Our first Blood

[BoyntonStylez]

We don't often visit this forum, but when I realized there was a special Blood section, I had to come check it out!! When I first read about the bloods, I was breathtaken. So, we went to look at babies and realized they were very nippy .... and we decided the snake wasnt for us (My boyfriend and myself). But, I kept researching and realized some specices calm down. I didn't want a full adult already ... which was all that was available ... But then I found out that a local high end reptile store had just flown in a pair of sub adult bloods. first leo wentto look then he took me. the male sure was a fighter! but the bigger, beautiful female was calmer and didnt seem as agitated. So, after 'handling' her for about an hour, we purchased her! She is from Bob Clark with lines from Sumatra. She is around 3 feet long and we havent gotten the weight measurement because our scale doesnt go that high! I would guess between 10 and 15 lbs. And, here are her pictures!!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/xzelujx/newpets005.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/xzelujx/newpets006.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v481/xzelujx/newpets007.jpg

Just to clairify, the cage those pictures were taken in was just a holding place for a few minutes until I attached the heat pad to her 55 gal.

Anyway, are there any suggestions, comments, anything special? I slept with a shirt the night before we got her and put it in there with her so she can become familuar with me. And we are going to leave her alone for two weeks until she settles in.

[sharno]

hey very nice snake i love when they are orange i cant wait til mine becomes orange. i see that you are in boynton, thats very cool i am in greenacres :). you know of any shows around here except the apshows one ........ i plan to go to those if i can.

[BoyntonStylez]

actually my b/f is not in Boynton no more. We live in WPB. I dont know of any other shows other than APShows. I can suggest a few herp stores tho. Like Palm Beach Reptiles, Ben Seigals, and Underground reptiles.

[sharno]

oh well thats cool, u know where greenacres is ?
and where is palm beach reptiles? i have been going to ben seigals and underground for years i bought my baby blood from ben seigels :).

[BoyntonStylez]

Palm Beach Reptiles is in PGA off of Northlake behind home depot. They are great. We go to Ben Seigels and Underground, a lot. We also go to Wild Cargo for crickets and mice. We're all over. My mom use to live in Greenacers; I was also born in Fl, so I know this partof the state well. =D We'll be attending the AP show in Ft. Lauderdale this Saturday.

[sharno]

cool im hopefully going to be going to that show also ! i have lived in wpb my whole life kinda boring but im only 20 so i still have time to get out of here Lol well maybe ill see you guys there :)

[BoyntonStylez]

awesome; i'm twenty and leo's 23. we've been here (in fl) forever, too. we're going early so we dont miss anything great! and i also wanna enter the tattoo contest.

[sharno]

oh cool, i wish i could enter the tatoo contest but mines not animal related, i got a half sleeve. what do you have ?

what time does it start ?

[BoyntonStylez]

Leo has 10; I have four - I have a butterfly and a Pikchu that I wanna enter .. heh heh. Leo has a half sleeve, as well, plus some others. It starts at four pm. We'll probably leave West Palm around 10 - ish to get there. My friend is a bit lazy so we have to leave later cuz we're bringing her along, too. Do you think Underground goes to the shows?

[sharno]

yeah i think so im not sure its been years since i was in the reptile scene and i havent went to a show in a long time, i was reading that it was 10 to 4 .....
http://www.apshows.com/ i wouldnt want you to miss it :)

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

Congrats on the new addition and welcome to the club! Im sure you will love your blood!

Make sure to keep the cage humid(70%+) and dont let the cool end get below 80 or the hotside above 95.

BTW: A 3ft long blood weighing 10-15lbs would be a very obese blood....Yours does not looks fat at all, I'd put her closer to 6lbs.

Again, congrats!

C.

[BoyntonStylez]

Thanks Chris for your imput!! I didn't exactly get time to put her on the scale, so you're probably right. She isn't a very big girl, but I could also be wrong about her length (I know, bad mommy). She seems to be settling in nicely ... I have noticed that she didn't seem to realize there was a heat pad for her, so I had to move her in fear of my little girl freezing. And I also put a light bulb on her when I realized her tank was too cool. Now the war spot is around 89 during the day around 82 at night. I haven't get gotten a digi. probe for the cool side, but I see her hanging out at each end of the cage at different parts of the day and she doesn't seem to be overly stresed, ei sometimes she's hiding and sometimes she's out and about.

