Someone is going to shed!

Little Sandor is in the middle of a shed cycle. Since Bloods can have bad sheds despite perfect humidity he is getting misted twice the day.

It cracks me up how he is laying there. Bloods often lay in straight lines and right angles. As triangles, squares, rectangles....LOL

I don't know why, but its funny to me :P

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2897/...0efb165c_c.jpg

Can't wait to see that fresh skin.

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Originally Posted by BR8080

Can't wait to see that fresh skin.

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Me, too!!

Hopefully I get a good shed, I wouldn't want to peel it off of him, don't think that would go over real well, haha.

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Originally Posted by zina10

It cracks me up how he is laying there. Bloods often lay in straight lines and right angles. As triangles, squares, rectangles....LOL

I don't know why, but its funny to me :P

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It's because they're so fat they can't coil up right... lol He will probably shed fine. My Matrix shed perfectly all in one piece for me her first time (for me). Her skin was floating in her water bowl, so she must have crawled out of it while she was soaking. She is still acting very sketchy, by the way. :( My little Sumatrans have become perfect little angels, though! I sit with each of them for probably a half hour every day and they haven't struck once in over a couple of weeks. They went from schizo to puppy dogs overnight. There is definitely something to leaving these guys completely alone for at least a couple of weeks to get settled in when you get them! They are so alert, attentive and inquisitive just like my Boa. They love to crawl around on me and explore. It's like they are observing the entire room. I'm just crazy about them! <3

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Originally Posted by Aedryan Methyus

It's because they're so fat they can't coil up right... lol He will probably shed fine. My Matrix shed perfectly all in one piece for me her first time (for me). Her skin was floating in her water bowl, so she must have crawled out of it while she was soaking. She is still acting very sketchy, by the way. :( My little Sumatrans have become perfect little angels, though! I sit with each of them for probably a half hour every day and they haven't struck once in over a couple of weeks. They went from schizo to puppy dogs overnight. There is definitely something to leaving these guys completely alone for at least a couple of weeks to get settled in when you get them! They are so alert, attentive and inquisitive just like my Boa. They love to crawl around on me and explore. It's like they are observing the entire room. I'm just crazy about them! <3

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So true, every snake should get adequate down time after moving to a new home. That has got to be so stressful. Especially when you add "shipping" to that.

Most Bloods/shorttails come around with regular handling. But there is the odd "schizo" that will never calm down and will be difficult to handle.

Then there are those that calm down enough that you can easily handle them for regular maintenance, but they stay nervous and tense and never truly learn to relax and be curious during handling. Just no way of knowing how one will turn out unless you get one that is already calm/curious/"sweet".

So far my boy falls in the middle. He has never struck again, he handles well, he even relaxes some. But we are nowhere near "there" yet where he is completely at ease, curiously exploring, etc. He is ok with sitting down and also moving around some, but he is not 100% comfortable yet. Still nervous when touched or when we move around. He wasn't handled at all (aside from cleaning, etc) so its understandable. I hope with lots of time and patience he will become curious and 100% relaxed once out and about.

I can't wait to see him with his "new skin" :)

There is nothing worse than the wait for new skin! Hoping it goes perfect for him, my sstp is deep in blue right now and looking amazing but I've been too busy this week to bother him which he probably likes lol.


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He's handsome even in shed Zina. Can't wait to see his new suit. ;)

And we got a PERFECT shed :)

Seemed to take a bit longer then my BP's and I was worried..because I've heard they usually shed in pieces despite perfect humidity. There was one tear in the skin, but all in one piece :)

Someone is HUNGRY now, since he had to skip a meal due to this shedding business.

No handling or pictures yet, first a good meal and in a couple of days handling will presume ;)

Does he not eat when in shed, or do you just choose not to offer?

He's so gorgeous. :)

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They do take forever, now it seems like all my snakes have decided to join the shed party, my hognose shed yesterday but they seem pretty quick about it always, my sstp has cleared up now but not shed yet and my borneo girl and red tail are both now going blue.

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Originally Posted by zina10

And we got a PERFECT shed :)

Seemed to take a bit longer then my BP's and I was worried..because I've heard they usually shed in pieces despite perfect humidity. There was one tear in the skin, but all in one piece :)

Someone is HUNGRY now, since he had to skip a meal due to this shedding business.

No handling or pictures yet, first a good meal and in a couple of days handling will presume ;)

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Still,

I think a fresh shed picture is in the cards!

Too pretty not to show off the new outfit.

Its coming ;)

It will still be fresh in a couple of days, LOL !!!

Didn't want to stress him out on the day of feeding..but after that, hold on to your horses, LOL!!

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Originally Posted by Fraido

Does he not eat when in shed, or do you just choose not to offer?

He's so gorgeous. :)

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I don't even try to feed during shed. I figure their body are busy with this process, why add another one to it. Besides, I don't want a "bump" that they have to roll the old skin over ;)

Just the way I do it..

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Originally Posted by GoingPostal

They do take forever, now it seems like all my snakes have decided to join the shed party, my hognose shed yesterday but they seem pretty quick about it always, my sstp has cleared up now but not shed yet and my borneo girl and red tail are both now going blue.

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My BP's that are in the same Rack often go right around the same time. Strange, haha. :) They "sync" up..

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Originally Posted by zina10

And we got a PERFECT shed :)

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Congratulations!!! I've heard getting more than 1/2 a solid shed is doing well with bloods - you're perfect shed is a testament to your great husbandry. Nice job Zina.

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Originally Posted by BR8080

Congratulations!!! I've heard getting more than 1/2 a solid shed is doing well with bloods - you're perfect shed is a testament to your great husbandry. Nice job Zina.

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Thank you!! I was pretty excited ;) He also ate like a champion, no hesitation at all!

Glad to hear his shed went well, Zina! :)

Congrats on the shed! I looooove your snake, so gorgeous! How's his temperament? I've heard a lot about bloods being aggressive, but I'm not sure how much is true.

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Originally Posted by FlynnTheBP

Congrats on the shed! I looooove your snake, so gorgeous! How's his temperament? I've heard a lot about bloods being aggressive, but I'm not sure how much is true.

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His temperament is the typical nervous "baby/juvie" snake temperament. In BP's it often comes out in shyness, with Bloods, it usually means huffing, puffing, sometimes striking and being nippy when young.

The myth of all of them being "nasty monsters" is just not true. Back in the day, most of them were imports. There are still imports and captive hatched ones, but the captive bred ones have come a long way.

They are simply not as "shy" by nature as Ball Pythons. Ball Pythons being docile has a lot to do with being shy and fearful and "balling up" rather then striking out.
Once a Blood or Shorttail Python has calmed/tamed down, they actually make "better pets" because they aren't shy and fearful, usually not head shy, and like to "hang out".

Of course there are exceptions. There are those that never calm down. Most of them become at the very least quite handle-able, if not puppy dog tame.
Some of the super tame out of the egg hatchlings are not good eaters, while the more "normal" defensive ones don't seem to have that problem.

Back to Sandor. He was quite defensive and nervous, but not aggressive. Aggressive is when they wag that tail and snap at everything, and then they can be quite dramatic!!! Sandor just froze up, huffs a bit. He has gotten a LOT better, I can pick him up no problem. But I can tell he is not 100% comfortable. Once he got into shed he got more nervous again, more "huffing" but no striking. Of course I don't handle during shed and I fed him right after, so handling will presume in a couple of days. I sure hope he will turn into one of those calm/curious/tame and 100% comfortable with handling snakes. So far he is well on his way :)