First blood... SSTP girl

[LadyWraith]

As the title says, I'm new to bloods but this one's pulling my heart strings already. BTW, love you guys' "quirk" thread... definitely great info that you can't find on a care sheet. Got a couple questions or observations if you would. I try to keep interaction to a minimum for the first couple weeks but naturally have no choice at first. She either doesn't like my boyfriend (lol is person preference possible?) or the more likely reason; 2 people in the room. She's fine with just myself but his snake movement etiquette is not very great yet so I'm wondering if that is a factor. And second, I fed her a couple days ago (small F/T rat) and she ate great but I've never experienced a snake NOT tag and coil food. It was obvious she knew it was dead and just dragged it into a hide to eat. No strike, no coil... just consumption lol. Is this common? She's a little on the thin side (I think) but that won't be a problem. And without further adieu, this is Nikita.

[moshirimon]

Beauuutiful black blood. I wouldn't say she's too thin. Also I have had snakes that just don't strike and coil for some reason unless its live. Some are just smarter than others I guess ? Lol

[Rogue628]

Really nice black! I'm fairly new to bloods myself (just got a borneo a few weeks ago). But before I got her, I talked to several experienced keepers first to learn their quirks and what seems to work best for these guys since they're usually a very defensive animal. Slow and confident moves around them, giving them time to adjust. They breathe like they're almost hyperventilating when things aren't OK in their world. So if/when you see her breathing like that, stop and wait for her to calm down then continue. It can be a slow process to earn they're trust (or so I've been told), but it also depends upon the individual animal. The more you have positive interaction with her the more she'll start coming around.

I haven't gotten the chance to work with my girl yet, but when I check on her, clean her cage, or feed her, I make sure I keep a watch on her breathing and stop when I see her huffing and continue when she stops. I think mine's a bit on the feisty side though lol

Good luck!

[GUITARZAN509]

Nice looking Sumatran !!

[Jules1618]

Nice blood!

[Aaron_S]

She's not too thin but you can feed her a bigger prey item weekly. A medium rat would suffice.

As Rogue said. Calm and slow is how they generally like it. I would say your boyfriends lack of good handling skills attribute to her dislike. He probably isn't giving off confidence and she doesn't like it.

[Rogue628]

^^ Exactly what Aaron said about the boyfriend. These animals really seem to know when you're leery of them and when you're confident.

[LadyWraith]

Beauuutiful black blood. I wouldn't say she's too thin. Also I have had snakes that just don't strike and coil for some reason unless its live. Some are just smarter than others I guess ? Lol

Thanks! I think she's gorgeous too. :) I love how dark she is! That's what I figured too. She was NOT fooled by the reheating. She makes my BP look like he's riding the short bus. lol.

Really nice black! I'm fairly new to bloods myself (just got a borneo a few weeks ago). But before I got her, I talked to several experienced keepers first to learn their quirks and what seems to work best for these guys since they're usually a very defensive animal. Slow and confident moves around them, giving them time to adjust. They breathe like they're almost hyperventilating when things aren't OK in their world. So if/when you see her breathing like that, stop and wait for her to calm down then continue. It can be a slow process to earn they're trust (or so I've been told), but it also depends upon the individual animal. The more you have positive interaction with her the more she'll start coming around.

I haven't gotten the chance to work with my girl yet, but when I check on her, clean her cage, or feed her, I make sure I keep a watch on her breathing and stop when I see her huffing and continue when she stops. I think mine's a bit on the feisty side though lol

Good luck!

Good luck with yours too. In the research I've done, that is EXACTLY how I've read to handle them. It's nice that they have such "showy" tells. Their body language is easier to read, I think. I keep that in mind while handling and she has really taken to me so far so I guess I must be on the right track.

She's not too thin but you can feed her a bigger prey item weekly. A medium rat would suffice.

As Rogue said. Calm and slow is how they generally like it. I would say your boyfriends lack of good handling skills attribute to her dislike. He probably isn't giving off confidence and she doesn't like it.

I completely agree with you that she's in the size range to eat medium rats. My BP is the same size and eats mediums. However, my local store's idea of "small" and "medium" differ drastically than my interpretation apparently. I asked for medium but ended up with 2 30 gram morsels. Compared to bulk places that generally range medium from 40-80 grams or so. After doing the cost analysis, even paying the exorbitant shipping fees for bulk is less expensive than local. So, I will be ordering from now on. :) Problem solved. His lack of handling was the same conclusion I came to. After that little showdown, he started believing me about the breed's cautious temperament and has been much better about his slow, smooth motion. I had her out last night to do some enclosure maintenance and she was just fine with him. Thanks for all the input guys and confirming my knowledge. Makes me feel like I did my homework properly. :yes:

[Rogue628]

Sounds like you did to me. ;)

It's my experience that pet store feeders are always smaller than what I can get in bulk for the size I need. I have a few live feeders and those feeders are smaller than the ones I get in bulk. For example: the pet store's medium is an equivalent to the smalls I get in bulk.

[medicinhed]

^^ Exactly what Aaron said about the boyfriend. These animals really seem to know when you're leery of them and when you're confident.

