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Kingsnake.com
Kara Glasgow of NERD and bloodpythons.com
Blood and Short Tailed Pythons
March 4, 2006
PHFaust: On behalf of Jeff Barringer and all of us at kingsnake.com,
I'm very pleased to welcome Kara Glasgow to our Eighth Annual Chat
Week.
KLG: Thanks Cin...I'm happy to be here!
KLG: And thanks to Jeff, too!
PHFaust: Kara Glasgow of NERD has been into snakes all her
life, and a serious breeder for the last decade. "I was a boa
snob until I saw the light with bloods," she says, adding, "Still
love my boas though." She is currently working with a selection
of blood and short-tail color and pattern morphs, with more on the
way. She is currently preparing the long awaited launch of www.bloodpythons.com
and just coming off a world wide publicity tour for Kevins book.
PHFaust: Thank you so much for joining us, Kara, and welcome!
KLG: Thank you!!!
KLG: It's good to be here!!!!!!
PHFaust: First off how did the owl surgery go?
KLG: Very, very well!
KLG: Our vet said it looks like he may be releasable...
KLG: of course it is too early to know 100%
KLG: but that is what we want to see.
PHFaust: Good to hear I know you were really upset last evening...
CJ You have the first question this evening
KLG: And if not, then fingers crossed that he can stay here.
KLG: OK!
CJinNH: so tell me why I would like to own a bloodpython or
short tail, what are some good points about them, they are known to
have a bad disposition
KLG: CJ...I think they are all of what's fun about keeping
snakes in an easy to manage package.
KLG: Bloods & STP's are very aware of their surroundings...
KLG: they are fairly low-maintenance if you have some "snake
sense" & experience...
KLG: and they're drop dead gorgeous to boot!
KLG: They have giant snake charm without giant snake proportions.
KLG: The bad disposition comes from WC animals....
KLG: Babies are uppity, but most baby pythons are, and bloods
calm down with gentle & routine handling.
KLG: Good CBB bloods are wonderful! GA
hotsandchams_nr: what is the future of bloods and sts? i've
seen the albinos,any new color morphs?
KLG: Yes, I think we will see a lot of exciting blood &
STP's in the next few years. Tracy @ VPI has some knockout stuff coming,
and I have a few little gems that I'm hoping to prove genetic.
KLG: Not to mention the fact that it's hard to beat a really
nice, red blood. GA
PHAlex: Hi Kara, can you tell us a little about your current
blood projects? Thanks
KLG: Sure...I'm working with various reds - stripes, albinos,
hypos
KLG: some weird stuff that I'm not sure what to call it.
KLG: and the RoLo project, of course...I want to make more
like him.
KLG: I also have some various weird Borneos - patternless-ish
stuff,
KLG: stripes,
KLG: nice normals,
KLG: Sarawaks
KLG: And some variations of black short-tails,too.
Chris_B: Hey Kara- What is your opinion on a proper growth
rate for bloods and short-tails? I've seen people with yearlings that
are absolutely HUGE and are already on large or jumbo rats. Is it
healthy to push their growth like that or better to take your time
with a more modest feeding regime and let them grow a little slower?
KLG: I don't have any bloods that eat jumbo rats...
KLG: I think that weekly feeding works well for juvies
KLG: bigger items - they seem to do well on them
KLG: and then back them o ff when they get big.
KLG: A blood should NEVER look like a slug with a head at
one end & a tail at the other.
KLG: I hate seeing fat sausage bloods.
Chris_B: me too. thanks
KLG: Their fat compresses internal organs...
KLG: Fat bloods are a big reason for chronic respiratory problems.
KLG: Here you have a snake with a huge lung...
KLG: big lung - half the body length...
KLG: when a snake gets sick & tehre's a ton of fat compressing
that lung...
KLG: it spells TROUBLE!
KLG: So yes...don't make them fat!
jeffb: when you coming to tejas for enchiladas
Tammy_nr: Hey Kara! I'm here...Do you think bloods will ever
be the next "ball python"?
KLG: Jeff...not soon enough!
KLG: I'd move back tomorrow If I could find a way to bring
NERD with me!
KLG: Go eat some for me, OK!?
KLG: Tammy - lord, I hope not.
KLG: Ball pythons have too much drama attached to them. GA
hotsandchams_nr: juvy question-how different is the breeding
regimine with bloods than bci's?
KLG: I think male BCI will often breed younger than male bloods,
more consistently.
KLG: With boas, one male to one female seems to work best
(in my experience - everyone does things differently)
KLG: with bloods males will breed 3-4 girls if you don't spread
them too thin.
KLG: Don't cool bloods lower than 75...
