Decor
- Minimum 2 hides — one cool side, one hot side
- Fill the ground with hides, branches and tunnels — the more cover, the more secure they feel
- Artificial plants for natural aesthetic appeal
- Large water bowl on the cool side — they like to immerse
Snakes · Care guide
Blood Python Care Guide
Python brongersmai
Native to southeast Asia — short and stocky (about 3–6 ft; females larger), very sedentary on the forest floor under leaf litter. Large humid vivarium, cool-end probe 80 °F, Shadedweller Max UV, coir and orchid bark, night humidity spike, large soak bowl, and a rodent diet sized to girth.
At a glance
Quick facts
Key parameters for day-to-day husbandry. Full detail is in the sections below.
-
Daytime probe
80 °F
27 °C · cool-end sensor
-
Night drop
~10 °F
~68 °F · ~20 °C
-
Humidity
60–80%
Spray 1–2× · night priority
-
Adult vivarium
60×24×24
W×D×H inches · sedentary
01 · Housing
Enclosure & housing
Very sedentary forest-floor snakes that hide by day. Give generous floor cover — hides on both ends, branches and tunnels, artificial plants, humid coir and orchid bark, and a large cool-side water bowl they can soak in. Adult minimum 60″ × 24″ × 24″.
Adult minimum size
60″ W × 24″ D × 24″ H
Sedentary species — large floor footprint. Heat bulb with cool-end probe method, Shadedweller Max UV, humid coir and orchid bark, and a large cool-side soak bowl.
Substrate
- Humid retentive mix — coir mixed with orchid bark works well
- Marsh and swamp humidity — substrate should hold moisture between sprays
Cleaning
- Daily: spot clean to limit bacteria and odours
- About every 4–6 weeks: full clean if kept relatively clean — replace substrate, disinfect decor and vivarium
Housing diagram
Enclosure example
Front view 60″ wide × 24″ tall (depth 24″) · hides · branches · tunnels · foliage · large cool soak bowl · humid coir and bark
- Front proportions — 60″ wide × 24″ tall (5:2) adult minimum; depth 24″
- Hides, branches & tunnels — fill the floor so this sedentary snake feels secure
- Hides — minimum two: one cool side, one hot side
- Large water bowl — cool side; they like to immerse — size the bowl generously
- Humidity — 60–80%; spray 1–2× daily with night priority; fogger or rain system optional
- Substrate — coir mixed with orchid bark; daily spot clean, full clean about every 4–6 weeks
Setup diagram · 1 of 2
Top-down view
Heat bulb & probe left–right positions · Recommended temps need this layout
Setup diagram · 2 of 2
Front view
Looking into the vivarium · bulb on the ceiling · probe hangs down the back
- Heat bulb — about one-quarter from one side, halfway front to back (on / through the ceiling)
- Probe — cold end (opposite heat), hanging from the top ventilation cover about 2–3″ from the substrate
02 · Climate
Temperature, humidity & UVB
Cool-end probe 80 °F with a gentle cool-to-warm gradient, Shadedweller Max UV, and high humidity (60–80%) with a night spray priority.
Daytime temperature gradient
When the heat bulb and thermostat sensor are placed as instructed, a probe target of 80 °F (27 °C) creates this spread. The probe point is not the basking spot.
| Zone | Temperature |
|---|---|
| Cool side | ~78 °F (~26 °C) |
| Probe point (thermostat probe target) | 80 °F (27 °C) |
| Middle | ~82 °F (~28 °C) |
| Warm side | ~84 °F (~29 °C) |
| Basking spot | ~86 °F (~30 °C) |
| Night drop | Reduce thermostat by ~68 °F (~20 °C) at night · ~10 °F drop |
Photoperiod & night
- Winter: about 12 hours light/heat
- Summer: up to 16 hours when days are longer
- Night: reduce thermostat by ~10 °F (~6 °C) to about 68 °F (~20 °C)
- Night drop lets metabolism slow — essential for the snake
UVB lighting
- Shadedweller Max — recommended even though snakes are generally nocturnal
- They may access UV in daylight (even while resting with part of the body exposed)
- Mount on the ceiling of the vivarium
- Heat about 12 hours in winter and up to 16 hours in summer
Climate diagram
Lighting setup
Shadedweller Max on the ceiling · heat dome on the warm side · match UV to heat
- Shadedweller Max — ceiling-mounted; snakes may access UV during daylight even when largely nocturnal
- Heat dome — warm side (~¼ from end); same on/off routine as UV
- Day length — about 12 hours in winter, up to 16 hours in summer when days are longer
- Night drop — reduce thermostat ~10 °F in the evening so metabolism can slow
Humidity & water
- Target 60–80% humidity (marsh and swamp climate)
- Spray 1–2× daily with night spray most important; fogger or rain system optional
- Large cool-side water bowl for drinking and soaking; replace daily with de-chlorinated water (e.g. Reptisafe)
First power-up tip
Always have the thermostat dial turned down before you plug it into the mains for the first time. Set the probe to 80 °F (27 °C) for daytime once the heat bulb and cool-end sensor are in place.
03 · Nutrition
Diet & feeding
Rodent feeders sized to girth. Settle first, then build a steady schedule.
