Specimens of the American Solid-Black-Line are almost completly black.

The short-tailed python inhabits Sumatra, where he mainly lives in rainforests. Animals of this kind are more or less black or at least dark colored. Especially popular are the "solid blacks" (melanistic): Because of the strong black colouring you may almost not see any pattern! Most of the animals keep getting darker throughout their entire life. Breeders distinguish specimens with light head, black head and yellow/gold head, all these forms may be present in a clutch; but some breeders have already begun to select for these characteristics in there stock. This way also the "solid blacks" apeared, which had their origin in some American breeding facilities: Breeders only used the darkest animals for generations of breeding.

Keeping and breeding of the Short-tailed python are similar to the Blood pythons. Though these animals have the wildest character of the species within the complex, special care is advisable especially with adolescent animals, which often first snap and then think. There are however (as always) exceptions. Of these impressive, beautiful animals, I keep a group of glossy black specimens of the "solid-black-line” and some normaly colored P. curtus with a light-colored head.