Custome blood python cages?

[Vive]

If anyone has built a custome cage for their blood python can you please post your pictures I want to build my black blood a nice home. He recently tried to escape his aquarium and banged his face up real bad I feel so bad for him, I want to build a better more homly place for him he's a sweety I can do anything to him and he never tries to bite me. I want to make him as happy as he makes me.

 

[JeffreH]

I don't own a blood (yet), although building enclosures is fairly universal and only minor changes may need to be made to the design depending on the specie's indivual needs.

Here' is an enclosure I built for a BCI boa of mine, it measures 42" x 24" x 24" (l x w x h):

I simply used Oak plywood for the build, trimmed out for aethetics and stained, etc. I installed glass doors that slide with a lock, although hinged doors and acrylic/plexi makes for a much easier and much more cost effective build. Melamine is another popular choice for building... Ventilation is made through two vents/registers in the back and Heat Tape attached to a dimmer (rheostat) control temperatures. There are a number of websites with instructions for building custom vivs, I can try to dig some up that I used if you'd like. Please excuse the cord coming through the front and the makeshift lock, this was temporary and the photo is outdated lol...

To tailor an enclosure like this to a blood python, you'd likely decrease the height and may increase floor space slightly. Aspen makes for a fine substrate, although I know of others who use cypress mulch, coir, newspaper, etc. As I'm sure you know, bloods are fairly placid animals... they don't need anything too fancy to make them happy = )

Here is a picture I saved from a year or two ago that belongs to GiantKeeper Reptiles at http://brongersmai.com . He was selling these caging units and I saved the photo:

Of course, these are Bloods (Python brongersmai) but care is similar if not identical to that of your Black sumatran STP from my understanding. These are four foot cages, although I think you could get by with three footers (correct me if I'm wrong, blood keepers!). This style of caging is readily available from a number of suppliers - typically made of either Plastic or PVC.

Hope this helps some - wish I had a nice viv setup for a blood but I don't own one yet. Again, the second photo does NOT belong to me, it belongs to GiantKeeper Reptiles as linked above.

 

[Vive]

ya 4ft of floor space sounds right I need something good and water tight I want a good water feature they spend most their time in the water in the wild

 

[JeffreH]

Hey April,

I'm going to suggest opting against an unusually large water structure in the enclosure - although my information strickly comes from research. If anyone with actual experience would like to chime in, please feel free to correct me if I am wrong. I think it would be better to provide a more modest sized water dish and perhaps just take the animal out occasional for a bath/soak if you desire... I'll explain:

Not only is is my experience with unusualy moist conditions that problems can arise, but I've found that other blood and STP keepers/breeders suggest against having high humidity and and a wet enclosure. I've done a quite a bit of reseach on these guys in hopes to obtain a couple in the near future - here are a couple of links and quotations that suggest against a moist environment... even suggesting that its a "myth" to keep this species too wet.


First, from Dave and Tracy Barker's site at VPI:
http://vpi.com/publications/blood_pythons_information_and_care

They recommend avoiding a high humidity environment due to risk of respiratory infection and difficulty of cage maintanence. Here's a direct quote:

"We have seen blood pythons in other people's collections that were in warm cages dripping with humidity. The animals were given large pans of water in which to soak, and provided with pans of moist sphagnum moss in which to burrow. In our own experience, when we have replicated those conditions, two things became apparent. The first was that proper maintenance of these cages and their environments requires close attention and lots of labor. Extremely warm moist closed spaces are preferred habitat for mildews, fungi, algae, molds, and bacteria. We've actually seen mushrooms sprout from pans of moss. The proper maintenance and sanitation of these cages is difficult and is beyond the capabilities of many keepers. In other words, these cages may be good idea in theory, but, for most keepers, they are difficult to properly maintain in actual practice.

Our second observation is that there is a higher incidence of respiratory illness in blood pythons maintained in these high humidity situations. This is not to say that all snakes in these cages will become ill, only that there is a higher probability that they might become ill. This for us seems a very serious consideration. We have found that respiratory illnesses in this taxon can be difficult to treat and often have very serious consequences.

We have found that the best course of action is to strive to create 60%-70% ambient humidity inside the cages of blood pythons, with any variation toward lower humidity. In fact, this is about the "normal" amount of humidity present in most snake cages with open water bowls. We ignore some dimpling of the dorsal scales and spectacles. It is a good practice to soak blood pythons for several hours in 80 degree every once in a while; many blood pythons do like a good soak. We closely monitor the shedding schedules of the snakes, so that we can increase the humidity in the cage several days before a shed." - VPI

Also, as linked to earlier, GiantKeeper Reptiles has a blog entry regarding high humidity being a myth. Posted Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at http://brongersmai.com . The entry it titled "Pt1. Common Misconceptions" where he claims that High humidity is not a requirement and suggests fairly small water bowls and much the same as what was mentioned by VPI.

Now, that being said - Bloods seems to have a natural adaptation to avoid scale rot (I've heard this from a number of sources) which would suggest that they most ceartenly do live in very moist conditions in the wild (and we know this, as you said). BUT, in an enclosed, stagnant enclosure, this allows an increased risk of infection, bacteria, and mold growth without fresh air and other natural factors playing a role.

SO in conclusion of this unnessarily long-winded response - I would recommend against a very large water structure. Perhaps just a modest sized water dish that is not quite large enough for the animal to soak in, but large enough for a good drink. One thing you can do is take the animal out for a bath every now and then to satisfy its liking for a soak... it would allow for some bonding time with you (lol) AND accomplish your goal of giving the python something that it 'enjoys.' = )

 

[Vive]

I own a blood python and have for years, and humidity might increase the chances of an infection but no humidity can do it too if its going to get sick its going to get sick I had to give my snake 8 shots for that and there's no humidity in there and that's not what I'm looking to add I want to create a large bowel that he can fit in to soak I want to create a false like side that can be uncorked to drain the bowel water without heat won't create humidity I'm thinking a huge cage like an entire dresser so the heat won't be close enough to the water to raise the humidity I have an idea I just wanted to see what everyone else already had

 

[thawes]

Here are couple I have built for my bloods. 4X2x16" birch plywood, heated with rhp's. I provide a large water dish but only put an inch or so of water.

 

[curtusforum.org]

Interesting pics thus far....

 

[reptile_jones]

heated with rhp's

What is this? were can i get it?