Thank's for your suggestions and what not!!

Also, Sharno ... Is it later? I think I'mma bring my puggies with me. Lauren wrote on the back of our invite, "Those pugs are always welcomed!!"

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

The temp should not be dropped at night. I'd also try go get the hot side to around 92. Also, as long as your cold side is no-lower than 80, then she will not freeze.

Good luck!

C.

[sharno]

i think it is 10 to 4 is what it says on her website www.apshows.com look here

[BoyntonStylez]

Sharno -- Did you go? It wasn't wonderful, but we did buy two new little friends, heh heh. It was VERY crowded, and there were some LARGE people there, especially one girl toting around a burmese python and one girl had a rat on her shoulder. I couldn't wait for the burmese to head after that rat. It was the STUPIDEST thing I've ever seen! There was also a larger - sized Nile (?) monitor there and a skunk. Next show in WPB Imma bring the pugs.

[sharno]

yea i was there everyone of the retailers were in awe over my extremely tame blood python noone could believe it lol. there were a few things that i wanted to buy but i restrained myself, what did you buy
and i know!! it was small and very very crowded there were a few points where i couldnt go back in it was so crowded. but i still had a good time looking at the cool animals
i had a wife beater on and if you would have seen me you would have most likely seen my tattoo. i was looking for someone with tattoos but it was so hard in that small room LOL

[BoyntonStylez]

lol; we left around 11 i think. i wanted to buy some of the bloods that ben seigels had, but i am not in good standingwith that store right now -- they made me very angry. my little girl tagged me this week end -- but it was COMPLETELY my fault, lol, she was in her feeding bin, and trying to climb out so i reached down too fast and try to grab her; she let me know she didnt wanna be grabbed. i cant wait til the one in june (the 18th not the 4 or whatever) that one Imma bring the pugfaces too. How did you get your blood so tamed? If you want, you can email me at julez.chappell@gmail.com cuz I dont often come here.

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

About the bite:

Welcome to the club! LOL.

If you have conditioned a blood to know its feeding time when it goes into a certain container, I highly doubt it will every be docile when in that container. Even a rat and corn snake I used to have were MUCH more agressive in their feeding cages!

If you blood is still a little agressive, it should tame down with regular(but not too often) handling. I would start out about 3 times a week then increase to every couple days. One of my girls used to be pretty bad but now I handle her maybe every 2 week(actually picked her up today and havent for 3 weeks) and she is fine. Sometimes a hiss at the most.

C.

[sharno]

you know what i forgot to mention which is kinda funny but i also feed my snake in its cage i never ever take it out to feed it and it has never hissed at me :)

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

Some are good like that. I dont feed in a seperate container anymore.

C.

[sharno]

yeah i always thought it was a waste of time so i was like forget it lol

[BoyntonStylez]

At least now I'm not scared anymore, I still don't want to be bitten, b ut at least I'm not like I was. She just has to get into a schedual. I was thinking about handling her every two to three days like you said but I want to get some leather gloves, first. She's a sweet one, I think, hopefully. I want to feed her in another tank, because someone told me that because of the way they were being brought up (again, mine's 2 - 3 years old), they are using to having food thrown in there with them.

Although ... she only ate a little mouse and not a rat. Is this common?

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

Well I would have it on rats from the time it was young and mice are too small for her. Also, I wouldnt worry about how the animals was brought up. With regular handling they dont expect food every time its thrown in. So I wouldnt worry about continuing feeding outside the cage.

C.

[BoyntonStylez]

She gobbles mice up very quicky. maybe should I try a small rat instead of a medium? i dont want to strave her. i know feeding many small items is not as healthy as feeding one prey item, but what if that's all she'll eat?

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

Dont give in just because you dont what to 'starv' her. These animals go 2 months without eating in the wild. Why not try a medium rat? Also, feeding two/more smaller items can cause the animal to have a 'pinhead', because its head doesnt need to expand much to swallow the item. And it will switch over, it shouldnt be hard, but if It didnt or you didnt want to you would have to be feeding alot of mice, and feeding a few mice would more likely make her 'starve'. From what I've found and heard, eating several small items is not as good as eating a larger item, but also too large an item is not good either.

C.

