Blood/Ball Hybrid Question

[leylaraks]

Ok, before anyone gets excited, I have no intentions of breeding this snake.

I met a woman who keeps a variety of snakes and she is interested in rehoming this Black Blood Ball Python she's had for 3 years. I immediately perked my ears up, because it's not something you find often and I already have a love for Balls (as I breed them) and I've always been a HUGE fan of Bloods, even looked at acquiring a pair once I get some solid footing on my BP breeding projects. So, I've done *some* preliminary Blood husbandry research.

Saw "her" today (unsexed, the owner calls it a female). BEAUTIFUL snake. Clearly shows a lot of the SSTP. Estimated age is about 3 years old...looks to be in good health. Nice full bodied snake, sweet disposition! She does like to soak a LOT according to the owner...in fact she spends most of her time in her soak tub. Although I remember my vet talking with me about STPs and saying that they LOVE the humidity. Current set up is a large glass tank, screen top with heat lamps, coconut fiber bedding. She sheds in full, no issues and eats live rats once a week (snake weighed in at 8 pounds, she didn't have a gram scale...so the accuracy is not spot on).

My current collection of BPs are in racks/tubs with UTHs hooked up to thermostats, bedding is a combo of newspaper/aspen (although I'm not opposed to using coconut fiber if that has a habit of holding humidity better for the STPs). My tubs hold a good solid humidity of around 70-80%...and as I'm sure many of you rack/tub users know, a little spray bottle can crank that up nicely. I presently have a holding tub I am using for a visiting breeding male (he gets picked up today by his owner) that I'll use for the hybrid's quarantine tub, then she'll get one of the bigger tubs in my main rack. She'll also get to visit my reptile vet and get a thorough go-over and get properly sexed at that time.

My question is, I'm struggling to find husbandry requirements on the hybrids (no shocker there, as all I can find are debates on whether or not the cross-breeding should happen)...should I lean towards the SSTP husbandry requirements due to the fact she's showing a lot of those physical traits and soaking quite a bit in the tub? I know SSTPs and BPs aren't too far off from each other in husbandry requirements, but I'm new to SSTPs/Bloods and would appreciate any husbandry recommendations the group may have. Naturally, I'll be going over the care sheet provided on this board again (as it's been a fewish months since I last checked it out).

I officially take her in next week, so I know what I'm doing this week LOL....study, study, study!!!!

[leylaraks]

Actually just read that the extreme humidity is a frequent misconception...60-70% is ideal, temps between 80-88. So, that's good to know. Should I keep the coconut fiber as the substrate or would the newspaper be fine? Also, since I use belly heat, should her soak tub be on the cooler end?

[jackal_727]

Wish I could help but I have no experience with hybrids. I would say however a warm side of high eighties, keeping the humidity around 60% should do fine.

[leylaraks]

It actually ended up being a full blooded SSTP, the previous owner misspoke. So much easier approach to husbandry.