Per request by @solarserpents and @jawramik Olivia and Jennifer: Here is Tucson my Bi Color Loxocemus Python, as well as his enclosure. Hot side around 90 degrees with 1/3 of the cool end very very damp so I wet that side down frequently, meaning I just pour the water in until I think it’s damp but without water standing in the bottom of the tub. He never has any problems with shedding btw. Cyprus mulch several inches thick because he likes to burrow in deep. This is pretty much all the info I got from the breeder.
He only comes up at night to grab his ft rat pup. He is very squirmy at first when handled but settles down quickly. He has never bitten me. Of course I have him in a tub and since he stays burrowed I don’t use UVB or any other lighting. And breeder didn’t specify to use btw.
He is going on 2 years old. He is imo a really cool little python to keep as long as he has access to very very damp mulch on the cool side. (Breeder used cypress mulch as well).
He is thriving in my care with the simple way I keep him. He eats every single time unless he is shedding. Others may question my husbandry’s method but I just went on advice of his breeder because he should know. I don’t overthink
it…
So without any further ado, here is Mr Tucson and his humble home….
Well if you decide to take the plunge, I think you will be more than satisfied with the animal as well as the breeder……. Yeah I forgot where you are! Save shipping!!!
Thanks for this, Caron! Tucson is super cute. I love his iridescence (you know I’m a sucker for that).
The way you talk about keeping one small section of his substrate very damp is interesting. It reminds me of the care guides for a lot of isopods.
Do you worry much about the ambient temp in the bin, or do you just make sure he has a toasty spot and a cooler damp spot to move between? Same question for humidity. Does ambient humidity matter much, or does he just need access to a nice damp spot and ambient humidity is less of a concern? It doesn’t sound like you bother misting, you just pour some water on one section of substrate, yes?
Very interesting species! Care definitely sounds different from most snakes, though not necessarily complicated or difficult.
I’m not rushing out to get any more snakes any time soon, but I’ll definitely keep these little guys in mind for when I’m ready to add another scaly friend.
I don’t worry about ambient anything Jennifer. Tucson stays burrowed and just moves from one side to the other under the mulch. Literally I was just advised to provide a hot side and a cool damp side. I never see him unless I dig him up. I can never catch him eating his rat either. I think he might take it under the mulch to eat it. But he only comes out after dark to look for his rat.
Certainly I am sure these guys could most definitely live in a glass tank as long as the dampness is provided. I liken this little python to the sunbeam snake somewhat. Although the sunbeam is a lot more difficult to keep imo.
All I know is that the way I keep him works. In this case, less is more and these guys seem to be pretty hardy. I don’t handle him very much though. He is just a sweet little guy!
. Tucson is superb but doing what he does best, staying incognito! He surfs around at night but stays buried in the daylight. He is like a little mole actually.
I think these guys could be considered very similar to the sunbeam snake. They need moisture and lots of it. Tucson is absolutely the smoothest softest snake I’ve ever come across. I think he is sneaking into my Ponds moisturizer while I’m asleep!
I. Need. One. Of. These @caron !!! I’m not only a sucker for dark morphs, freeway/highways and pieds, but iridescence is another “weakness” of mine! Are they fairly easy to care for?
Yes! They like nice thick substrate (4 to 5 inches) to tunnel into. One side needs to very damp/moist. The other side a bit drier. Hot side 90 but no higher. Water bowl. No need for anything else. Of course if you want to add “enrichment” that’s fine but it won’t be used.
These guys imho are just to keep for something different but they are really not for handling every day because they need to stay moist. There is not really a whole lot of information about them out there. To keep them, less is more……. Or at least that’s what I have learned……
I will DM you with the breeder info if you want. I think he has some for sale now……
Edit to add: cypress mulch works great for these guys…… at least imho……
