Blood pythons have enjoyed a surge in popularity lately.
This is due to a mind blowing wide variety of morphs that these snakes are available in, as well as their ease of care.
Once considered an overly aggressive species, this snake is quickly gaining a reputation for being a docile, good natured, easy to handle pet.
Blood Python Care
| Care Level: | Intermediate |
| Temperament: | Somewhat defensive, but not aggressive |
| Native To: | Sumatra and Malaysia |
| Average Size: | Five feet |
| Cage Requirements: | 4 feet by 18 inches, and 12 inches tall |
| Temperature: | 82 degrees during the day, 78 degrees at night |
| Humidity: | 60-70% |
| Preferred Food: | Large rats |
| Feeding Frequency: | 14 days |
| Lifespan: | Over 20 years |
Overview
Blood pythons are a thick bodied python which usually only grow to around 5 or 6 feet in length, making them easily manageable for one person.
Housing needs for this snake are pretty straight forward.
They’re known for becoming stressed somewhat easier than other species of snakes however, and their humidity range is a little narrower than species you might consider as beginner snakes, such as corn snakes or king snakes.
The blood python might be a snake better suited to intermediate keepers.
You should have a year or two handling snakes; learning to read their body language, recognizing potential health issues and maintaining specific temperature and humidity ranges before deciding to get one of these snakes.
They really aren’t very hard to care for, but can be more prone to very aggressive behavior if kept in substandard conditions.
Blood Python Size
Babies hatch from their eggs measuring 12-18 inches.
A healthy blood python will reach 3-5 feet in length in about 3 years on average, and will weigh somewhere around 15 pounds.
This species will rarely grow over 6 feet, but it’s not unheard of.
Blood pythons weighing over 40 pounds have also been reported, but those are obese snakes that have been overfed. This is extremely unhealthy for the snake, and can significantly reduce its life expectancy.
Blood Python Housing Needs
We often think that the bigger the enclosure, the better it is for the snake.
That’s great for a lot of snakes, but not blood pythons. These snakes like to feel secure. An enclosure that is too big can lead to high stress, refusing food and other stress related health issues.
This is especially true for babies.
What is the best enclosure for a blood python? The best enclosure for a blood python is a front view enclosure specifically designed for reptiles. They have glass front doors for viewing, with opaque sides, back and top. This helps the blood python feel less exposed, less stressed, and maintains good heat and humidity. The appropriate sized enclosure will be based on the blood pythons length.
Glass aquariums with screen tops can be bad for this snake. Besides making it a challenge to minimize temperature and humidity fluctuations, they can also make the snake feel vulnerable.
Babies
Hatchlings work best in enclosures that are roughly the same dimensions as a shoe box, or maybe even a little smaller. Caging that measures 12 inches by 6 inches and are about 4 inches tall work perfectly.
Juveniles
Juvenile snakes up to around 2 feet in length will do great in housing that is 18-24 inches long by 10-12 inches wide, and 8-10 inches tall.
Adults
Full sized adult snakes should be kept in an enclosure that is around 4-6 feet long by 18-24 inches wide, and can be 12 inches or more tall.
Be sure to provide adequate ventilation for your snake. Enclosures that you buy in the store or online usually have holes for ventilation. If you are using a plastic box or tote, drill or melt small holes in the sides.
Money Saving Tip
Start with an adult sized enclosure and simply block off parts of it to fit your snakes needs.
I have put hatchlings inside a small plastic box with the end removed, and simply put that box inside of an adult sized cage.
I have also put empty cardboard boxes into an enclosure to make the overall floor space smaller for the snake.
Blood Python Temperature Needs
Blood pythons prefer cooler temperatures than a lot of other python and boa species.
What is the best temperature to keep captive blood pythons? Blood pythons do best with an ambient daytime air temperature between 80 and 82 degrees. You can go a little higher, but this is their best range. At night you can allow the air to drop down to around 78 degrees.
These snakes do not like it hot, and do fine without a basking area.
You can however, provide a warm side and cool side of the cage by providing heat tape on one side to raise the temperature in that area to around 86 degrees.
If you decide to do this, the cool side should be around 80 degrees.
Blood Python Humidity Needs
These snakes do not need super high humidity levels like other pythons such as the green tree python, but they do have a fairly narrow range that suits them best.
