I can't resist and need some info just in case

[akane]

I would but I spent the money on the sumatran (plus another $600 somehow) and I'd have to buy a bin to hold him and all supplies beyond the cost of the snake because I'm not far enough in the hobby to have excess laying around yet.

[SnakeyJay]

Since it's a new species for you I'd stick to the baby for now and hone your skills..

Far easier to learn and adapt your methods with a small one than a 16lb angry adult blood I'd say.. �� Good luck, any pics of this baby one?

[akane]

There's a thread of when I drove to pic up Eoghan. This was the last pic I took and he's of course considerably more massive. I forgot to weigh today so I should do it tomorrow and get a pic.



Just for consideration not much intimidates me. I grew up telling horses what to do, I have rescued akitas including one that turned on my husband and I had to put him on the floor, I love my bull snake who is all bluff and I just scoop him up, and I calmly stood there with my hand over the tank in case she fell when a rosy boa decided I might make food while my husband was asking people how you get a boa off your hand. Having to disinfect and potentially get teeth removed from a python wound would probably hurt a lot but I have probably done worse. It's more that I don't know the logistics of care and handling of a big snake than being worried about dealing with it's temperament.

[SnakeyJay]

Originally Posted by akane

There's a thread of when I drove to pic up Eoghan. This was the last pic I took and he's of course considerably more massive. I forgot to weigh today so I should do it tomorrow and get a pic

Just for consideration not much intimidates me. I grew up telling horses what to do, I have rescued akitas including one that turned on my husband and I had to put him on the floor, I love my bull snake who is all bluff and I just scoop him up, and I calmly stood there with my hand over the tank in case she fell when a rosy boa decided I might make food while my husband was asking people how you get a boa off your hand. Having to disinfect and potentially get teeth removed from a python wound would probably hurt a lot but I have probably done worse. It's more that I don't know the logistics of care and handling of a big snake than being worried about dealing with it's temperament.

That's a sweet looking snake mate! 😀

Is not so much about what intimidates you, its about being sensible...

As has been said, a decent bite from almost any large snake species can end up in stitches and having tendons put back together... followed by months of rehab and physio therapy at times...

None of this is meant to put you off getting it, just to get it across that it's a completely different ball game to a bull snake. My retic is still young and tiny but I treat him now as I would a full grown giant, with respect and following set procedures.

Taking a bite like that isn't "being brave" or a medal of honour, it just means that a mistake was made.

[Tsubaki]

Dont have time for a long message. Just wanted to say, a bite by a large python is significantly more dangerous than just having some teeth in a wound. There is potential for serious lacerations, Not just painfull, with some bad luck it could actually be very harmful.

[MartinD]

I read somewhere of a guy who got bit by a large "puppy dog tame" python, it bit him right on the neck and punctured his jugular, claret everywhere, but lucky enough he had 2 friends with him and one was a trained Paramedic who thankfully help save his life.

[akane]

Yes, odd events can result. I have plenty of experience with that too and some time in physical therapy. I'm not scared of Eoghan but it's kind of like the difference between when we are using wooden or dull edge blades for practice in Japanese sword versus when someone draws a live blade. You still stand on the mats and do class but attention doubles and you don't lose track of where that particular sword is and where it's going. Normal precautions are more strictly followed when moving around the whole room (not just on the training mats) during live cutting class. That's kind of how it feels between handling the bull snake and the sumatran. Getting whacked by a dull blade could still put you in the er and out of class for awhile but you'll probably be fine. You could lose a thumb just putting a live blade away but you won't if you paid attention and did it correctly.

[TeamSlitherin]

Gah! I just had to talk myself down from an adorable baby just like that this week!! How has being a first-time blood parent turned out for you so far? Asking for a friend

[akane]

Weird *** snakes lol Compared to most they can be unique in behavior and are very smart. The babies are extremely sensitive though. I'd rather have started with at least a juvenile. Get one from a breeder who really breeds for calm snakes or be prepared to bin them out of commotion in a dark sided bin and slooooow adjustment. Otherwise mine would turn extremely aggressive. To move his bin to a quiet room upstairs we had to do it without the edges of the lid sticking out and he was striking out the bin at us at only about a foot long. He calmed right down in the quiet though and I do have him back downstairs just the past few weeks. He's in a tank but it's lined with cardboard for now and he's still not in the room the dogs have access and we spend most of our time. He does less random strikes in response to stress though. I haven't seen it until he started to shed. He's in a horrible mood the whole time he sheds. Whenever stressed he also goes back to refusing f/t for live.

I'm not saying he's aggressive though. He's bluffed every strike even if he hits like a battering ram and my hand has been in his mouth when he got pissy I was scraping stone tiles rearranging his cage but not a mark left behind. He finally stopped being weird and insisting he's a 70-75f snake and actually uses the hot side now and moves back and forth the 4' length with 1' long hide on each end and a damp hide in the center so it's not that open. He'll sit on me for an hour or 2 watching things. I got some good advice to stop hiding him away even if it's slightly stressful and just put him somewhere still on or near me as often as possible even if his enclosure is in a more isolated place. They apparently adjust a lot better with that time of being forced out of their safety but left to look around without being messed with too much and then put back into the quiet.

All my other species I just stuck in a display tank with plenty of shelter within a couple weeks and often right away. They might hide most of a week and then are fine. Not baby blood pythons. Dark, small, quiet bins is actually a necessity to start with for the first time.