KLG: and egg-layers are so fabulous compared to live-birth...
KLG: with a boa you can go the whole distance & still
get slugs at the end w/o expecting it.
KLG: When eggs go bad, they go bad. Period. GA
CJinNH: A while ago there was alot of talk about the ivory
bloods, but I haven't seen anything new on them, is this a failed
project of has it just fallen between the cracks?? also what locality
were the ivories??
KLG: You can lick your wounds & move on.
KLG: A couple of people are working with the Ivories - mainly
Tracy @ VPI...they are very expensive & rightfully so...
KLG: and I think that it's taking time for people to take
bloods seriously.
KLG: The Ivories are brongersmai...from Sumatra if I'm not
mistaken.
KLG: I think they will be *VERY* popular in the near future.
GA
PHAlex: Do you think temp cycling is important for breeding
bloods or is pairing them up at the right time of year enough?
KLG: I think cooling really helps to jump start things...
KLG: I have pairs that live together year round but don't
do anything until they are cooled.
KLG: Cooling & misting! Misting seems to work well for
me...at least up here on the arctic tundra where it gets really dry
in the winter!
KLG: It's nice to see so many familiar "faces" in
here tonight!
KLG: Hey to CJ...Matt J...Hennek...Liron....Tammy...Kiwi...
Misskiwi67: Hey Kara, I was just curious if you had a favorite
breeding project this year you'd like to tell us about :) If not,
thats all I got for the moment :D
KLG: RoLo, of course.
KLG: He is my dream snake.
KLG: But really, all of them.
KLG: I'm just happy to make cute little baby bloods!
KLG: I can't wait to see his kids.
Misskiwi67: he's definately gorgeous! Thanks kara!
KLG: Here is RoLo for those of you who don't know him.
KLG: http://bloodpythons.com/forumpics/26aug05rolo1.jpg
KLG: He is het red-albino...his name is Rojo Loco, or RoLo
for short.
KLG: TV star?
KLG: Or herpetologist?
Reptilefreak16: Whats the cage set up needed to house bloods?
More along the lines of a natural set up.cage size,substrate,etc?And
Congrats on such a nice looking blood (RoLo)!!
KLG: Natural set up...hmmm...
KLG: You have to be really fastidious about cleaning if you're
going to do a natural set up...let me say that first.
KLG: Bigger is better for adults - minimum of 4x2x15"
high...
KLG: They'll want to burrow into the substrate morethan anything
if you make it big & open...
KLG: so don't expect them to be *too* exciting. :)
Reptilefreak16: is it better to have a simple set up then?
KLG: cypress mulch substrate...you can do live plants, but
they'll godzilla them...
KLG: big water bowl to soak in.
KLG: Freak...I go with the keep it simple, stupid approach!
KLG: Water bowl, paper substrate, hide if necessary.
Reptilefreak16: ok, thank you,ill do the same!
KLG: Hot spot of 88-ish...ambient 80-85.
Matt...Hennek: Hey Kara! How's it going? What's a good age/weight
to first breed bloods at...also, what age/size should one start to
slow down the feedings?...racks or cages?...and finally how big should
blood python follicles be before introducing a male...p.s. Rolo is
my hero...too bad he's too pompous to sign my book! Any babies expected
from him this year?
KLG: Hennek!
KLG: Wow...OK.
Matt...Hennek: hehe, that's one question isn't it :)
KLG: Age...I do 2 years for males & 2.5-3 for females.
KLG: I usually don't weigh them - just go by feel.
KLG: Feedings...don't make them look like sausages at any
age/weight.
KLG: racks/cages are fine, just watch humidity & ventiliation...prefer
bigger cages on adult animals & smaller ones on babies to make
them feel secure.
KLG: Follicles...I have small hands & don't palpate.
KLG: Sometimes I'll make kevin do it...
KLG: And RoLo says he'll sign the blood book, but not a ball
python book!
Matt J: Hey, Kara. Will you have the opportunity to try and
have your version of 'Ultra-Breits' reproduce this season? If so,
any breeding activity yet? (p.s. - my BIG female Borneo is ovulating
as I write this :) )
Matt...Hennek: thanks kara
KLG: MattJ... I'm thinking so...I have a male that is feeling
sexy with a couple of big females...they are just now 2 years old,
so we will see!
KLG: Congrats on your big Borneo - I can't wait to see what
comes of that!
KLG: BTW...I don't like to say *too* much for fear of jinxing
anything...I'm wicked superstitous about projects like that.
KLG: But I do have high hopes.
Matt J: Best of luck with them! I hope you get something wild.
Thanks K, me too.
KLG: Thanks Matt!
