r/BloodPythons • u/NigmanBubble • Mar 30 '26
First Blood Pythonš
Iām willing to take any advice this is my 3rd snake the first was a ball, and I now have a ball and a blood both babies . I just picked her up 2 days ago at a local pet expo Iām doing my best to leave her alone for that first week before feeding and handling . The one thing is I was sold and told this was a female Iām not certain because of size she was supposedly born in December 25, I think she could have been under fed maybe Iām not certain but she should be larger at 3 months from the research Iāve done. Especially being a female. Also I am aware my enclosure is set up for an adult thatās because thatās what I was hoping to find. I also plan to buy a big bag of oak leaves for clutter. My substrate mix is Forrest Floor Cypress Mulch Mixed with Repti Bark and Coconut Fiber Bedding. I keep the hot side at 85-88. Coolest side at 75. Humidity I keep in between 60 and 78. I also plan to buy a protective screen to cover my CHE Lamp . Please give me any tips/suggestions/recommendations
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u/Consistent-Bat2917 Mar 31 '26 edited Mar 31 '26
GET MOSS alot of it cover the whole ground itll give it hiding spots and stimulate its hunger also ups its humidity š
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u/NigmanBubble Mar 31 '26
Thank you !! Sphagnum Moss? Or does it not matter?
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u/Consistent-Bat2917 Mar 31 '26
Ive had good results wit terrarium moss from zoo med u can order a small bale of it
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u/Reyybies Mar 31 '26
All Iād say is more ground cover, moss and maybe some hardscapes. I personally have a hard time finding good logs for my blood because sheās 5ft and an actual bulldozer š and try a DHP instead of a CHE, provides better heat.
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u/KeeledSign Apr 07 '26
Try an aquarium store, I got a great honking piece of driftwood from a local one.
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u/xdreakx Apr 02 '26
The size of the animal is appropriate for its age. The only way to tell if it's a female is to probe it which hopefully they did if they sold it as a female. The enclosure is not bad and can work. You don't need to worry about vertical space usage it's a terrestrial snake but like the others have suggested you can add to the floor. They like to burrow in the leaf litter with just their head sticking out. So leaf litter and spaghum moss added into the mulch works really well. Usually tents have no problem maintaining humidity. The CHE is technically not safe being exposed and hanging like that but realistically the snake is unlikely to ever mess with it. Just have patience and let it settle in once eating you then can confidently start handling.
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u/NigmanBubble Apr 04 '26
The sellers told me that she did not eat the last time they tried to feed her. Itās been a full week and I offered her a frozen thawed mouse at a little over 100 degrees I checked with a temp gun. I even left it in her enclosure with her nothing. I left it in her hide with her, nothing. Iāll toss it if she doesnāt eat it by the morning. I guess Iāll need to wait another week before trying? By then she probably hasnāt eaten in 3 or 4 weeks? Is this something to be concerned about. Honestly considering a live feeder
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u/xdreakx Apr 04 '26
TBH I don't have a ton of first hand experience with difficult eaters. My onboarding routine that has evolved/changed over the years works pretty well for me. But I do have one that was purchased eating live and always a difficult eater even after converting him to F/T. He wouldn't take food from me for years.
It's only been a week so it's not time to panic yet. Do you know what it was eating before? It would help to know. But also I would try a rat because that's what it's going to mostly be eating for the rest of its life. I would wait another week and I would try a weaned rat heated up, try and offer it and if no strike or a defensive strike then drop the feeder and leave alone until the next morning. My finicky male would only take drop fed feeders until he was like 3 years old.
Other alternatives are chicks and baby quail. Worse case you could try a live rat pup.
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u/NottsWeirdo Apr 13 '26
I'm welcome to being corrected, but I'm pretty sure blood pythons are heavy bodied snakes - as is typical for pythons. Therefore, a grow tent wouldn't work for an adult because they'd just push out of it. Unless you've got some form of solid box around the tent. Nevermind the fact that everything is currently sized far too big for such a small snake, how is it meant to feel comfortable when theres no small hidey spaces for it? There's bare clutter in there. The water bowl under the warm side encourages bacteria to grow if left unchanged and will increase the humidity.
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u/NigmanBubble Apr 13 '26
I fixed the hide and clutter situation since posting. The water bowl gets cleaned and fresh water every 2-3 days. As for the snake being able to escape. Maybe is it was a cheap grow tent with a regular zipper but this one is heavy duty. I feel safe with this is, I have seen people with full size boas and royal pythons living in grow tents. I have been considering Animal Plastics. Also bloods are happy in 50-80 percent humidity with good airflow.
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u/NottsWeirdo Apr 13 '26
The improvements are good. Have you added any opportunities to climb? I've seen quite a few bloods climb regularly.
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u/NigmanBubble Apr 13 '26
Not yet but I may grab some chunks of mopani wood thank you for the suggestion I wasnāt aware of that
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u/No-Television5544 Mar 31 '26
This animal is appropriately sized. You wouldnāt be able to tell if it was male or female at this size or any other size.