Authored by Leyla Billman of Pin-Up Pythons
Short-Tailed Pythons
My first “snake love” was undoubtedly Ball Pythons. A gateway snake, I only owned Ball Pythons when I first got into snakes and I was fairly certain that my collection would forever be “Ball-Exclusive”.
And then, I met Eleanor.
Eleanor Rigby was a 3 year old Sumatran Short-Tailed Python (Python curtus) and her owner needed to find her a new home. I was intrigued by this big, beautiful chunk of a snake. My favorite species at the zoo, by far, were the Blood Pythons, so I was finding it difficult to pass on this girl. So, a quick game of python shuffle in the snake room, some speedy research, and I found myself the proud owner of an 8 pound, 4 foot long snake!
Short-Tailed Pythons are starting to build up popularity in the hobby, which is fantastic as they are quite a joy for the snake owner who wants to go a step higher than colubrids or Balls, but isn’t quite ready for a Retic or Burmese. You get a sizable snake with a bit more attitude, but it’s manageable and doesn’t require crazy housing situations.
Short-Tails in a Nutshell:
There are three species in the Short-Tail family: Sumatran Short-Tailed Pythons (Python curtus) – also known as Black Bloods, Borneo Short-Tailed Pythons (Python breitensteini), and the more popular Blood Pythons (Python brongersmai). Originally, when these species hit the pet trade, they were all wild caught – a bi-product of the python leather industry. The leather trappers would catch gravid females, allow them to lay eggs, and would slaughter them for their colorful hides. The hatched eggs were then sold to the pet industry. Because these species were wild, their temperaments were a little unpredictable. Unfortunately, that stigma is still out there in the hobby (and I will mention that these are species when being captive bred and hatched does make a difference in the temperament of the animal).
Size and Handling:
Naturally, one of the things that catches people’s attention about these snakes is their girth. For being snakes that usually top out anywhere between 5 to 7 feet – or bigger (depending on the species), they carry some serious weight. It is not uncommon for these snakes to be 35-40 pounds fully grown.
That being said, these are not snakes you can casually pull out of their enclosures, like a Ball or a Corn. They need support, which makes them the ultimate lap-snake.
Short-Tails need to feel supported during handling sessions, so one-handed handling is a no-go. And trust me, if they don’t feel supported, they will let you know. This is also a species that won’t be as forgiving if you fail to support them – trust is key with them. One drop can ruin that trust and setback any work you’ve done with them. So, I recommend handling sessions on the floor to lower incidents. Also, slower deliberate movement is ideal. Everything you do needs to be at the Short-Tail’s pace; again, you are looking to build trust.
Personality:
The term “hissy fit” will have new meaning with a Short-Tail, because it seems to be their signature personality trait at times. This was something I did not know walking into my first experience as a Short-Tail owner. At first, I thought Eleanor hated me, because she hissed…well, a lot! Come to find out, these species are just very vocal. They will hiss and huff and puff for a variety of reasons ranging from “hating going to the vet” to “why did you shift your weight and wake me from my nap?” I have a Borneo that I swore had a respiratory infection when I first got her, but after a trip to the vet and a clean bill of health, I realized it was her vocalization (she’s young, so she must not have Eleanor’s hissy gusto down quite yet)! The best part is when they employ their vocalizations into one of their tantrums. Yes, they throw tantrums. I often call Short-Tails the toddlers of the snake kingdom. If they don’t like something they will hiss and throw their weight around (and that’s a LOT of weight to throw around), and possibly thrash their tails. It’s quite a show! But it’s often all talk and no walk. I honestly find these tantrums pretty endearing, because it gives these snakes so much personality.
Husbandry:
A pretty common misconception I see flying around on the social media sites (general groups, not specific to these species) is that the husbandry requirements are similar to Balls. While their requirements aren’t particularly complex, they cannot be kept at the same heat level as a Ball would be kept. I do keep mine in Sterilite tubs/pvc enclosures (I keep my adult in a 4 foot long pvc enclosure, juveniles do well in tubs 18-33 inches long, depending on their size), as most python species seem to thrive in these enclosures and humidity requirements are more easily maintained. Naturally, these enclosures utilize belly-heat from UTHs or heat tape, but (as with all species) a thermostat is necessary.
