Is this true?

[snakefein]

Is it true that blood pythons are pretty ill tempered and dont make a good pet for a novice snake owner and if it is a good pet then what size of enclosure would it take for a full grown one

[Big_V]

Blood pythons arent as bad as most people have made them out to be. I once thought this too but after some research and the opportunity to handle some large adults I realised that this idea was completely false. Mine sumatran is a complete bluff when it comes to agression and the most I ever here is a hiss.

Bloods can be the next step for a novice to try to improve his skills but much research should be done as the require certain temperatures and humidity conditions that must be sustained but aswell you must be able to handle a snake that could potentially be over 35 pounds and 5 feet long.
A 5x2 would be probably the best size enclosure for a blood if you were looking to get into one.
Read the FAQ's on Blood Pythons in this forum by Linds and Grant VG's caresheet on the main webpage and this should give you a start into these awesome snakes.

[thunder]

wc bloods tend to be very ill tempered, but the difference in cb is night and day. also, black bloods are for some reason less pissy than reds.

[LdyDrgn]

If you want to get into Bloods, go with a Borneo Short-tail first. They are the most calm of them. Our pair hiss just slightly when pulled out of their enclosures, but they have never offered to REALLY hiss or bite.

The main thing with these guys is having confidence and holding them properly. They are so heavy bodied that they need more support then the usual, not so heavy, snake.

They have an awesome personality and a real pleasure to work with. Morti didn't like them until we adopted Fred. Now he likes them quite a bit. They are addicting, LOL.

Good luck if you decide to get into them. :) NERD (http://www.newenglandreptile.com/) and VPI (http://www.vpi.com/) produce some very nice Borneos.

[Invictus]

I can't say I agree on the Borneos. In my experience, they have been far worse than Sumatran red bloods. However, I do agree that they should NOT be a starter snake. They are extremely picky with environment, and if you do happen to get a nasty one, you need to really know what you're doing.

[thunder]

i will also say that wild caught borneos are very difficult, as well as red bloods. musking, biting, thrashing ect. once again however, i must reiterate that there are many cb curts out there who are quite docile. as others have said, they are still not a good beginner snake as their husbandry requirements are somewhat more demanding. as for caging, 4 x 3 is good for a larger individual (over six feet) , 2 x 2 for a smaller one (under 6 ft). not much height is necessary as they really dont climb much as adults.

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

2 x 2 for a smaller one!? Man that is TINY. I cannot agree with that. These snakes have the potential to be and by nature are VERY girthy relative to their length. I, myself, would say that a 5ft+ blood(that is not too thin) should have a cage 3ft wide and AT LEAST 5ft long. These snakes DO have the potential(though very rare/remote) to reach 9ft long. They can weigh up to 45lbs, and I imagine a healthy 9ft snake would be 50lbs(MAYBE 55lbs?). This is NO-WHERE near the norm, and a 7ft snake is pretty darn good size. Most healthy, average, 3.5-4.5ft bloods are about as big around as a 2L pop bottle. I would not reccomend these for a beginner as per the reasons previously stated in this thread.

Just my $0.02 .

C.

[thunder]

for the smaller size, i was talking about black bloods, who in my experience, are tiny when placed next to an adult of one of the other subspecies. a friend of mine has a number of breeding age adults, all 5+ years old, and only has reached 5 feet. however, these are wildcaught, it is possible that the rigors of life have prevented them from reaching a size that a cb could attain. i do not, however, think that any blood need a cage as long as itself, as they are rather sessile in their habits, rarely moving except to move from the hot end to the cold end.

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

Yes, but take in the fact that they can be as girthy as a burm, and you got yourself a BIG snake. They SHOULD NOT be thin when they are 5ft+. They should be the size of a 2L pop bottle at 4ft long(normally). Add onto that that since they are so girthy, they cannot curl up in a tight coild like others snakes.

C.

[snakefein]

Thank you all for all of your help i will most definatly look into one of these awesome snakes when im more experinced

[hooter]

Hum.. must just be me with a borneo that is more calm than your typical BP. My Borneo wont even back away if you hold its head or make fast movements.

I put this snake in my face all the time and let little kids hold it and i trust it so much i'd put my life on it that it wont bite anyone. This is my only snake i trust 100% and never EVER feer of it biting me or anyone eles just because its so laid back.

[Linds]

I don't know if I can say Borneos have that great a temperament either...lol :p My 5' male has a good temperament, but still has an amazing feeding reflex and has come close to nailing me a few times when opening the cages (pictured below), and strikes through the glass occasionally. He also becomes a bit irrate when put on the ground, but for the most part is just a big vocal slug :p

<img src="http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/507/22bad_darky.jpg">

My female on the other hand, captive bred and born and in my care since she was a wee tiny hatchling, is completely unmanagable. She so much as feels you touch her she flails herself violently around, and never hesitates to strike. She reacts much like Jezabel's girl in this video at times :eek: http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=27846 At only 4.5' in length, she can be quite the challenge to work with! Though they may not have length, they have a lot of muscle to make up for it, and their length actually works to their advantage, making them that much more difficult to handle - and it doesn't help they never hold on to you! I find it much easier to work with a very agressive 11' burm than a 4' blood of equal temperament :rolleyes:

LOL.... now that being said, they aren't all bad. I wouldn't necessarily call them aggressive as I would very sensitive snakes, that need to be gently handled and cared for, and are set off much easier than most snakes. They are definitely not suited to many keepers out there, but they can make good pets for the right people. Some can grow up to be perfectly wonderful animals, some just don't. These days more and more are growing up to be very handleable animals as a result of captive breeding/hatching and people raising them up as pets.

<img src="http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/507/22tashapopcan.jpg">

Originally posted by CHRISANDBOIDS14
They SHOULD NOT be thin when they are 5ft+. They should be the size of a 2L pop bottle at 4ft long(normally).

2L pop bottle girth size is obese for a 4' blood/stp. Pic of my female taken at about 3.5'.