Hello Everyone,
We wanted to take a moment to update everyone on the status of the scaleless blood pythons, as there have been additional developments with this clutch. Our approach from the beginning has been transparency and we want to ensure that always remains the case. As it turns out, this is not a viable mutation. The normal scaleless blood passed within 48 hours even though it appeared perfect (for a scaceless snake). The T+ Albino developed skin lesions just a few days after hatching and passed within the same time frame. There was another scaleless Albino in the egg at the time the original blog was written, but it was severely kinked and did not survive.
On average a baby Blood Python takes 90 days to have its first shed, they require high humidity, and produce a lot of liquid waste. So unlike in other snake species such as Scaleless Ratsnakes, the odds are really stacked against baby scaleless Bloods.
Now we’re left with decisions to make regarding the adult hets, and this is where we need your help. Through no fault of their own these snakes have a mutation that negatively impacts their offspring, and we want to ensure that they are never bred. One of our options is to euthanize them, but that’s a heart-wrenching choice for a blood python enthusiast. These animals are robust and healthy. They are great feeders and beautiful snakes. Killing them to prevent their future reproduction feels like a drastic measure, and one we’re extremely hesitant to take.
Another alternative would be to place these animals in guardian homes, with the understanding that they must never be sold or bred. We will heavily screen any such potential homes, and would require a notarized contract agreeing to these terms, along with a return clause should the guardian home be unable to care for the snake at a future date. This isn’t a choice we make lightly, but is one that we feel is in these animals’ best interest as responsible keepers. These snakes won’t be free but the adoption fee will be reasonable. We can’t have these snakes going somewhere on a whim, but we are willing to work with keepers who can take on this level of commitment and long-term care.
We want to see a positive outcome for these remaining snakes, and also give a few extremely responsible keepers the opportunity to have beautiful blood pythons of their own. If this is something you’re interested in doing, please reach out to us with the following information:
- Your name/contact info/location
- A detailed overview of your lifetime herpetocultural experience to date
- Your understanding of blood python care and husbandry
- The setup you would use to house one of these blood pythons if selected as a guardian home
- The steps you would take if you were unable to care for this snake at any point in the future
- Any questions you may have for us
Below you will find pictures of the available animals looking for a guardian home.