Short-Tails prefer their temps a little cooler with ambient temps at 80-82 degrees F and heat tape or UTH ranges from 80-86/88 degrees F. Juveniles and younger really should only have the ambient temp of 80-82 F. Keeping the temps correct will actually help keep your snake’s temperament in check, oftentimes they are just too hot. Humidity requirements are 60-70% for these species, so nothing too complicated. I use newspaper substrate (as it is cheap) and provide a hide option and a large water bowl – make sure it is large enough to soak in, as they do like to soak on occasion (plus it will help maintain your humidity requirements).
You will want to keep your setup simple, because Short-Tails are notorious for their insanely slow digestive systems. Which means, you are in for some serious crap. These snakes will hold back for months on end and unleash a stool sample that would impress a horse. When I first found Eleanor’s “gift” to me, I could’ve sworn a Great Dane broke in, let loose in her enclosure, and slipped away into the night…leaving my sweet, hissy-pants snake to take the blame. Unfortunately for her, the bits of rat fur in her pile of poo were a dead give-away that this was, in fact, her doing. So, a word of caution to new owners, fear not the months without feces…but just know, your day is coming.
Feeding:
Due to their size, many assume these babies eat jumbo rats and larger prey like rabbits and chickens, and while I have seen some owners give bigger snakes the occasional larger treat, bear in mind these species are prone to obesity. It’s sort of like boas, just because they WILL eat it, doesn’t mean they really should. Obesity can lead to a whole host of issues, but respiratory issues are probably the most serious. So, if you must feed your adult snake weekly, a small rat will suffice…otherwise a large rat once every two weeks will do the trick. Naturally, you’d want to feed a juvenile a rat pup or weaned rat weekly. They are typically fantastic feeders (and will readily beg for food if they catch you in the snake room) and many take live or frozen/thawed prey without issue. But they can be stubborn (see my “toddler” remark above) and can apply this when trying to switch food type; it essentially will come down to a battle of the wills. Luckily, Short-Tails love to eat, so a few weeks without food will usually do the trick.
Short-Tailed Bliss:
A couple of other things I like to call out on these snakes that make them fascinating are their other physical features. Naturally, their coloring is spectacular! From the dark chocolates and pitch blacks found in the Sumatrans or the peachy-gold tones and mahogany browns in the Borneos or the various shades of reds and yellows in the Bloods…it’s easy to see why the leather industry has favored these snakes (unfortunately) for so long. But those eyes! Those beautiful orange or yellow eyes! And something that will take most snake owners aback is how the pupils shift around to check out their surroundings. These snakes are very perceptive of their environment and it’s a behavior that many owners pick up on right away. Every other snake I own is notorious for getting themselves in tight situations…and then continuing to go forward, because “what could go wrong?”
Short-Tails are excellent at assessing a situation and actually slithering backwards to back out of something they are unsure of. I’ve seen many refer to them as a “thinking snake” and it’s very easy to see why. We’ll just say that I have yet to dislodge a Short-Tail from a belt loop, earring, or chair rung. I have easily handled my Sumatran whilst deep in shed and even applied medicine/administered injections without incident, because I allowed her to assess the situation. Once she smells who has her and where we are (and because I invested time in developing trust), she goes along with whatever.
All in, all three are very rewarding species to work with. Some do require more handling (as with many juvenile species, they *can* be nippy), but with regular attention most grow up to be amazingly docile, cuddly snakes. They are impressive to show off, thanks to their sheer size and coloring, yet they are fairly easy to manage for an intermediate-level owner. If you are in the market for a gorgeous new species to work with, I strongly recommend one of these three species. The rewards of working with these impressive creatures are immeasurable!