Short tailed python beginner Q

[pablo111]

I'm considering a short tailed python instead of a ball python. I have 15+ years experience but have been out of the hobby for four years now. I was planning to use a 35G tank (36x12) with a heating pad, one or two ceramic heating elements, and an automatic misting machine. Substrate would be cypress.

Anyways, I've read short tailed pythons rarely exceed three feet. That considered, would one fit in a 35G? Assuming I maintain the appropriate temperature and humidity requirements of the animal?

Is this even feisable?

If it out grows the tank I can just get a really huge rubbermaid anyways, right?
What's a huge rubbermaid cost anyways? It might almost be worth my while to get rid of the aquarium and stand I have, and get the rubbermaid (if it can be had for less than sixty dollars, I'm sold)

Temperment wise I read the FAQ as well as some other info on the net. Apparently they tend to be a little nippy but if a juvi is purchased and treated gently and handled often, it grows up to be very gentle? I've only ever kept colubrids and a couple of Ball Pythons.
I'm a bit of an aggression virgin... Had a nippy Cali King once... only 8" long though at the time, kinda more of a joke than intimidating.

How much would I be looking to pay, say, at a reptile show (like the one on the 27th) for a baby short tail python?

Thanks folks

[Invictus]

When you say "short tailed python", you are being very general. WHich are you looking for? Sumatran shorttail? Red blood? Borneo? They are 3 different species.

Rarely exceeding 3 feet?!?!?!?! HAHAHA... hardly. I just recently sold a 3 foot red blood that was only 2 years old and that was a male. Bloods can get to be 5-7 feet easily. Black bloods tend to be the smallest, but they usually hit 4 or 5. 9 feet is not unheard of, but is rare.

As for the 35g or the large rubbermaid, no way on both. That may be fine as a juvi, but adults require at minimum a 4x2, but I even feel that is inadequate. Go 6x2 if you can.

And if you're nervous about handling potentially agressive snakes, this is NOT the species for you. Bloods are very honest and in my experience seldom calm down. They seem to be either born calm and stay that way, or are born nasty and stay that way. I can't say it's impossible though, but I've not known too many people who have calmed this species down.

Another thing you need to know is that short tails are not cal kings - a bite from a king is a joke. A bite from a blood python is extremely painful, leaves a nasty wound, and off the top of my head I can list 4,985,267 things I'd rather experience. :)

Expect to pay in the $200-$300 range, but don't expect to find anyone selling them - not too many people working with this type of snake right now.

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

Pablo: I should have some babies for sale this summer. They will be $225-325

Anyways:

1. Put some fish in your tank
2. Rarely Exceed 3 feet.....yeah, for six months old lol. As Ken said they get quite abit bigger, but most males I see(including mine) do not exceet 5.5 feet.(Most being at.....3.5-5ft). I do dissagree though that they get to be 5-7 feet easily, because 6.5-7ft snakes arent very common at all, I only know of, probably 10 bloods that big or bigger.
3. As usuall, I must dissagree with Ken on the cage sizing statements. My adult male can be comfortably housed in a rubbermaid that is 42"L by 19" wide. Though obviously bigger is better(cage size wize), it is suitable. For about 4-5 months of the year he is in a 6' x 2.5' cage that houses our adult female. He is in there for breeding. Our younger female is also in one of those rubbermaids, but she is only 3.5ft. I wouldnt house anything much bigger than my male in one of those rubbermaids, so I would be likely to use a 4x2' cage.
4. Just to give you an Idea of sizes: Our female is about 5.5-6ft, and weighs 17lbs(Shes not long but shes big). We feed her about weekly or bi-weekly, she gets a 1.2-1.9lb rabbit. Nothing huge(they dont need it), or else they get fat. I know this is an ongoing issue about the size bloods should be and the size cages they should be in. I am hopping our female gains more length, before weight, because she is fairly large around the "midsection" lol. Shes only about 6" in diameter, from the top, when she is resting.
5. If you get a CB(captive bred) Short-tailed python or blood python, you shouldnt have much of a problem with temperament if you have regular handling sessions to "tame" the snake. Some/most are barely agressive to begin with.
6. Ken, I had a bite from a 4 foot cal king that wanted to eat my arm, constricted and everything, lol, I must say its the nastiest bite I've ever had, but the biggest blood that has bit me was only 3ft at the time. I have had a "gentle" bite as I call it from my boa, but I was trying to open his mouth and he closed it on the tip of my finger. I have managed to dodge all the strikes thrown at me by bigger bloods thus far.

