Blood Python Taming Tips

I will begin this stating that I am NOT an expert by any means, What I do have is some experience with my borneo blood. This page is to hopefully give a little bit of insight to people starting out with a blood with little or no experience with these complicated but rewarding little beasts.

In my experience with my blood, she was always shy and did not want to be handled at all. We have established a routine, first I get her out, next I sit down with her, I then cross my legs and set her in the hollow of my lap, she will sit there almost motionless anywhere from 10 minuets to half an hour, then she will begin moving around a little, after she has moved about a bit she is much more tolerant of my touching her. Every time we do this (at least every other night except during feeding times and shed times) she gets a little more and more receptive to the handling.

Something else of importance is not closing your grip around them Bloods in my experience do not like to be "controlled" or restricted, keep open hands (be careful though being as they are almost stricly terrestrial snakes they have no fear of falling and WILL flop right out of your hands). Bear in mind that these are terrestrial snakes and like to feel as much support underneith them as possible and tend to get wriggly if you ondly hold them with two hands, I usually try to rest part of her on my arm and hold her with both hands also. She has gotten to the point now that I would almost call her ball python tame after our ritual (I can even rub her head).

Another thing I would mention is that my Blood hates water (Weird I guess) if I put her in the bathtub she wants out almost immediately. This is how I kind of "broke the ice with her" the only way I would let her out is if she would climb up my arm. After repeating this process every night for about 2 weeks she would come to my arm almost immediately, and she seems glad to be held by me.