UAWPrez: I like jungle carpets because they don't get big
enough to be a real life threating snake, like some of the giant snakes,
what about bloods, I know they don't get that long, but with their
girth, would they ever get big enough to be considered dangerous for
one person to handle? Just what is the average length and girth of
bloods?
KLG: No...bloods are not dangerous.
KLG: Not in terms of needing 2 people to handle.
KLG: Sure, they hit hard, but they don't have giant teeth
like retics or scrubs...
KLG: I find my bloods average 5' and 15-20 lbs...
KLG: but I don't make them fat.
KLG: As my webguy says...bloodpythons - because 9 out of 10
women prefer girth over length!
UAWPrez: lol
KLG: (that's our official bloodpythons.com t-shirt)
PHFaust: When are those going to be for sale?
KLG: Faust...in the very near future!
Sicilyjn_13: I heard albino snakes are a bad choice, because
of the lack of gene, or melanin or whatever, so they get sick more
easily. Is that true?
KLG: GA
PHFaust: Alex
PHAlex: you mentioned not liking fat females, do you try to
keep them on the thin side through the summer prior to breeding?
KLG: Alex...I keep them sturdy...not fat, not thin.
KLG: I feed them steadily
PHAlex: every couple weeks?
KLG: and then beef them up a bit before breeding...
KLG: Yes..I go from 10 days to 7 days
KLG: for about a month or so...
PHAlex: thanks
KLG: My pleasure Alex!
Matt...Hennek: With many states putting a ban on "giants",
do you believe that brongersmai's, with the "possibility"
of hitting 10ft, will be on those ban lists?
KLG: Matty...not if there's anything I can do about it!
KLG: they've been largely overlooked for the most part...
KLG: And I think that more information & education will
help keep them off the ban lists.
Matt...Hennek: Good!
KLG: They're the perfect alternative to giant snakes, IMO.
Matt J: Hope this does not open up a can... What is your take
on the hybridization of Bloods x Ball? If you prefer to not get into
that, no worries. I'm sure it's a topic most folks have strong opinions
on, myself included.
KLG: Matt... I live with the ultimate DR. Frankenstein. Kev
is all into hybrids...
Matt J: LMAO! Yep.
KLG: The extreme ones I don't mind...
KLG: but I don't see the point in mucking up a perfectly good
blood python.
KLG: The cross is kinda cool in a novelty regard, but not
enough for me to want to do them.
KLG: They don't make a blood better, IMo....
KLG: they may help out a ball a little bit, but that's what
Bumblebees are for...w/o needing to hybridize!
Sicilyjn_13: I heard albino snakes are a bad choice, because
of gene deficiency, or lack of melanin, or whatever, so they get sick
more easily. Is that true?
KLG: no.
Sicilyjn_13: OK Thanks!
KLG: you're welcome!
PHFaust: Miss Kiwi, did you have another, or was that the
T-shirt
Misskiwi67: I have another..What size meals do you feed your
adult females? I'm having trouble deciding if my girl is getting fat
or not, but she's looking hungrier sooner... I can't decide what and
how often I should be feeding.. .
KLG: Can I just say I got my butt handed to me by a *MOUSE*
tonight?
KLG: Little bugger attacked me!
KLG: Kiwi..
PHFaust: LOL the pros have it happen
KLG: I feed my big girls medium/large rats every couple of
weeks.
KLG: if Mediums they may get 2 at a time, but it depends on
the snake.
KLG: Bloods are PIGS
Misskiwi67: LOL, ok... she probably IS getting fat then
KLG: with GIANT FEEDING RESPONSES!
KLG: But very, very slow metabolism!
Misskiwi67: do you prefer feeding small meals often, or larger
meals every couple weeks... and do you think it makes them harder
to handle if they're super hungry?
KLG: Easy to make them fat...and because so many people have
seen nothing but fat bloods, that's what they go by!
KLG: I prefer medium meals on a medium basis.
KLG: Super hungry...nah...I think they turn off pretty easy.
Misskiwi67: my girl is never super hungry... so I had to ask.
THANKS!!!
KLG: Nosy looks good...
KLG: I've seen her pics....you may want to think about backing
her off in the near future, but she's not gross.
KLG: Slow & steady with bloods works well.
Misskiwi67: Will do... I bumped up the rat size, so I guess
I better spread out the meals
KLG: They are great beggars...don't let her fool you.
KLG: Sounds good!
KLG: GA
Matt...Hennek: What's the situation with bloods in the wild?
Do you believe that we are 'harvesting' more than they can tolerate
(for the pet trade...no the skin/food trade)? P.S. When you get time...I'd
like to see some pics of adult bloods that are the propper weight
(i.e. not fat) for reference)...THANKS!
