Localities?

[Bluebonnet Herp]

So, while I was browsing what little natural information about short tailed pythons exist on the web, it came to my attention that within each closely related species was described as different localities and races. However, I couldn't get any farther than knowing that there are several different kinds exist, and all I can find is that their are two distinct black short tailed types, one of which is a bright, yellow headed dwarf (only getting as large as 3 feet) race, and the other being the super dark, black headed, bloods we typically see. There also appears to be two kinds of red bloods; the the more common darker, black headed Sumatran blood, and the awfully rare Malaysian blood, with lighter shades of red/orange and a tan head. There aren't any localities or races described for the Borneo python that I know of.
I'm also baffled by all this talk of head colors, like black headed, chrome headed, and yellow headed. (Mainly in black blood pythons.) Where do these come from; are they mixes of localities, and what are their genetics? Do they differ from each other in size or just colors?
Also, how big do each of the three short tailed species get? I hear red bloods are the biggest, and black bloods are the smallest, with Borneos in-between. But what are the measurement numbers?
I would definitely appreciate some feedback to clear this up!

[KMG]

There is three species. http://bloodpythons.com/cms/index.ph...cies-info.html

Only one is referred to as a blood python while the other two are types of short tail.

A blood is the largest. They can be over six feet and weight more than thirty pounds. They have very large thick bodies. My big female is over five feet and around twenty pounds.

Info on bloods: http://vpi.com/publications/blood_py...ation_and_care

The other two, Borneo and Sumatran, should not be referred to as a blood but they very often incorrectly are. They are usually on the small size compared to a blood but are still very heavy bodied and in some cases can grow to six feet, but its rare.

Info on Borneo: http://vpi.com/publications/borneo_p...and_care_sheet

VPI story of Sumatran: http://vpi.com/galleries/sumatran_short_tail_pythons

Within all three you can see different morphs and locals but they all are from one of the three types.

I love my bloods and they are my favorite in my collection. My big girl is a real puppy. She will lay with you as long as you let her and though very vocal huffing and puffing she has never tried to tag me. My little ones are Bangka/het albino and though they were pretty nippy in the beginning they settled down easy and are very easy to handle. They are not to puppy status yet but I think they will be with a bit more time.

If your thinking about getting one i would suggest handling a large adult first and make sure you have the room they need in caging. They don't move much but do require a good amount of room for all their mass.

[Kara]

Malaysian brongersmai aren't strictly red with tan heads, nor are Sumatran brongersmai strictly red with black heads, to further add to your confusion. Blood pythons range from Sumatra to Thailand to Malaysia, and can also be found on several outlying islands in that region. They can range in color from dark chocolate brown to brilliant light red, nearly pink, with black, gray, brown or red heads. The color phases aren't specifically tied to localities in a strict sense.

Also, the yellow-headed black Sumatran short-tailed pythons (Python curtus) don't necessarily top out at three feet. We've had females over the years that were well into the 5' range. The black-headed (and chrome-headed) Python curtus do tend to be a quite a bit larger than the yellow/orange-headed varieties. Overall P. curtus are considered to be the "smallest" of the three species, but it's all kind of relative.

With regards to Borneos & race - there is a population of P. breitensteini found in Sarawak, and they are distinctly different in appearance. There is a small captive population as well, and they're fascinating animals.

Most of our bloods (P. brongersmai), SSTPs (P. curtus) and BSTPs (P. breitensteini) are very similar in size/weight, but we also raise them all the same way. Typical size/weight in our collection is in the range of 4.5' - 5.5' and 12-18 lbs. We have some snakes that are easily 6'+ and quite a bit heavier (20+ lbs), and that's in all three species. The largest examples of each species in our collection are also at least 10 years old.

Best snakes ever!

[DNACurtusK]

There's a lot more variety in these species than a lot of folks realize. Makes working with them that much more exciting!

[Bluebonnet Herp]

There's a lot more variety in these species than a lot of folks realize. Makes working with them that much more exciting!

So they're basically like the crested geckos of pythons, where it isn't all genetic math like breeding ball pythons, but also just a lot of selective breeding for color richness and head color, right?

Only one is referred to as a blood python while the other two are types of short tail.

I'm well aware of their taxonomic organization and identification even. I just think typing Borneo/Sumatran short tailed python uses too much calories in my fingers, especially on a crappy touch screen. That, and black blood python sounds way more interesting. (Although I agree, nobody should get these confused.)

If your thinking about getting one i would suggest handling a large adult first and make sure you have the room they need in caging. They don't move much but do require a good amount of room for all their mass.

I honestly cannot find anyone I know or at local shops with an adult specimen, much less even a juvenile. I've only ever encountered one in person and it was a hotdog-sized snake that someone sold to a local aquatics store. I do plan on purchasing Boaphile, Vision, and Animal Plastics racks and cages when my family moves though, which is when I'll be allowed to get more reptiles. (I have more than enough time to save up the money for caging and animals before we are in our new house.)

[KMG]

When your typing to folks who are into these you can use "stp" for short tail python so you can shorten it to Borneo stp. Or just using "borneos" or "sumatrans" is fine by itself.

Its good your planning ahead. Must people use cages at least 4 foot by 2 foot and 12-15 inches high. I myself use 4x2x15". I find it easier to remove and replace my big girl with that height. She has never shown aggression but we do have disagreements about going back home and she has alot of weight to throw around. The bigger opening just makes things easier, especially cleaning.

Also think about what life changes you may have coming up like college. Its one thing for a parent to take care of a ball python while you are away but a completely different thing for them to take care of a 20+ pound blood that has movements that could be confused as a baby elephant's.