First Blood

[gp_dragsandballs]

Well I picked a female sumatran blood python last Wednesday. She surprisingly ate the day I brought her home then I left her alone til today. I snapped a quick pic of her before I offered her a hopper, which she refused.

Whens she settles in alittle more I'll get better pics of her

[americangypsy]

These are growing on me I just love their markings.Congrats

[Haydenphoto]

I want one so bad ! But i heard they can be hard to handle and really nippy ! Anybody out there know how much more aggressive they are the Ball Pythons ?? My kids hold my BP's all the time i was just wondering if they would be the same way ?

[Boanerges]

Congrats on the new female blood!!!! She is a beauty!!!

Most blood babies are nippy Haydenphoto but with regular handling sessions they calm down quite nicely. But like with any snakes some can be nippy or hissy all their lives while others can be qutie docile all their lives. One female baby that I got was a COMPLETE doll baby from the day I got her out of the fed ex box. No hissing or striking ever. But IMO, generally most babies are hissy or nippy but grow out of it with regular handling sessions

[littleindiangirl]

Bloods aren't something I would let a kid hold necessarily. They won't hold on to you like a ball, they need to be supported; and when they get large, I can't see a kid properly holding it unless they are large enough to! LOL

[2kdime]

Nice little noodle!

Any pictures of the rents?

[Jyson]

Very Nice!

Bloods aren't something I would let a kid hold necessarily. They won't hold on to you like a ball, they need to be supported; and when they get large, I can't see a kid properly holding it unless they are large enough to! LOL

lol, I agree, Bloods kinda just lie there in your hands, it would be really easy for a kid to drop them, especially if they struck.

[Crazy4Herps]

Gorgeous!! Great contrast on that little girl!

I want one so bad ! But i heard they can be hard to handle and really nippy ! Anybody out there know how much more aggressive they are the Ball Pythons ?? My kids hold my BP's all the time i was just wondering if they would be the same way ?

Yes, they are very difficult to handle, in comparison with BPs; bloods are strictly terrestrial while BPs can be semi-arboreal. Bloods don't have the same traction BPs do; you can't put a blood around your neck, it'll slip right off.

As for aggression, I think they have somewhat of a bad reputation. Most bloods in the pet trade used to be imports; now, it's much easier to find CB bloods, which are much easier to tame. Starting with a CB hatchling, regular handling will tame it down nicely. However, you still must be able to face the fact that you may end up with a massive snake that could always bite you. There are BPs that I would trust with my life; I doubt I could ever say the same about a blood. Yes, it is possible for them to be very docile, but they are very different than balls and have much shorter tempers.

I don't have any kids but I have four- and six-year-old cousins who absolutely adore holding the BPs; they put them around their necks and handle them somewhat roughly (not roughly enough to harm the snake at all), and I never worry about them being tagged. However, I don't even let them hold my 7" breit; he's too slippery and his temperament is too iffy. He's never struck, but I wouldn't risk it with kids.