New - Updated Blood and Short-Tailed Python Care Sheet

[corpselight]

Originally Posted by Akua_Ko_Nalu

Thanks for the comments, I am still writing a book.
Jax' little girl is doing great, feeding like a champ and getting huge! Soft as muck when no rodents are around!

With humidity, I keep my room at least 60-65% humidity, and offer large water bowls, this is perfect providing your temps are spot on.

brilliant, i am looking forward to the book!
that's great, i can't wait to meet the "little" lass!
thanks for the tips, i will be drying him out tonight!!

[Andy G]

Humidity is something that alot of people go overboard with concerning Bloods. It seems to be a word and mouth thing, 'Bloods need high humidity'. They seem to do better with a bit more than a Royal but to be honest my Royals and Bloods are in the same room and the only difference I provide in humidity is a larger water bowl for the bloods. Temperature I have found is important though, especially in the winter when ambients drop in the UK. Not too high and not to low but consistant year round. RI's are an ST Python's nemesis. Just a day or 2 low temps can bring on a precursor, raspy hissing bad lung sound. From my own experience keep the ambients 78f and a hot end temp of 88f. Alot of keepers have done well with far higher temperatures but if you bring the temps up much more you will find your blood in the coolest part of its viv most of the time I have found.

[Andy G]

Originally Posted by Akua_Ko_Nalu

I love onions!
This caresheet is actually quite outdated by my standards, I'm still working on my mini book, it's approx 30 pages at the mo! Will hopefully have it finished and published by the end of the year, shame it's taken 12 months longer than I estimated

I cant wait to see it Dave, a care sheet is a very good reference point but you just cant get all the info in! Hats off to you mate its a big undertaking but if anyone has got the experience and know how in the UK its you. Im very suprised that there has never been an ST book published to date, you can buy a book on just about any other species there is. Guess the daddy of all snakes has slipped under the radar!

[shep6413]

Just a quick question, just wondering how many days between feeds on bloods? 5/7/10/14 etc. Cheers

[aaron1989]

Hey mate where could a get my hands on your book about? when will it be up fir sale ???

cheers
aaron

[susannwv]

I have a 2 ft long borneo and was curious to know about thier bowel movements. I read what you had said about 2-3 times a year but every time I handle her she excretes a foul smelling liquid followed by a hard yellow and white ball. I have never seen the black solid stool yet. Is this normal? I have had her about a month now. She has already had a complete shed with no problems there but also I can not keep the humidity at a steady 60%. Any suggestions on that as well. She is in a 40 gallon critter cage with a water dish on both cool and hot side with 2 hides as well. Temp stays around 88 on one side and 78 on the other sometimes the hot side will flex up to 90. She does have a very healthy appetite and is eating one small rat a week. Please any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

[corpselight]

Originally Posted by susannwv

I have a 2 ft long borneo and was curious to know about thier bowel movements. I read what you had said about 2-3 times a year but every time I handle her she excretes a foul smelling liquid followed by a hard yellow and white ball. I have never seen the black solid stool yet. Is this normal? I have had her about a month now. She has already had a complete shed with no problems there but also I can not keep the humidity at a steady 60%. Any suggestions on that as well. She is in a 40 gallon critter cage with a water dish on both cool and hot side with 2 hides as well. Temp stays around 88 on one side and 78 on the other sometimes the hot side will flex up to 90. She does have a very healthy appetite and is eating one small rat a week. Please any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

she's wee-ing on you lol that's a hard ball of urates. mine do that too...but of course pretty awful when they do it on you

critter cages tend to have too much ventilation to keep the humidity up. but if you can put cling film over half the lid, it may help!

[susannwv]

Thank you. I was worried there was something wrong cause she has not had an actual bowel movement in a month. I got a fogger today and I am going to try to put it on top of the cage and let the mist flow into it. If that does not work I will definitely do the plastic wrap. So how many feedings though before I will see some poop? She has done absolutely nothing in the cage and yeah the pee thing is terrible..lol..very stinky

[corpselight]

Originally Posted by susannwv

Thank you. I was worried there was something wrong cause she has not had an actual bowel movement in a month. I got a fogger today and I am going to try to put it on top of the cage and let the mist flow into it. If that does not work I will definitely do the plastic wrap. So how many feedings though before I will see some poop? She has done absolutely nothing in the cage and yeah the pee thing is terrible..lol..very stinky

well they're very slow with bowel movements...or they mostly are. tell that to my large 09 male! so i wouldn't worry.
they've slow metabolisms, so they just process it slower i guess.

a fogger may do the trick! the ventilation is probably a good thing, in general. they seem to be prone to getting the sniffles, so a balance of heat and moisture and ventilation can be tricky to achieve to avoid this. but they seem quite hardy, so you can experiment til you get the right result.

[susannwv]

Thank you soooo much. You have been a great help. Fogger worked for a little bit but having to keep refilling the bowl was a pain. I put some plastic over it and it has helped alot. Thanks again for everything