| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| CDN_Blood |
Posted - 03/07/2011 : 17:59:06
This is Blue. He can be such a good boy sometimes, and today the conditions were right, so I had him outside for a while. For those thinking "Oh, wow, I want one of *those*!", do lots of research first, these things are not for a *lot* of people and they require a deep understanding of the species. In 24 years, I've never recommended one, but they can be rather rewarding for the right person.
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| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| CDN_Blood |
Posted - 11/07/2011 : 01:01:38
You're welcome. Do some homework and talk to a few Blood keepers. If you're able to get exposure to some, you'll probably see a wide variety of personalities on them, but with the common paranoid theme, lol. They can be really rewarding snakes, but Royals and Bloods are as different from one another as night & day. |
| reptiledanny |
Posted - 10/07/2011 : 20:30:34
thanks very much mate
now they can have a temper to them, but had never really researched them before, just like you said, thought they were kinda the next step up from royals  something to research and think about over the years until i get my own place |
| CDN_Blood |
Posted - 08/07/2011 : 21:16:39
quote:
Originally posted by reptiledanny
sorry for bringing up a oldish thread, but do you mind me asking why you would not recomend these?? just i have been falling in love with them for a long time, and love the shape and size of them, the same reason i love royals lol
I don't mind elaborating at all, but if you want more detailed observations, hit one of the Blood python albums on my website and look for the 'Blood Lines' link. I break it-down there for those unfamiliar with Bloods. Last time I added a direct link in a forum I got a blast from the mods, so I just don't do that anymore, but that wasn't here, just for the record :)
Most people that get a Blood python do so for exactly the same reason you mention - they like Royals and figure a Blood is the next logical step due to the body shape. Those people usually find they've made a huge mistake very quickly, unfortunately.
Royals are typically very social and non-aggressive. One can easily reach in to a Royal's enclosure, scoop the snake and enjoy fun times with it right away. If you try to do that with a Blood, you'll be in for a world of surprise, and you'll probably have a good pair of shoes ruined because blood doesn't wash-out.
Oh sure, the damage it'll inflict from you moving too quickly around it will certainly leave some nasty gashes to remind you not to do that again, and the blood on your shoes will also serve as a reminder, but once that snake learns that you'll put it down after it bites you, it won't forget it anytime soon.
Blood pythons are nervous, paranoid, high-strung snakes which will NOT hesitate to lash-out at anyone not mindful of those character traits.They do not take well to being handled, being such heavy-bodied snakes which are much more comfortable in the water than anywhere else. Add that to exceptionally strong feeding responses and extremely powerful bodies and it can only take one time of forgetting yourself around one of these things to put a body over the edge and become so afraid of their snake that it begins to suffer neglect. I've seen it *so* many times.
My female Borneo Blood came to me through someone who tracked me-down in another forum and asked if I'd take her. He was a Royal python breeder and thought a Blood was his next logical step, but found her entirely too aggressive and became afraid of her after feeding her a couple of times. It got to the point (after about 3 months) where he was afraid for his safety, so I agreed to take her. Six hours on an aircraft and a few hours on a truck later, she arrived here and is actually far easier to deal with than my Malaysian Bloods are, lol. I think she's an absolute doll, but you still have to watch your step - she is a Blood and she does have a short fuse.
When Bloods get startled (which happens incredibly easily), they do tend to lash-out. There won't be any warning, it'll tend to be repeat strikes and they do tend to launch their entire body and often continue doing so even after you've left the room.
They're not all like this, but the vast majority are very paranoid animals which prefer to be left alone. The animal pictured in the original thread above is one I've raised from a hatchling that fit in the palm of my hand, and he's now 10 years old. Most of the time I can get away with quite a bit with him, but there are times when he's very clearly not impressed with being disturbed, and times when I cannot even attempt handling. It's all part of the territory with Bloods and I've never recommended them because not too many people are willing to deal with that for 20 or 30 years.
Here's an example of what a yearling can do if you move too quickly...
The group shot:
The warning I got for approaching the smallest one too quickly after taking the picture and going to put him back:
The lasting impression he left as a reminder:
Now, that was a 1-hit warning from a yearling. Note the span of it's bite - not so small for such a small snake, hunh. If one of the bigger snakes ever got the opportunity to catch me, I'm sure it'd leave more than just a few little punctures and rips, and it'd take more than me and someone else to pry it off. Food for thought :)
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| reptiledanny |
Posted - 08/07/2011 : 18:20:02
sorry for bringing up a oldish thread, but do you mind me asking why you would not recomend these?? just i have been falling in love with them for a long time, and love the shape and size of them, the same reason i love royals lol |
| CDN_Blood |
Posted - 04/07/2011 : 04:23:14
quote:
Originally posted by gmac
stunning, my daughter (14) has been handling one of these, not bad for a girl that wont handle a king snake 
They can be really interesting to study, behaviour-wise, so I'm glad she's getting exposure to them  |
| gmac |
Posted - 03/07/2011 : 21:25:44
stunning, my daughter (14) has been handling one of these, not bad for a girl that wont handle a king snake |
| newbie |
Posted - 03/07/2011 : 18:12:22
He's lovely! You have a wonderful collection, I'm still pining after your carpet python! |
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