Aggressive and Unpredictable?

[Arcapello]

Wanna know one of the best-kept secrets in herpetoculture?

BLOOD PYTHONS AND SHORT-TAILED PYTHONS ARE GREAT!!!

Good, USCBB selectively-bred bloods & shorties are among the most personality-filled, rewarding snakes to keep. The majority of them tame down easily as juvies, and they're really not that hard to keep, especially if you do your homework and have realistic expectations of these snakes and their husbandry.

Just my $.02 from keeping a few of 'em over the years.

This may sound like a dumb question, but are Blood Pythons and Short-Tailed Pythons two completely different snakes, or...?

[Tim Mead]

Kara's post is fabulous and right on the $$.. Like Tony the tiger says..
Theres 3 different types/locales/species in the "OLD" family..
Only one of the group comes in red tones so it is the blood python..The other two are often refferred to as bloods but dedicated keepers prefer short tail designation..
Aggressive- NO,
Unpredictable- every snake is, as is life..
They greatly enhance my day to day life as well as that of others..

[The Serpent Merchant]

This may sound like a dumb question, but are Blood Pythons and Short-Tailed Pythons two completely different snakes, or...?

Checkout this thread: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...t-tail-pythons

[aldebono]

I was hesitant about getting a blood because of their reputation. I bought one from an individual who knew she had a great disposition and I have to say I am so glad I made the jump! She is very calm and docile, great snake to hold and a very different personality than the balls. I would call her the opposite of aggressive and unpredictable but they have their individual personalities.

[Gloryhound]

Kingsnake has a female (or had) that weighed 38 pounds.

The 38 lb girl that was sold was actually listed on Fauna. For us she was puppy dog tame, never struck at anyone, and we completely trusted her. The new owner is having issues with her striking and getting used to her new environment. I've heard, but not seen it documented, that blood pythons are in the list of the 3 most intelligent pythons and can become one owner kind of snakes, so maybe she was used to my family or maybe it was just the enclosure changes and smell changes that set her off I don't know. We have hopes that given time to acclimate she will calm down and be the passive easy to handle snake my wife and I have known for 4 years. Once she settles in she will be able to be viewed at the Texas Serpentarium and Reptile Museum and possibly even handled.

We keep a fairly small and limited Red Blood python breeding collection. From our experiences we have had calmer animals that are much easier to handle by keeping them in a rack system (ARS-8514 and ARS-9006). I think it has something to do with approaching them from the top compared with head on as you would in a display type cage. I would also like to point out that we don't use hooks with anything and with our red blood pythons we only feed frozen thawed.

We tried keeping a pair of borneo pythons at one point, but both had bad attitudes and we sold them. We had one male red blood python come through that was devil spawn also and he got moved to someone interested in the challenge. All three of these though were kept in front open display type enclosures, and I would be currious at how they would do in a rack considering since we went to the rack we have had only one that has a mild temperment issue, but it only comes out when your holding him for more than a couple minutes.

As far as predictable goes, I think if you work with them enough you start to see that look that comes with I'm not in the mood right now compared with I'm cool and you can touch me.

[sissysnakes]

I have been struck by both of my STPs (though my Sumatran only struck me once at the show), and I will say that my borneo is a little difficult and very nervous, still love him all the same. I have heard some can be difficult, but not everyone is the same, every SSTP I have encountered is docile and easy to handle, and almost every Blood. I would say that Borneos might be the most nervous... Would you all agree? Regardless Short Tailed Pythons of all kinds are my favorite type of snake.

- - - Updated - - -

Wanna know one of the best-kept secrets in herpetoculture?

BLOOD PYTHONS AND SHORT-TAILED PYTHONS ARE GREAT!!!

Good, USCBB selectively-bred bloods & shorties are among the most personality-filled, rewarding snakes to keep. The majority of them tame down easily as juvies, and they're really not that hard to keep, especially if you do your homework and have realistic expectations of these snakes and their husbandry.

Just my $.02 from keeping a few of 'em over the years.

Just a "few" huh Kara?

[Kara]

Just a "few" huh Kara?

There's a lot to be said for understatement.

[Tim Mead]

[QUOTE=sissysnakes;1933933]I have been struck by both of my STPs (though my Sumatran only struck me once at the show), and I will say that my borneo is a little difficult and very nervous, still love him all the same. I have heard some can be difficult, but not everyone is the same, every SSTP I have encountered is docile and easy to handle, and almost every Blood. I would say that Borneos might be the most nervous... Would you all agree? Regardless Short Tailed Pythons of all kinds are my favorite type of snake

No, I do not agree, My collection is made up of several hundred pounds of Borneos and everyone of them is a pleasure to play with..A large part of the reason I keep only Borneos is because of their quiet nature..If you'll look at my last thread you'll see my 5 year old granddaughter playing with one..As a matter of fact I often give her the shoeboxes of babies to clean..Animals in the animal kingdom sense what is before them..My granddaughter knows no fear and has zero difficulty taken care of 50 or more babies..When we have visitors here we hand them one after the other and all is great and they leave with a smile from ear to ear..

[sissysnakes]

[QUOTE=Tim Mead;1936497]

I have been struck by both of my STPs (though my Sumatran only struck me once at the show), and I will say that my borneo is a little difficult and very nervous, still love him all the same. I have heard some can be difficult, but not everyone is the same, every SSTP I have encountered is docile and easy to handle, and almost every Blood. I would say that Borneos might be the most nervous... Would you all agree? Regardless Short Tailed Pythons of all kinds are my favorite type of snake

No, I do not agree, My collection is made up of several hundred pounds of Borneos and everyone of them is a pleasure to play with..A large part of the reason I keep only Borneos is because of their quiet nature..If you'll look at my last thread you'll see my 5 year old granddaughter playing with one..As a matter of fact I often give her the shoeboxes of babies to clean..Animals in the animal kingdom sense what is before them..My granddaughter knows no fear and has zero difficulty taken care of 50 or more babies..When we have visitors here we hand them one after the other and all is great and they leave with a smile from ear to ear..

My borneo was nervous when i got him and im still working with him. It was more question than strait up opinion. It is my understanding he was not held much as a baby... im sure your babies benefit from the confident hands of your granddaughter though!

Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 2

[Tim Mead]

Sissy, my passion and pride for these guys is what prompted such a lengthy answer..
I suspect what occurred with your case is the animal did not recieve the bonding that occurrs here with our babies..Animals are put into a groove by the way we keepers keep them..IMO..
If their needs are met and exceeded they go on to perform as such..If they are not, then they do not respond as a keeper would wish..Again IMO..