Savu Python Care Sheet
Liasis savuensis
Introduction
Savu pythons are among some of the smallest python species in the world. Mature females will reach lengths of around 4-5 feet and males will grow to around 3-4 feet. Savus are indigenous to the tropical forest of the island of Sawu in New Guinea. They were first imported into the United States in 1993. Young hatchlings are generally patternless, pale orange snakes. As they grow into their adult stage their body becomes peppered with dark spots and scales. Savu pythons are also known as White Eyed Pythons, due to their bright white eyes. Because of their small size and easy care, these beautiful snakes are growing in popularity and can live up to 25 years in captivity.
Cage Requirements
Keeping savu pythons is a cinch once you’ve mastered their proper husbandry. These snakes can be kept in either a rack system or a standard glass aquarium, whichever you prefer. The size of the enclosure should coincide with the size of the individual snake, for example a small snake will feel more comfortable and do better in a smaller tank. As the snake grows, you can increase the size of their enclosure until they are in their adult set up. Hatchling savus do best started out in either a 5-10 gallon aquarium or a 6qt tub (for a rack system). An adult savu will need either a 20-30 gallon glass tank or a 32-41 qt tub. A pair of savus can be easily kept in a 40 breeder gallon glass style tank. Plastic, wooden, melamine or PVC enclosures have also been used with great success.
Savu pythons are ectotherms, or cold-blooded, which means they cannot generate their own body heat and must rely on their environment to provide them with a gradient of temperatures. Providing the correct heat for your savu is extremely important for keeping your snake happy and healthy. If they are not provided with proper hot and cool areas, the snake may become sick. One end of the enclosure should be considered the hot side with a hot spot of approximately 85-95 F. This hot spot will help the savu warm up and will aid in digestion after a filling meal. The cool end of the enclosure should be kept around 75-80F. Having a hot side and a cool side will allow the snake to thermo-regulate its own body temperature by moving about the floor to where it feels comfortable. Many people using tanks will use a thermometer, found in many pet stores, which can be placed inside the tank to monitor the temperature. We personally use an infrared heat gun, which uses a point and shoot method to determine the temperature in one specific spot.
Temperature variations can be achieved by several different methods. Basking lights can be placed on top of a tank or a heat pad can be placed underneath a tank to heat up the cages temperature, these are the most common methods used in an aquarium. Light bulbs come in varying watts and colors to suit your needs. Savu pythons do not need any UVB/UVA bulbs. Heat cable and heat tape are the two methods generally used in a rack system, but can also be used with an aquarium. Whichever method you use, it is crucial to purchase a high quality thermostat which will control the temps for you and will keep them within the perfect range for your snake. The thermostat will turn on when it reads that your temps have gotten too cool, and after warming the tank up to the perfect temperature it will safely turn the heat off which will assure that your snake will never over heat or get too cold. We will always use and swear by Spyder Robotics herpstat for our thermostat. They have worked excellently for us and are an extremely high quality thermostat that puts our minds at ease. We’ve tried many different brands, and at this point have given every non spyder robotics thermostat away. Spyder Robotics are the only thermostats we will even consider running in our reptile facilities.
Savu pythons are extremely sturdy snakes which prefer a moderate humidity level within their cage. Correct humidity will not only keep your snake happy but it will allow the snake to have a proper, healthy shed. Different elevations and places around the world will have drastically different levels of humidity. The easiest way to monitor your tanks levels are through the use of a hygrometer, which can be found online or at many retail pet stores. Raising the humidity can be achieved by placing a large water dish closer to the hot side, or misting the tank. Daily misting is not necessary. Ventilation is important to take into consideration when measuring humidity. If you need to adjust the moisture level in the tank, increasing the amount of ventilation will decrease the humidity and vice versa.
A clean, fresh water bowl should be placed in the snakes enclosure. A heavy bowl is suggested so that the savu does not accidentally tip it over and spill all of the water. A bowl large enough for the savu to soak in is recommended. Water should be changed every few days or should be changed immediately if it gets dirty. I would also recommend a bowl sturdy enough to make it through a high temperature dishwasher. The water bowl should be disinfected on a regular basis. If it cannot go through the dishwasher, or it is easier to hand clean it, simple soap and water will work wonders. Be sure to thoroughly rinse any cleaning solution out before replacing it with cool, fresh water for your snake.
There are many substrates available for you to use within your snakes tank. Mulch and aspen are very popular. We personally use a coconut fiber and coir chunk blend, we feel that it makes spot cleaning a breeze and does a wonderful job holding humidity. Pet stores carry a wide diversity of substrates in many different sizes. Newspapers or liners have also been used in tanks and racks for years with great success. We do NOT recommend using any cedar bedding with your snakes as it has been known to be toxic and can be extremely harmful!
