat, and a blood bites a bit more nastily than a ball in my experience. I find bloods easy to care for, keep them in a small tight cage, big water dish, live plants (for ambient humidity), etc, and they will thrive. They feed ferociously, unless poorly housed. As for keeping it alive, it is an intermediate step up from a ball, but handling may be another story. Just food for thought.
-----
-F. R. Murphy
1.0 Mali Uro
0.1 Red Niger Uro
1.0 Savanna Monitor
1.0 Veiled Chameleon
1.1 Cal. Kingsnake
1.0 Blood Python
1.0 Viper Boa
1.0 Amazon Tree Boa
Misc. Tree Frogs

i am thinking of getting a borneo and i was wonderin if a glass top would work?