What humidity level should you keep your blood python at? Blood pythons need humidity levels ranging from 60%-70%. A light misting every other day should be sufficient to maintain this level. When your snake is ready to shed, increase misting to once per day for a few days to stay at, or slightly higher than the top of this range.
Straying outside of these temperature and humidity ranges can lead to significant issues with your snake, not the least of which is aggressive tendencies.
Unusual aggression is often an early warning sign of illnesses. Always have a thermostat and humidity gauge in the enclosure.
Pro Tip
Watch your snake for signs of temperature and humidity related stress.
It is natural for blood pythons to enjoy soaking in their water bowl, but if they are doing it for days at a time it could be a sign that it is trying to cool off.
Another thing to look for is the condition of the snakes skin.
Excessive dimpling of the scales, or incomplete sheds are signs that the humidity level is too low. Wet looking, shiny and wrinkled skin might mean the humidity is too high.
Check out my humidity guide for maintaining perfect humidity for your snake.
Blood Python Lighting
Blood pythons are nocturnal snakes, meaning they are more active at night.
Here is the best lighting for a blood python. You should offer full spectrum lighting for blood pythons. Besides leading to a healthier pet, it also makes them look better. It brings out the richness in their morphs and patterns. The main thing about lighting for these snakes is to make sure their cages aren’t lit all the time. They should have 10-12 hours of darkness per night.
Full spectrum lighting isn’t a requirement however. These snakes will do fine with ambient light from the room.
They get much of their vitamin D3 nutrients, which is gotten through natural sunlight, from the prey that they eat.
Blood Python Substrate
Puppy pads make a great substrate for blood pythons. They are cheap and easy to replace rather than clean. Plus you get the benefit of them retaining water when you mist the cage. Rather than drying up right away, moisture will be released slowly.
By putting multiple layers of these in the cage, you’re also providing your snake a place to hide. They love getting between layers.
Some people want a more natural look though. For that you can go with something like cypress mulch, chipped aspen, shredded aspen, or even indoor/outdoor grass mats.
Ensure that any wood chips or shavings you use are not dusty. Too much dust can lead to respiratory issues.
You should also be aware that cedar wood is harmful to most reptiles. The natural oils from this wood is toxic to them.
Whichever substrate you decide to use, be sure to keep it clean.
When fed properly, blood pythons will only defecate every 4-6 weeks. Change the material when this happens, or if you notice any foul odors.
Blood Python Feeding And Diet
Blood pythons are voracious eaters with slow metabolisms.
This is not a good combination!
Over feeding your snake can lead to obesity and serious health issues, not to mention a shorter life span.
Feeding and diet for a pet blood python.
Despite being a thick bodied snake, blood pythons do not require large meals. Fuzzy rats or small hopper mice are ideal for hatchlings. They will quickly grow to rat pups, and then on to full sized rats. Rodents are the primary diet of blood pythons in the wild, and rats should be sufficient for the entirety of their life.
Size of food and frequency of feeding:
The size of the rat should be about the same size as the girth of your snake at its widest point until your snake is eating medium to large rats. Blood pythons are very thick bodied snakes, but there is no need to feed prey as large as their bodies when they become adults.
Weekly feeding is sufficient for babies and juveniles. Feed one medium to large rat to adults every 14 days.
A note on health:
Watch for signs of obesity.
A healthy blood python will still have a noticeable dorsal ridge that gradually slopes from the top to its sides. Your snake should not be flat, nor should it be perfectly round.
If your snake is getting too fat, reduce feeding to once every 3 weeks.
Another Great Tip!
I always recommend getting a snake to eat either pre-killed or frozen food that you thaw.
Rats can do serious damage, and of course they will certainly be fighting for their life. In an enclosure with nowhere for either the rat or the snake to go, your snake can be injured.
The easiest way to do this is to get your snake from a reputable breeder who has already conditioned it. Many of them do this automatically as it is a good business practice.
If your snake is eating live food and you want to transition, here is a great article I wrote that will help you. How To Get A Snake To Eat Frozen Food.
Water
Blood pythons like water a lot.
Not only do they drink a lot, they also like to soak in their water dish. It’s important that you provide them with clean water at all times.
Tip:
I like to keep two water dishes in order to disinfect one while the other is in use.
The water dish you choose should be large enough for the snake to soak in, and sturdy enough that a 15 pound snake won’t knock it over getting in and out of it.
I personally prefer to use weighted dog watering bowls. You can find them in a variety of sizes to meet your snakes needs.