[Linds]

Feeding containers are risky business and highly unecessary, especially when dealing with large snakes. I don't agree you will have conditioned your snake by feeding in a container or in an enclosure, however anytime you start trying to do *anything* to a snake that is in feeding mode you are asking to get bitten. Even a rat in the same room can be enough motivation for a Blood to take a full out hit at any movement around them. Snakes in feeding mode are just that, in feeding mode... any movement, warmth, etc. can trigger a feeding strike.

Recent thread that may be of interest... http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=69939

Good luck with your girl :D

[BoyntonStylez]

I think the only problem I would have with feeding it inside its cage, is I got a 55 gal. My snake is roughly 2.5 ft but not more than 3 ft long, and was told that the tank is too big for her. Not only the size is a issue, the decor is too. I have it dedorated like a natural habitat b/c its in a corner of my living room. I can get a smaller tank but I dont want to lose the decor.

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

That size is fine, but IMO rubbermaids are WAY better than tanks. Im sure most would agree.

C.

[sharno]

i use a clear rubbermaid and it keeps humidity real good and you can still see the snake somewhat LOL

[BoyntonStylez]

thanks for linkin me to that thread, linds. tonight (which is feeding night at our house) i am going to try to just throw the rat in there. someone has also suggested to me putting the rat in mouse shavings so she'll eat the rat, thinking it's a mouse, then get the rat taste! I dunno how well it'll work, but i really dont like the idea of eeding her so many little feeder foods. oooh quick question: is the propper way to weight a blood in lbs or grams?

[sharno]

i hand feed mine i hold the rat by the tail and it will take it right from my hand

[BoyntonStylez]

haha, you're more than welcomed to come over and do that with ruby. but on a side note, i put the rat in her cage, turned out all of teh lights, went to bed, and when i woke up, there was still a rat left.

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

Hmm, dont worry, try try again, lol. I wouldnt worry even if she went a month without food.

I like the name choice BTW, lol, its the same name as my smallest girl.

Also in regards to your question about weighing bloods in lbs or in grams, it doesnt matter, but its more convinient IMO with lbs on larger snakes. Our smallest one is about 6-7lbs and we sometimes talk in grams about her but we'll probably switch to lbs soon only.

C.

[sharno]

lol i would have no problem coming over and trying to get her to actually eat lol sometimes you just gotta let it know that theres food there :)
and i also found out that for the next few weeks they are cutting hours at work which really sucks cuz i just started but im gonna be going in at 5 now so ill definately be at the show on sat. probably between 10- 11 30 my snake is shedding now which sucks but i dont care im still gonna bring it LOL

[BoyntonStylez]

well, wednesday night i threw the mouse sented rat into her tank with her. so, i was like, 'maybe i'll put her in the feeding bin to try it' and she ate the rat lastnight/this morning. but now new question!!! anytime I hold her or take her out of her tank, she soaks for the rest the day. hehe, i love the name ruby, it sounds so .. unassuming, plus it's my birthstone.

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

Congrats on the sucess with the rat/snake!

What is your himidity in the cage? It should be at least 70% in there.....all mine are 70-95% in the cages at all times.

C.

[BoyntonStylez]

i'll have to double check the humitidy. someone told me that it shouldn't be that high due to respitory infections. he said i'd be better off battling dry skin than a respitory infection. i have been misting the cage twice a day, once in the morning, once at night. she just soaks when i handle her. if i pet her too much, she'll wander away and into her waterbowl. does she think i have dirty hands?

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

If you have no hides in the cage, then she is trying to hide in her water.

Also, none of my bloods have had respiratory's from too high humidity. The only one who's gotten a short respiratory was when the humidity was low......we raised it and the RI was gone. I would say no, dont 'battle dry skin'.......keep the humidity up.

C.

[Linds]

Too high of a humidity level will eventually lead to skin problems (scale rot). I never kept mine over 65%.

[BoyntonStylez]

so, 65% is the propper humidity .. i'll keep it there. thanks guys!

[jmohlke]

i have two bloods one male and one female is it normal for the male to keep his vent open exsposing his i figure 2 hemipenis one on each side... every time i pick him up and touch his lower part of his tail he opens up or he may be crawling around opened up he is a few months old i figure i have had them about 1 and a half months he also has eaten 1 mouse for me while my female now twice the size of him pounds 1 adult mouse and 1 medium a week i was told she is eating to much but she is still in pretty decent proportion with her head (not out sizing it much)... any suggestions would be appreciated. thnks jeff

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

Jeff,

First off, welcome to ssnakess.com!