I'd say that would be good advice with all herps. Confidence, patience, direct slow movements, and recognizing your snakes' "tells" (I like that. gonna use it.).

[Rogue628]

True as well, but bloods and other snakes that aren't good beginner animals seem to demand it moreso than others. But it is a good rule to be used for any animal (not just herps). ;)

[LadyWraith]

Sounds like you did to me. ;)

It's my experience that pet store feeders are always smaller than what I can get in bulk for the size I need. I have a few live feeders and those feeders are smaller than the ones I get in bulk. For example: the pet store's medium is an equivalent to the smalls I get in bulk.

For sure! The size difference is nuts. I'm not sure the purpose but under the assumption it's a business and it's usually about the Benjamins in that case, I would think it'd be a way to squeeze more out of the product. (no pun intended :rolleyes:)

I'd say that would be good advice with all herps. Confidence, patience, direct slow movements, and recognizing your snakes' "tells" (I like that. gonna use it.).

Agreed. They're naturally defensive or shy so it just makes sense to practice some Tai Chi skills while handling them. Well, and it all does break down to reading their body language IMO.

True as well, but bloods and other snakes that aren't good beginner animals seem to demand it moreso than others. But it is a good rule to be used for any animal (not just herps). ;)

Also agreed. I'm definitely no expert, but after the massive amount of research I've done, I feel it's a breed I'm capable of handling. And from there it's either teaching others around her to do so as well or they just don't get to experience her awesomeness. Plain and simple.

Oooo, I do have another question. I can't seem to find a whole lot of reliable info on this topic. I understand there are many variables involved with the growth rate of these animals, however, I think there is generally a "ballpark" range of normal growth for most species. Compared to other species, what is the ballpark growth rate for these guys? I understand the hypothetical nature of the question but I don't have an age on her and I'd like to at least have an educated guess. She's weighing in at 610 grams empty and between 2 1/2-3 feet currently. I know their hatchling size is fairly comparable to that of a BP... advice would be great on this. Thanks in advance.

[cossiecraig]

Congrats on the Sumatran , very pretty ,she's not too thin from the pics that i can see ,it's funny you mention about the lack of strike or coil ,i can feed mine via hand ( she's only 2 feet though ) mine just opens her mouth and awaits me to lower the rat in.............such a lazy arse lol......that bieng said i don't think she'll stay that way as time goes by but who knows eh......i certainly wouldn't entertain feeding a Blood by hand though as it could end in disaster.....perhaps i should've kept that to myself :p
once again congrats ,she's gorgeous :)

[Theweinz]

Very nice animal! I want one!

[Trent]

Very nice!!

[jarich]

Wow, that is a beautiful snake! Love the darker blacks like yours the best.

[Aaron_S]

They tend to be a bit thicker than hatchling ball pythons and I found them to have a moderate growth rate when fed properly. My hatchlings were roughly 1000 grams as yearlings. Each one can grow at different rates though so just feed appropriately and things will be okay.

80 gram rats are mediums to you? Those are my top end small rats. I was talking medium rats in the 150 gram range. The pics decieved me though since she's 610 grams. I think the 60 - 80 gram size is fine BUT I wouldn't pay medium rat price for them.

[LadyWraith]

They tend to be a bit thicker than hatchling ball pythons and I found them to have a moderate growth rate when fed properly. My hatchlings were roughly 1000 grams as yearlings. Each one can grow at different rates though so just feed appropriately and things will be okay.

Thanks Aaron. This exactly the type of info I was looking for. I was really needing a size/age comparison to get an idea of a ballpark age I've got here.

80 gram rats are mediums to you? Those are my top end small rats. I was talking medium rats in the 150 gram range. The pics decieved me though since she's 610 grams. I think the 60 - 80 gram size is fine BUT I wouldn't pay medium rat price for them.

I went back and read that and totally meant to say 85-180 grams on the mediums that I've seen bulk. Sorry, I must have been thinking about the size range of smalls. I asked for mediums at my local store and got 30 gram-ers, which is a load of crap. Seems to depend on the retailer for bulk as to the size as well but most seem pretty consistent. Any recommendations? Yea, the pics were easily deceiving since I had nothing close to her for comparison.

[LadyWraith]

Congrats on the Sumatran , very pretty ,she's not too thin from the pics that i can see ,it's funny you mention about the lack of strike or coil ,i can feed mine via hand ( she's only 2 feet though ) mine just opens her mouth and awaits me to lower the rat in.............such a lazy arse lol......that bieng said i don't think she'll stay that way as time goes by but who knows eh......i certainly wouldn't entertain feeding a Blood by hand though as it could end in disaster.....perhaps i should've kept that to myself :p
once again congrats ,she's gorgeous :)

Hahaha, that's crazy! I don't think mine would wait with open arms so to speak, but she definitely doesn't waste energy being so dramatic in her delivery. ;)

Very nice animal! I want one!

Very nice!!

Wow, that is a beautiful snake! Love the darker blacks like yours the best.

Thanks guys! I think she's gorgeous as well. She portrays everything in looks and temperament that made me fall in love with these snakes. :) I'm in love with her darkness.