Having a hide in a rack system is optional but it is necessary for a tank setup. A hide will allow them to go to their safe place if they ever feel stressed out. If you have a large enclosure, we would recommend using multiple hides so your snake has a few different options. A hide on the hot side and cold side, will allow the snake to hide in comfort without having to choose being too hot or too cold if you only have one hide in the tank. Make sure the hide is large enough for the entire snake to fit inside. If you would like to add some extra items to your tank, logs or branches can be used and you may often see your snake climbing on them or hiding under them.
Cleanliness is vitally important to your pythons health. “Spot cleaning” any messes once a week is recommended, or immediately after you see your snake mess the cage. The tank, water bowl, and all extra hides/branches in the enclosure should be thoroughly cleaned at least once a month. Running the items (that fit) into a high temperature dish washer with soap is a great option to sterilize. Scrubbing with soap and thoroughly rinsing the items and tank have also worked tremendously for people. We use an F10 solution for cleaning our tubs in our rack system. F10 is a veterinary grade disinfectant that we order online from Reptile Basics. Cleaning the tank and items may vary with how busy and messy your snake is, but remember that a clean tank means a healthy snake!
Savu pythons are ectotherms, or cold-blooded, which means they cannot generate their own body heat and must rely on their environment to provide them with a gradient of temperatures. Providing the correct heat for your savu is extremely important for keeping your snake happy and healthy. If they are not provided with proper hot and cool areas, the snake may become sick. One end of the enclosure should be considered the hot side with a hot spot of approximately 85-95 F. This hot spot will help the savu warm up and will aid in digestion after a filling meal. The cool end of the enclosure should be kept around 75-80F. Having a hot side and a cool side will allow the snake to thermo-regulate its own body temperature by moving about the floor to where it feels comfortable. Many people using tanks will use a thermometer, found in many pet stores, which can be placed inside the tank to monitor the temperature. We personally use an infrared heat gun, which uses a point and shoot method to determine the temperature in one specific spot.
Temperature variations can be achieved by several different methods. Basking lights can be placed on top of a tank or a heat pad can be placed underneath a tank to heat up the cages temperature, these are the most common methods used in an aquarium. Light bulbs come in varying watts and colors to suit your needs. Savu pythons do not need any UVB/UVA bulbs. Heat cable and heat tape are the two methods generally used in a rack system, but can also be used with an aquarium. Whichever method you use, it is crucial to purchase a high quality thermostat which will control the temps for you and will keep them within the perfect range for your snake. The thermostat will turn on when it reads that your temps have gotten too cool, and after warming the tank up to the perfect temperature it will safely turn the heat off which will assure that your snake will never over heat or get too cold. We will always use and swear by Spyder Robotics herpstat for our thermostat. They have worked excellently for us and are an extremely high quality thermostat that puts our minds at ease. We’ve tried many different brands, and at this point have given every non spyder robotics thermostat away. Spyder Robotics are the only thermostats we will even consider running in our reptile facilities.
Savu pythons are extremely sturdy snakes which prefer a moderate humidity level within their cage. Correct humidity will not only keep your snake happy but it will allow the snake to have a proper, healthy shed. Different elevations and places around the world will have drastically different levels of humidity. The easiest way to monitor your tanks levels are through the use of a hygrometer, which can be found online or at many retail pet stores. Raising the humidity can be achieved by placing a large water dish closer to the hot side, or misting the tank. Daily misting is not necessary. Ventilation is important to take into consideration when measuring humidity. If you need to adjust the moisture level in the tank, increasing the amount of ventilation will decrease the humidity and vice versa.
A clean, fresh water bowl should be placed in the snakes enclosure. A heavy bowl is suggested so that the savu does not accidentally tip it over and spill all of the water. A bowl large enough for the savu to soak in is recommended. Water should be changed every few days or should be changed immediately if it gets dirty. I would also recommend a bowl sturdy enough to make it through a high temperature dishwasher. The water bowl should be disinfected on a regular basis. If it cannot go through the dishwasher, or it is easier to hand clean it, simple soap and water will work wonders. Be sure to thoroughly rinse any cleaning solution out before replacing it with cool, fresh water for your snake.
There are many substrates available for you to use within your snakes tank. Mulch and aspen are very popular. We personally use a coconut fiber and coir chunk blend, we feel that it makes spot cleaning a breeze and does a wonderful job holding humidity. Pet stores carry a wide diversity of substrates in many different sizes. Newspapers or liners have also been used in tanks and racks for years with great success. We do NOT recommend using any cedar bedding with your snakes as it has been known to be toxic and can be extremely harmful!
