First blood, Sumatran short-tail python (black blood), advice?

[treeboa]

A blood and a sst are different species. Check this out to see the three. They are called black bloods but it is not correct and some will get hissy over it. Its best to know the difference between them so you know what you have and what your talking about. The main difference is size. http://bloodpythons.com/cms/index.ph...cies-info.html
That site also has a ton of great info.

Do you have a hide or just paper and a bowl?

Every short-tail and blood I've had used their hides extensively. They usually have their head sticking out, but it just seems to make them feel more secure. At least 1 hide on each the warm and cooler end is essential IMHO. If they soak a lot when not in shed it usually means either mites or they are trying to hide in there.