More Advice on Same Python!

[elkied243]

Hello! I recently posted about a stressed out python my university just adopted. After convincing them that this big blood baby could handle more than a mouse (as I said before she is about 4 ft long and as thick as possible) they fed her and she seems a bit happier. Unfortunately she still has no hides and her tank isn't much considering her size. They did cover 3 out of 4 sides with black paper and I do believe she's a bit more comfortable. I have asked to take the animals on myself but they seem to have other ideas....

Here is my new issue:
In lieu of actually taking care of the snakes (there is a ball python involved as well) themselves, they want to leave it totally up to the students. I am sure I'm not the only one who sees the issue with that....I am experienced with ball pythons but not with bloods and was hoping for some advice so maybe I could convince them to leave the caring to me and in turn I would help educate the other students before letting them run free with these scale babies.

Another idea of theirs is to build a 6x6 foot enclosure for the blood. I am doing my research but it seems as if they just want her to be a display piece and I'm hoping to give them a more practical idea.

Thanks in advance for all of y'all's helpfulness, it is truly much appreciated.

[elkied243]

Finally got a picture of her. She doesn't move much...she's still pretty unhappy and doesn't like to be touched even though she was apparently very friendly when she first arrived.

[EL Ziggy]

Shes a real beauty Elkied.

[thawes]

What you've got there is a northern locale of the Sumatran short-tailed python (P. curtus).
That size snake would do well with a med-lg rat every two or three weeks. Since you're not in a temperature controlled room, I'd offer a hot spot of no more than 84 (I keep my whole room at 80-82 with no hot spot)...bloods and STP's like it a little bit cooler than most other python species. If you're going to offer a large enclosure, make sure there is plenty of areas to hide and offer a water dish large enough for her to soak in...these can make great display animals, but high traffic and nowhere to hide will ultimately stress her out. As for substrate you can use cypress, moss, coir, or peat, any of these will work great and hold good humidity.
That about covers it I think...
Good luck