Having a hide in a rack system is optional but it is necessary for a tank setup. A hide will allow them to go to their safe place if they ever feel stressed out. If you have a large enclosure, we would recommend using multiple hides so your snake has a few different options. A hide on the hot side and cold side, will allow the snake to hide in comfort without having to choose being too hot or too cold if you only have one hide in the tank. Make sure the hide is large enough for the entire snake to fit inside. If you would like to add some extra items to your tank, logs or branches can be used and you may often see your snake climbing on them or hiding under them.
Cleanliness is vitally important to your pythons health. “Spot cleaning” any messes once a week is recommended, or immediately after you see your snake mess the cage. The tank, water bowl, and all extra hides/branches in the enclosure should be thoroughly cleaned at least once a month. Running the items (that fit) into a high temperature dish washer with soap is a great option to sterilize. Scrubbing with soap and thoroughly rinsing the items and tank have also worked tremendously for people. We use an F10 solution for cleaning our tubs in our rack system. F10 is a veterinary grade disinfectant that we order online from Reptile Basics. Cleaning the tank and items may vary with how busy and messy your snake is, but remember that a clean tank means a healthy snake!
Feeding
Savu pythons are carnivores and in captivity they will happily feed on live rodents. They should be fed an appropriate sized meal on a regular, once a week, basis. Mature, adult savus can be fed every 10 days instead of every week. An appropriately sized meal means that the rodent is approximately the same size as the largest part of the snakes body. As babies, savu pythons generally start off on hopper (baby) mice. After a few meals, and as they start to grow, the size of the meal should also grow with them.
An alternative to live rodents are frozen/thawed ones. Frozen rodents can be purchased online or through many pet stores. Once it is feeding time, the rodent is taken out of the freezer and placed in a bucket of hot water. It does not take long before the rodent is thawed enough to take out and feed. We recommend using a pair of long stainless steel feeding tongs to pick up any rodent and to offer it to your snake. Some savus will readily take frozen/thawed however some would prefer to eat live rodents. Always supervise your snake if you throw a live rodent in with it! All rodents have a sharp pair of teeth which could potentially cause your snake harm. If your snake shows no interest in the rodent, pull it out and try again the next scheduled feeding day.
An alternative to live rodents are frozen/thawed ones. Frozen rodents can be purchased online or through many pet stores. Once it is feeding time, the rodent is taken out of the freezer and placed in a bucket of hot water. It does not take long before the rodent is thawed enough to take out and feed. We recommend using a pair of long stainless steel feeding tongs to pick up any rodent and to offer it to your snake. Some savus will readily take frozen/thawed however some would prefer to eat live rodents. Always supervise your snake if you throw a live rodent in with it! All rodents have a sharp pair of teeth which could potentially cause your snake harm. If your snake shows no interest in the rodent, pull it out and try again the next scheduled feeding day.
Sexing
Determining the sex of your snake can be done by popping the snake. It is not recommended that you try this out by yourself before having someone teach you how. When sexing a python, you are looking for hemipenes. Male pythons have two hemipenes (their reproductive organs) which are located at the base of their tail directly behind their vent. The hemipenes are located inside the snakes body and cannot be visually seen unless they are inverted outside the body, using the popping method.
After locating the savus vent, place your left hands thumb in front of the vent. You will then place your right hands thumb on the base of the tail and “roll” your thumb up towards the vent. If you are left handed then use the opposite thumbs listed, or whichever is most comfortable for you. The rolling motion is used to push the males two hemipenes out the vent for you to visually see. If you are popping a female, nothing will come out of the vent. Smaller snakes are easier to pop, and practice makes perfect. Again, it is recommended that you have a professional teach you how to safely pop your snakes.
After locating the savus vent, place your left hands thumb in front of the vent. You will then place your right hands thumb on the base of the tail and “roll” your thumb up towards the vent. If you are left handed then use the opposite thumbs listed, or whichever is most comfortable for you. The rolling motion is used to push the males two hemipenes out the vent for you to visually see. If you are popping a female, nothing will come out of the vent. Smaller snakes are easier to pop, and practice makes perfect. Again, it is recommended that you have a professional teach you how to safely pop your snakes.
Enjoy Your Savu!
Now that you have learned how to properly take care of a savu python you can keep and raise one with ease! Their small size and dazzling appearance make them a great little treasure for any snake keeper no matter their level of experience. After you’ve mastered savu python husbandry, you may be interested in breeding them. Breeding savus can be an amazing experience and you can learn about how breed them in our article on how we successfully breed our savu python collection! If you have any further questions, we are always available and willing to help. Feel free to shoot us a message as we may have accidentally left out something in our care sheet! We hope you enjoy savus as much as we do!
