Can a Blood Be A ....

Glad to see you dropped by Snakey! We not bad for an international bunch of crazed herp addicted folk LOL

I've never owned a blood, although it's something I've considered for the farther future. I did rescue and rehome one though, and in the short time I had him, I was amazed at the difference between balls and bloods. He was relatively young, only about 2 to 2.5 feet long. But I have NEVER seen a snake hit prey that hard, I literally felt the strength/power through the tongs when he nailed his rat. I definitely wouldn't want to take a bite from one, not even one as small as he was. :O

I'm really surprised the poor guy was alive. He was being kept in a tub that was only as long as half his length, with newspaper substrate and a bowl of water...that's it. No heat, no humidity, no hide. He had one infected eye and one badly scratched eye. The couple that took him managed to get rid of the infection and some scratches, but he only has about 15-20% of his vision. He seemed pretty docile, so I hope he stays that way for them.

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

Glad to see you dropped by Snakey! We not bad for an international bunch of crazed herp addicted folk LOL

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thanks Franky , crazed I can deal with , I should fit right in then ...lol

I don't think balls or bloods are good beginner snakes.:mad: Corn and Kings are better for beginners. :D

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Originally Posted by novato

I don't think balls or bloods are good beginner snakes.:mad: Corn and Kings are better for beginners. :D

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i have had more problems with kings and corns then bps. I have also been bitten far more by kings and corns then bps.

Ball pythons are hardy, easy to keep and maintain. Gentel, easy going and each one looks and acts different. the only bad thing about Bps i would say is they can be some what picky with their food, have a one track mind, and for no reasion stop eating for weeks or months, costing you money in vet bills and giving you a bad case of the worries. :P Then when the vet check comes back fine, you end up banging you head on a brick wall trying to get the booger to eat.
All and all Bps are very much a fun and "keep you on your toes" kind of snake. Once you have a ball you stuck on them for life.
:carrot: :sunny: :2cent:

I think it really depends on what you want out of a snake...

I won't vote because I've no experience with blood pythons. I do, however, think that they do not make good beginner's snakes. Ever since I got my first snake over a year ago, I've wanted a Blood. Even after caring for FOUR snakes, I do not feel I'm ready to take on a Blood. Maybe another year or two one will be added to my growing collection, but not just yet.

And, jessie_k_pythons ~ I feel ya on the subject of getting bitten far more by the kings & corns! My cornsnake has never, ever shown agression. However, my baby Mexican black king snake seems to think he can swallow a 5'5" human at only 13" (or so) long! The first time he got me, I thought I made a stupid feeding error. The second time, I was fresh out of the shower, no scents on me other than somethin' fruity (maybe he likes that smell, or something). Now, when I take him out for handling, I WORRY when he DOESN'T nab me! Hopefully he'll knock it off by the time he's older. Silly snake. :rolleyes:

lol I started out rescueing Cali kings god they pack a punch. and when I was told that my very first snake should be a king I said "no thanks *looks down at the scars and cuts on my hands* " I made an even bigger mistake wih a 9 foot sick retic. (me and my big heart) I thought I could handel this guy no prob, ha ha ha ha! nope! he was great untill I finaly got his retained (sp?) eye caps off. I dont remember how many on each eye but he was blind untill I removed them.

that was when he turned into the devil. bit me, bit my husband. would he strike at a rat? oh heck no! he liked the hand the fed him more that the food it's self. I finaly traded him in for a ball python (Baby) and I got word last month that his new owner ended up getting 6 stiches from his last bite.
I'm sticking with BPs. I have been nabed by mine too and I will say there bite is not as bad as the retic's or the king's, but then again I'm numb from the brain down. :D

Sounds like you should've left those eyecaps on there! Haha, I'm just kidding. I'd never be that mean. But, you'd think he'd be even slightly appreciative that he could see the person that had been taking such good care of him.

I laughed when I read the "...that was when he turned into the devil..." bit. That had to be a horrible experience, but the way you explained it was amusing.

I'm going to safely assume that my king snake will always bite on occassion. I spoke to my trusted herper friend today for close to 2 hours, and he said that some kings just have that characteristic embedded into their personalities. It's not something that bothers me too much. I don't mind getting bit. I've got dogs that bite pretty darned hard when they accidentally miss the toy and latch onto my hand/arm. I'm used to being abused by my animal companions.

I hit "enter" too quick on my last reply, and I have no idea how to edit posts, or if it's possible!

What I wanted to add was this, to keep it on-topic:
I spoke to my trusted herper friend (he used to work at the San Diego Zoo before he moved here to Arizona) about Blood pythons, and I asked him about their position in the "beginner's snake" list. He said, "Absolutely not!" He told me that they are well-known for being nippy, and he also states they have very strict needs and requirements that are not often simple for inexperienced keepers to keep constant. He said if you're looking for a python, go for a ball first.