KLG: No Matt...I think they're getting screwed for the skin
trade.
KLG: It's disgusting...
KLG: let's catch them by the thousands
KLG: jam their heads over a high-pressure water spout
KLG: inflate them alive & then strip the skin off.
Matt...Hennek: are you ever going to post those skin trade
pics? or not b/c of legal issues?
KLG: I can't...not my pics...we'll see - maybe someday?
KLG: Working on it.
KLG: I think that we HAVE to stop treating wildlife as a renewable
resource
KLG: people are screwing everything up in that regard, and
I'm not a tree hugger.
KLG: GA
PHAlex: what has been your biggest blood clutch?
KLG: For Brongersmai, 16
KLG: but more on breits & curtus...
KLG: they lay smaller eggs...
KLG: Brongersmai lay big eggs, but fewer of them.
UAWPrez: I don't know much about Bloods obviously, but isn't
there two different subspecies that are common in the trade? If so,
is there a size and or temperament difference between the two...Which
do you prefer to work with and which would you recommend as a first
blood?
KLG: There are 3 species
KLG: Bloods - python brongersmai
KLG: Sumatran short-tails - Python curtus
KLG: Borneo short-tails - Python breitensteini
KLG: I like them all...for a first, Borneos are hard to beat...reds
tend to be a bit more firey attitude wise, but it's really marginal.
KLG: I love all 3 and couldn't pick just one!
KLG: GA
Matt...Hennek: Male into females cage or female in to males?
UAWPrez: thank you
KLG: Males into female's cage.
Matt...Hennek: plural?
KLG: BTW...male bloods/stps tend to be VERy breedy
Matt...Hennek: male"S" or male
KLG: I'd rather have her be comfortable & def. in the
mood.
KLG: I do 1:1
Matt...Hennek: k...thanks
KLG: but you can breed a male to multiple females.
KLG: I don't group breed.
PHFaust: I get the last question... I may aquire a blood in
the next year... Not sure yet, depends what future may hold. But experience
level how would you rate bloods? IE beginner advanced
KLG: Intermediate!!!!!
KLG: They are great for someone who already has some snake
sense - i.e. knows how to tell when a snake is hungry
PHFaust: Why... Heavier body raises above beginner I assume?
KLG: can understand how to fix dry sheds...
KLG: Newbie questions scare me sometimes...
KLG: I.e. why is my ball python ignoring the crickets I'm
feeding it?
PHFaust: How much difference in handling than a boa
KLG: Bloods are less forgiving of husbandry errors, esp, when
young.
KLG: Handling?
KLG: Support their body weight.
KLG: These are heavy snakes that don't take well to being
slung around...they are VERY strong
KLG: boas like to wig out & be goofy sometimes...
KLG: by comparison - they wiggle.
KLG: Bloods are great lap snakes
KLG: for watching TV with, etc.
PHFaust: So more burm in a mini package
KLG: very sedentary.
KLG: But with WAY more personality, IMO.
PHFaust: Groovy....
KLG: And they talk alot!
KLG: Very "hissy" huffy puffy vocal.
PHFaust: almost herp...
KLG: it freaks some people out, but it's just them being them...
PHLdyPayne: like a blue tongue skinks?
KLG: bloods & stps like to tell you how their day is,
so to speak...
PHFaust: More alert than
KLG: they hiss & huff but don't mean anything by it most
of the time.
KLG: very alert!
KLG: Payne - YES!
KLG: Skinks like to talk quite a bit too.
PHFaust: Groovy that I can handle
KLG: Cool!
UAWPrez: I have Pituophis, bull and pine snakes, they are
a lot of attitude, hissing but mostly bluff, is that similar to what
I'd expect from a blood?
KLG: I think bloods don't even bluff that much.
UAWPrez: cool
KLG: Pits like to put on a show
KLG: bloods are more just snuffly wuffly & curious
KLG: once they realize you aren't going to feed them.
Matt...Hennek: hmm...snuffly wuffly
KLG: Some can be uppity...but not usually!
KLG: Snuffly wuffly is the official scientific terminology.
KLG: ;)
UAWPrez: average price range
PHLdyPayne: sounds like a malamute
Matt...Hennek: Lol
CJinNH: you have to show me that one Kara
KLG: OK!
PHFaust: On behalf of Kingsnake.com, Jeff B, and myself, I
want to take a moment to thank Kara for being part of our chat week.
Kara, thanks for taking the time out to chat with us on Bloods and
Short-tailed Pythons.
KLG: Average price depends on what flavor you like.
KLG: Faust...it's my pleasure as always!
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