# what kind of pets are blood pythons?



## xBurntBytheSunx (Jun 12, 2010)

i was just curious if these snakes.  how is their temperament?  is a snake that thick hard to handle?


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## Bazzgazm (Jun 12, 2010)

First off i'll tell ya i love bloods/short tails..
but they're not the friendliest....
the more time you can spend with it from a small size..the easier it will be to handle as an adult. but as a rule of thumb, they're pretty snappy.
Of course so was my carpet python.. and yet.. he's  just as chill as a ball python now except a bit more active when being handled.

I'd say consider what you're looking for in a snake size wise, and care wise.. then let that be your deciding factors.

Other good 6-7ft snakes are carpet pythons, womas. and such, let us know what YOU Want out of it.


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## Jaymz Bedell (Jun 12, 2010)

I love blood and short tailed pythons. tons of personality in a great package. i've had the pleasure of working with quite a few over the years and aside from scrub pythons they rank as some of my very favorite animals. its been my experience that captive raised blood and short tailed pythons are calm deliberate animals. and for snakes theyre pretty vocal. they often emit series of heavy breaths as they roam when being handled. this behavior is not at all aggressive, its actually quite interesting and along with body postures can give you a good idea of the snakes mood. im really not one for handling reptiles on a regular basis, but, my blood and short tailed pythons were always my favorites when it came to working hands on. they really are great snakes. wild caught adults can be snappy, even down right nasty, at times. but a captive raised adult is usually a lot of fun to work with. a lot of people get the impression that because these snakes come from very humid and wet habitats in the wild that they require soaking wet conditions in captivity. this is absolutely not true. good ventilation and choices of humid and dryer areas to hide keep this snake very happy. do some more research and ask lots of questions, but i honestly find this group of pythons one of the most rewarding to work with. good luck.

Jaymz


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## pitbulllady (Jun 12, 2010)

Captive-bred specimens which have been handled regularily from a young age tend to be no worse, in terms of biting, than Balls, although bear in mind that these do get to be VERY heavy snakes, and walking around with a 40-pounder will either give you a good cardiovascular workout or the worse backache you've ever experienced(Been There, Done That).  

The big thing with these snakes is humidity, and I can't stress that enough.  They need a high environmental humidity level in order to shed properly and in order to avoid respiratory problems.  Like that little Rainbow Boa I found, these don't seem to do well in a fish tank type of enclosure because of the difficulty in maintaining proper humidity levels, around 75%.  

pitbulllady


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## Jaymz Bedell (Jun 12, 2010)

lol i totally left out the wieght factor. they are very heavy snakes. and as pitbull lady said, carrying around a big one will lead to some aching. 

Jaymz


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## xBurntBytheSunx (Jun 13, 2010)

i'm just dreaming about what kind of snakes i want    i can't have any until i get my own place, and with the economy the way it is, i have no clue when that might be.

i was thinking they would be a wonderful display species due to their size and colors.  however a snake that big is very intimidating, i was just wondering if people who handle them have to be afraid of them biting/constricting, as i'd imagine they could do a fair amount of damage.

once i do get my own place i'll probably end up with a woma and/or some thai beauties like pitbulllady recommended.  i'm guessing anything that needs high high humidity is going to be a bit more difficult to keep than i'd care for.


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## sharpfang (Jun 13, 2010)

*That's the reason, that I avoid Rainbow Boas*

{Humidity Issues}
Bloods do like Lg. H2O bowls......They spend their time on the leaf-littered Forest floors of Borneo and Sri Lanka, where the avg. daily humidity is fairly high, below the canopy of trees.
They are easily bred, and handled as well......I compare them to Hamsters handling wise.....If you dont from young age......Then you'll likely have your hands full 
Conversely, I have met some, that were as tame as Pythons can get 
I preffer the look of the Marbled phase  They can be obtained 4 under $100 - Jason


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## darkart82 (Jun 13, 2010)

*blood pythons*

here is something you might want to know when they crap its freakin huge and they dont do it often either as for holding they also dont wrap around you like a boa or a ball you have to give them plenty off suport cause if your not careful you can break their ribs easy


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## pitbulllady (Jun 13, 2010)

darkart82 said:


> here is something you might want to know when they crap its freakin huge and they dont do it often either as for holding they also dont wrap around you like a boa or a ball you have to give them plenty off suport cause if your not careful you can break their ribs easy


I should have mentioned that in my post about their weight.  They seem even heavier than they are because they are pure dead weight; they don't attempt to hold on or sort of support themselves at all the way a Boa or most other Pythons will, since they are definitely not arboreal snakes.  A forty-pound Blood will SEEM a lot heavier than a 40-pound Burm, the same way that a 40-pound sack of dog food will seem a lot heavier than a live, 40-pound DOG. Part of the "hissiness" associated with these snakes, especially while they are being handled, stems from their own weight against their lungs.

pitbulllady


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