Blood Python Temperament
As I said at the beginning of this article, blood pythons used to have a bad reputation for being an aggressive snake that never calmed down, and was not easily handled.
With more and more captive bred specimens on the market and better husbandry practices, this is no longer the case.
Here is the temperament you can expect from a blood python. Hatchlings and juvenile blood pythons tend to be somewhat defensive, and may readily bite. This isn’t due to aggression. It’s simply the snake not realizing you aren’t a predator getting ready to eat it! As adults, blood pythons are fairly docile. They are typically only nippy when scared, which would include if they are handled improperly.
Handling your snake for a few minutes every day will typically calm them down within a few short weeks.
Handling A Blood Python
Try not to stress your blood python when handling.
Don’t grab their head or restrict their body, and make sure they are completely supported. These are ground dwelling snakes that prefer having their full body secure. They will flop around a lot when they don’t feel secure, and may strike.
They may also hiss and puff a lot.
These aren’t bad things.
You just have to build up trust with your snake, and allow them to get used to gentle handling.
They can also become aggressive due to poor husbandry standards.
A sick snake often becomes cranky and more prone to bite. The same is true if it is overly stressed. Follow the guidelines we have provided to have a healthy, happy, docile snake.
Blood Python Behavior
Blood pythons are nocturnal. They are most active at dusk and dawn.
These snakes are also ambush predators. This means they prefer a “sit and wait” style of hunting.
Due to this, these snakes are not very active most of the time. You will usually find them either soaking in their water bowl, or hiding under the paper used for their substrate (or hide box).
Blood Python Health Issues
Here are the main health issues to watch out for with a blood python.
- Obesity caused by over feeding.
- Respiratory illnesses caused by dusty wood substrates, temperature and humidity levels outside of their recommended range, or too much stress.
- Mites – Mites are like the fleas of the snake world. These tiny blood suckers get under the scales of the snake to suck its blood. Under normal conditions, your snake will never get them. They are usually passed from snake to snake, so if you have been handling other snakes (like at a reptile show), be sure to change clothes and wash your hands before handling your own snakes. You will see them as tiny black or red specs crawling on your snakes skin or on your hands after handling. Blood pythons with mites will often soak in their water a lot, and you will see the specs left over in their dish.
As you can see, all of the main health issues associated with these snakes can be prevented through good husbandry practices.
Life Span
With proper care, your blood python should live well past 20 years.
Blood Python Breeding
These snakes are very easy to breed.
In fact some breeders have said they change absolutely nothing. They simply put the male in with the female for a few weeks, any time of the year, and let nature take its course.
Obviously both snakes have to be healthy, and must have reached sexual maturity. For males this is at least two years, and for females it’s 3 years.
Overweight, underweight, or otherwise unhealthy snakes may not breed, and shouldn’t be bred anyways.
Here are a few tips to increase your chances of success when breeding blood pythons.
- Like most pythons, bloods are seasonal breeders. Dropping the night time temperature by 2 degrees, and reducing the number of daylight hours by 2 hours might help.
- Begin misting both snakes daily for a few days prior to putting them together
- Reduce feeding to once every 3 weeks for two months prior to breeding.
- Never feed both snakes together in the same enclosure,
- Wait until at least a week after their last feeding before putting the male and female together.
- If copulation hasn’t occurred after two weeks, remove the male for a week then try again.
As I said, these steps probably aren’t needed. If your blood pythons aren’t breeding, there may be some underlying health issues.
Availability
These snakes have become extremely popular.
You can find them at reptile shows, pet stores that sell snakes, private breeders and online breeders.
The main thing here is to verify the reputation of the breeder.
Too often we find sellers that overfeed their snakes in order to get them to reach sexual maturity quicker in order to breed. You should see the condition of the parents.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
The most important questions you can ask are about feeding. Is it eating? How often is it fed? What is it eating? Has it eaten pre-killed food?
You also want to make sure it is captive bred instead of wild caught. Personally I want the parents to be captive bred as well.
There are many many reputable dealers out there that take great pride in the snakes that they produce. There are also some that just want to make a quick buck. Do your research.
Summary
Blood pythons are some of the most exotic, beautiful looking snakes on the market.
They’ve received an unwarranted bad reputation in the past, which is quickly changing with better husbandry practices.
Use this guide and other guides on this site to easily learn how to raise and enjoy a healthy snake!