At a glance
Feeding cheat sheet
- Prey
- Frozen prey – always feed thawed prey (rodent feeders)
- Schedule
- Young 2×/week · sub-adults every 5 days · adults 1×/week
- Food size
- Match girth of the snake (not head size) — roughly as thick as the body
- When
- Evening / overnight preferred · allow overnight to eat · remove uneaten by morning
Prey size & schedule
Relative to girth · ask staff if sizing is unclear
- Young growing snakes — twice a week
- Sub-adults — about every five days
- Adults — about once a week
- Larger individuals — every 2–3 weeks can be appropriate
- Example ladder: 1 pinkie ×2/week → 2 pinkies ×2/week → 1 fluff ×2/week → 2 fluffs /5 days → 1 hop /5 days → small mouse /7 days → medium /7–10 days → large /10–12 days → XL /14 days
- Aim for a mouse or rat roughly as thick as the snake’s body (not head size)
- Move up a size if a meal leaves no noticeable bulge a few hours after eating
Feeding routine
- Allow the snake to settle before offering food — new arrivals often will not eat well for the first few days
- Some take food from tweezers; others prefer floor and overnight — give ample overnight time
- If uneaten by morning, throw the mouse or rat away and try again on the next scheduled feed
- Do not offer more frequently than usual — that can stress the snake
- Missing the occasional meal is fine — they do not feed to a strict wild regime
Water
- Drink and soak from a large water bowl — place on the cool side
- Replace water daily
- Treat with a de-chlorinator such as Reptisafe, or use bottled water
Shedding & natural fasts When not to feed · breeding · slough cycle
Snakes may naturally refuse food at times — breeding season (males especially can go off feed for many months), and during shed (slough). The shed process can take 1–2 weeks; you may not notice the very beginning.
- Skin looks dull, belly creamy, then eyes go blue — height of shed; they usually will not feed
- Eyes clear and colour looks a little clearer — old skin lifting; about 2–3 days until the actual shed
- Do not feed during this period; wait until you find a shed, then feed on the next due date
Speak to a member of staff if feeding concerns continue after settlement and shed cycles.
04 · Behaviour
Handling & behaviour
Patience first. Settling and regular feeding come before handling.
- Step 1
Settle first
Allow the snake to settle and begin eating regularly before handling — we recommend at least two successful feeds first. Adapting is stressful; early handling can make it worse.
- Step 2
Short sessions
Initial sessions: 5–10 minutes only. Lengthen as the snake becomes more comfortable.
- Hygiene
Wash hands
Always wash or disinfect hands before and after handling to prevent bacteria transfer both ways.
- Warning
No aerosols
Do not use aerosols or plug-in air fresheners near the enclosure — the chemicals can harm reptiles.
05 · Welfare
Health & welfare
Prevention starts with correct husbandry — heat, UV, hydration, and safe substrate working together.
Best prevention: good husbandry
Correct temperatures, hydration, and UV where used keep the immune system and gut working well — supporting essential physiological processes.
Inert substrates Paper, lino, carpet — pros & cons
Pros
- Lower impaction risk
Cons
- Limit natural behaviours such as digging
- Remove natural digging behaviour
- Can increase faecal contamination (waste less absorbed than traditional substrates)
Questions
FAQ
What size vivarium does a Blood Python need?
Adult minimum is a vivarium 60″ wide × 24″ deep × 24″ tall. They are sedentary forest-floor snakes, so floor space and hides matter more than height. Use humid coir mixed with orchid bark, at least two hides (cool and hot), branches and tunnels, artificial plants, and a large cool-side water bowl they can soak in. Heat bulb with cool-end probe method (sensor opposite heat, 2–3″ from substrate) and Shadedweller Max UV.
What temperatures does a Blood Python need?
Set the cool-end thermostat probe to 80 °F (27 °C) by day with the heat bulb about one-quarter from one side, halfway front–back, and the probe on the opposite cold end hanging from the top ventilation cover about two to three inches from the substrate. That creates a gradient of about 78 °F cool, 82 °F middle, 84 °F warm, and around 86 °F under the basking bulb. At night reduce the thermostat by about 10 °F to around 68 °F (20 °C). Daytime heat about 12 hours in winter and up to 16 hours in summer.
What humidity do they need?
They live in marshy areas and swamps and need about 60–80% humidity. Spray 1–2 times a day with the night spray most important — that night spike matches wild conditions and supports the respiratory system. A fogger or rain system can help. Use humid coir mixed with orchid bark.
What UV and photoperiod do they need?
Although they are largely nocturnal, use a Shadedweller Max UV system — research supports that they may access UV during daylight hours. Mount on the ceiling. Daytime heat 12 hours in winter and up to 16 hours in summer.
When can I start handling my Blood Python?
Allow the snake to settle and begin eating regularly before handling — at least two successful feeds first. Early sessions 5–10 minutes only; lengthen as they become more comfortable. Wait about 24–48 hours after feeding before handling so digestion is not interrupted. Always wash or disinfect hands before and after. No aerosols or plug-in air fresheners near the enclosure.
How often should I feed a Blood Python?
Young snakes twice a week while growing; sub-adults about every five days; adults about once a week. Larger individuals can be fed every 2–3 weeks. Prey size should match the snake’s girth (not head size). Feed in the evening or overnight; remove uneaten food by morning. Do not feed during shed — wait until after the shed is complete.
Next steps
Ready to set up your Blood Python?
Shop heating, housing and lighting on this site, browse livestock when available, or speak to our team for a tailored kit list.
More in Snakes