Good luck! And we hope you will soon join the "realm of the short-tailed/blood pythons!"

C.

[pablo111]

So............ I'm getting the impression that these animals get larger than what Im looking for and tend to be very mean...

[malaysianbloods]

Yes they get much bigger than three feet if that is what you are looking for then this is not the snake you want. But then again ball pythons have the potential of reaching five to six feet for adult females, although this is not common and also almost all ball pythons reach over three feet. So the choice is up to you. What ever you chose be sure to do lots of research before you go ahead and buy the snake. HTH

[kevyn]

Pablo, you should check out the pics in the Biggest Blood... thread.

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

Pablo, no-one said they are very mean and most CB blood pythons are fairly tame, but on average they are a little more agressive than a ball. They are a good snake for someone looking for something a little more challenging than a ball.

C.

[pablo111]

I really like short tailed pythons. I would really like to get one. Even if it is a little bit agressive, if I were to get bitten a few times I wouldnt be very bothered by it. If the animal can be reasonably predictable by the time it weighs 10lbs I'm cool.

Housing wise, I understand I'll want to look into a four foot long rubbermaid container? Do you just put a couple of heating pads under that?

Can someone tell me approximately how much a four foot by 18" (that HAS to be enough for a short tail) rubbermaid costs? How do you lock the lid down so the snake doesn't escape?

Do you just drill holes? I'm new to this "NEW AGE" of snake keeping- but please rest assured that no advice falls on def ears with me and I am very dedicated to caring as well as I can for a snake.

Thanks

[Linds]

They are beautiful snakes, but very different from every other type of python, for sure. Here's a recent thread on the discussion of temperament and handling (including video) -> http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=62551 ;)

I keep my adults in 4x2 wooden enclosures heated with a piece of heat tape. I use either towel or newspaper as substrate. I agree with Chris in that they don't need huge enclosures. By nature, they are inactive snakes. In the wild, they typically just find a place to chill out and wait for food to happen along. Also, any vertical space you give them will be wasted, they don't even like to climb upwards to get in a hide if they can help it. If you aren't in to building your own enclosures, I definitely recommend checking out Reptic-Plastics caging -> http://balls-o-philiak.tripod.com/repticplastics/. I have a couple and absolutely love them. They are super easy to work with, as well as affordable :D

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

Pablo, we paid $23 for the approx. 48x18" rubbermaids we have. They are pretty cheap. We just use a human heat pad under half of the cage. You should be able to get one that is 12-15" x 24" for under $30. We have just drilled a few holes in the side of the containers and there are some vents already in the handles at the ends. The lid has 4 little clip/lock things, one on each end and one on each side. The containers are also about 20 inches high, and IMO even 16" is too high for a convinced blood to push a latched or heavy lid off.

HTH!

C.

[pablo111]

SO... You can house a snake in a four foot rubbermaid for less than thirty dollars...

When you say HUMAN HEAT PAD what are we talking about? I've never heard of this.

I just have a "reptile" heating pad...

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

Walmart, London Drugs, Zellers, any drugstore or major department store should have "Human heating Pads" or "Heat Blankets". These are basically plug into the wall heat pads but they have a soft plastic casing, they are totally flexible(Like a blanket) but they have hot wires in them that heat. Call around. If you dont find one after calling 3 larger stores, you can have my snakes.(Not really but thats how easy they should be to find, lol).

Good luck!

C.