The Sumatran Short Tailed Python is a species of non-venomous snake native to Sumatra. They are a heavy bodied snake that grows to around 5ft in length.
The Short Tailed Python’s get their name because their tail is extremely short in relation to the overall length of the snake itself.
Taxonomy
The Sumatran Short Tailed Python belongs to the Pythonidae family of reptiles. This essentially just means that it is a Python. This is a large family of snake that can be broken down into 9 different genera.
The genus that this snake belongs to is also called Python. The Python genus consists of 9 different species of snakes and these snakes are referred to as the ‘True Pythons’.
The snakes in this genus can be found over a large geographical area including Africa, India, South-East Asia and Indonesia. Some of the other species in the Python genus include the African Rock Python, Ball Python, Borneo Short Tailed Python and the Burmese Python.
The scientific name for the Sumatran Short Tailed Python is Python curtus, which was proposed by Hermann Schlegel in 1872.
Hermann Schlegel was responsible for describing a number of species of reptiles including the Frog Eyed Gecko, the Gopher Snake and the Burmese Mountain Tortoise.
Schlegel also described a number of other species with Müller in 1844 including the Painted Terrapin.
Sumatran Short Tailed Python Description
The Sumatran Short Tailed Python is a medium sized snake that grows to al length of around 5 feet. They have a heavy, muscular body.
These snakes get their name from their abnormally small tail, which is tiny in comparison to their overall length. This short tail is tapered.
They are generally beige, tan, or greyish-brown in color. This is overlaid with blotches that are rusty-red to blood-red in color.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Sumatran Short Tailed Python is native to the island of Sumatra. This island is located in Western Indonesia and is part of the Sundra chain of islands.
Besides Sumatra, this snake can also be found on surrounding islands such as Riau Archipelago, Lingga Islands, Bangka Islands, Mentawai Islands and Kalimantan.
It shares some of its geographical range with species such as the Dumeril’s Monitor and Asian Water Monitor.
Their preferred habitat consists of Rainforests, Swamps and Marshes. They can also be found in drier habitats providing they contain fresh water such as rivers and streams.
Sumatran Short Tailed Python Feeding
A juvenile Sumatran Short Tailed Python can be fed an appropriately sized frozen thawed rat every 7 days. An appropriate size is a rat that is slightly smaller than the girth of the snake at the snake’s largest point.
Hatchlings are big enough to accept rat pups or even fuzzies for their first feed. It is better to start feeding rats straight away to prevent your snake from taking a preference to mice. Although this usually isn’t a problem with these snakes.
As the snake grows, you will need to increase the size of the meal. You can increase the duration between feeds to one meal every 14 days for adults.
This is all these snakes need as they are quite inactive and have a slow metabolism. If you have a large Sumatran, you can even offer them the occasional small Rabbit.
Do not confuse an aggressive feeding response with your snake being hungry. This is an easy mistake to make and can quickly lead to your Sumatran Short Tailed Python becoming obese.
Sumatran Short Tailed Python Housing
A hatchling or juvenile Sumatran Short Tailed Python can be housed in a plastic tub or rack system. However, they will outgrow this type of enclosure so shouldn’t be kept like this as adults.
An adult snake will do well in an enclosure measuring 4ft x 2ft x 2ft. If you have a larger snake, you can may need to offer them an enclosure measuring 5ft long.
A large 4ft or 5ft enclosure can be very difficult to find commercially, not to mention very expensive. Therefore, custom made enclosures are a great option for your Sumatran Short Tailed Python.
These Custom-made enclosures can be made out of wood or PVC. We personally recommend PVC enclosures as they can maintain humidity really well without rotting.
You should include at least two hides in the enclosure, one at either end so your snake can feel secure while thermoregulating. A large bowl of fresh water must also be present at all times.
In terms of furnishings, you can go as elaborate or as basic as you like. However, while these snakes will spend most of their time on the floor, they will appreciate a few low-lying branches for enrichment.
Light and Heat
A Sumatran Short Tailed Python will do well when given a basking spot of around 88F. We recommend using overhead heat for this, such as a ceramic bulb.
We do not recommend placing heat mats inside your Pythons enclosure. These are heavy bodied snakes and hot spots can build up if you snake is lying on a heat mat for a long period of time.
The cool side of the enclosure can drop to around 80F. This can simply be achieved by placing the heat source at one end of the enclosure. As your snake moves away from the source of the heat, there will be a natural thermo-gradient.
You do not need to provide a Sumatran Short Tailed Python with any special kind of lighting such as UVB. However, if you do choose to include lights in the enclosure, make sure to turn them off at night so you snake is subjected to a proper day/night cycle.
Substrate
A Sumatran Short Tailed Python will do well on a variety of different substrates. These snakes like humidity levels of around 60% so keep this in mind when choosing your substrate.
You want a substrate that can hold humidity well without molding. Some good options here include Eco Earth or Coco Fibre. A large water bowl will also help raise the humidity levels in the enclosure.
It is very important to correctly control the humidity levels in your Sumatran Short Tailed Python enclosure as these snakes are prone to respiratory infections.
Sumatran Short Tailed Python Handling
This snake is not recommended for beginner snake keepers as they can often be difficult to handle. As all snakes have their own individual personality, there are always exceptions but most Sumatran Short Tailed Python’s are known to have a short fuse.
They have an aggressive feeding response and will often strike at anything that enters its enclosure, including your hand. When it comes to this species, a Snake Hook is your best friend.
While some Sumatran’s will enjoy time out of their enclosure, others will continue to be aggressive and won’t appreciate being free handled.