If its only opening then vent when you pick it up, it could be threats of musking on you, one of my males did that occasionally, but if like you say its open often, I would get that checked out by a good reptile vet.

Also, I dont think your female blood is eating too much, but how big is she? Length + Weight?

One thing with bloods is you dont want to be feeding too small of prey items as they can become pinheaded, where the head is very small in proportion to the body.

-----------------

Onto Humidity. I've kept one of my bloods at very high humidity for over a year and a half(my first blood), she is doing just fine and never had any signs of scale rot. The snake is is great shape. I've never had any problems with my bloods as of yet(except one that came to us in bad shape already and died shortly after).

C.

[jmohlke]

thnks for the reply my female is roughly 20 inches long as for the weight i do not know.. i have been paying attention to my male and your right when im out of sight he closes vent but then he sees me me and i open cage and WHAM he is back on guard,vent open he hissssss but he doesnt strike much anymore at least here lately...thnks for the welcome too.....i love these guys but im worried that i might not have the knowledege to raise them... im worried my female is awsome eats great temp is good in cage about 82 cool side 88-90 high side 55% humidity but my male just hammered a mouse and i noticed a clear liquid on the side of his mouth never seen it bfore he is not gurgling or spitting so what should i do we dont have any vets around to take them to ive tried to set up appointments everywhere just for checkups no one wants to even loock at them.....................im alone on this.except for the forums
so thnk you for your time..............jeff

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

Hey Jeff,

If hes just doing it when you come around and 'bother' him(well that would be what he thinks) then I wouldnt worry about it. Also, the liquid that came out is likely just saliva fluids or some fluids from the mouse, I've seen that happen before on snakes.

You humidity needs to come up big time.

Check out ebay, you can pick-up a scale that will take up to 30lbs and goes up in 5 gram increments. You should be able to get one for 20 bucks, maybe 30. Thats where I got mine.

Hope this helps.

C.

[jmohlke]

thnks for the reply and i have kept a close eye on him he seems fine i am currently working on a new cage set up for my bloods i have been misting them about every 8 hrs or so 2-3 times a day to get humidity up until i get my new enclosures for them thnks
Jeffrey Mohlke......

[jmohlke]

oh thnks for the info on the scale will check into it




Jeff Mohlke

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

Glad I could help:) Good luck with your bloods!

C.

[hotz]

I used to keep and breed bloods many years ago. Firstly I believe their temperment is mainly genetic. I've had bloods that were nasty and produced nasty babies right off the bat and also had calm bloods that produced calm babies. I raised some bloods from babies to breeding size and hardly handled them (once or twice a year) and they remained puppy-dog tame. The humidity doesn't really need to be that high. Wild caughts certainly need high humidity but captive raised are quite adaptable and will remain happy and healthy at lower humidity levels.

[-okapi-]

IMO Rubbermaids are nice, but i think its better to have an attractive naturalistic setup for viewing unless your pressed for time/space/money.

[Borneoblood151]

Hey,
She's stunning and if the male is anything like her in appearance, or even close (enough!), they should make some stunning babies for you next year. One thing, I would look into constructing a home made cage instead of using the glass aquarium for them. (Get it, aquarium!). These enclosures are not designed to handle large constrictors like Bloods, and the draw backs are endless for the needs of bloods. IMHO, they make good holding tanks, till something better comes along, but should not be used for permanent homes. Heat and humidity are not held within any reasonable standard in these at all. And over head heat for bloods is not a solution. If you need a cage design I will send you my personal design, or you can look into purchasing some Vision cages or some of the newer PVC cages. BoaPhile has some very cool cages too.
-Angel

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

I agree with Angel 100%!

And in regards to this:

IMO Rubbermaids are nice, but i think its better to have an attractive naturalistic setup for viewing unless your pressed for time/space/money.

I think myself and many other experience blood keepers will agree this is not true, rubbermaids tend to allow you to provide a much better controlled and proper environment for the animal.

"But i think its better to have an attractive naturalistic setup for viewing"

You dont care about the animals needs?

Whether or not you are pressed for time/space/money, a simple custom cage or rubbermaid IMO is MUCH MUCH better than the above for a blood python. I've had many bloods, babies and adults, and they all did very well in rubbermaids or well made custom cages in controlled environments.

C.