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#1762071
Drepop
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First time burmese owner 
Well I’ve only been a snake owner for nearly 5 months now and I have 3 boas and 1 corn snake and now 1 male normal burmese (would post pics but dont no how). I’ve been researching snakes for almost a year now and I’m a fast learner. I’ve been to the Hamburg, PA reptile expo four times now and I never see burmese’ for sale. I always see 1 or 2 if not any and their always juvies or subadults. but this time I saw a bunch of babies for sale from different vendors so I figured it was meant to be haha jk. But seriously I probably made a mistake but theres ppl out there who buy them on impulse and eventually throw them away or get too afraid to touch them and then sell them. I did show my mother a 8ft female and my mother loved her and even told me to buy her ($200). but I’m not stupid and I am responsible so I said NO. but I did by this baby I have now and I would love to hear your words of advice. I understand thier fast growth rates, thier large feces, and the price on food(I think haha). I am soon going to get all my snakes on radiant heat panel (let me know if you approve) and they all live in a house not apartment. Luckily my father’s a genius and can build anything so custom cages will eventually be my snakes permanent homes. He is a male and I will feed him regularly so let me what would be his estimated size in 1 year cuz internet only gives growth rates on females not males. The smallest full grown male I’ve seen was 8ft and the largest 17ft. Im hoping for the minimum because in the FUTURE when I get my own house I want a large female 15-20ft. and a smaller male which would be him. Let me know what you guys think and any helpful words of advice thanks.
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06/15/08 08:18pm
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#1762462
Robi
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Message To: Drepop In reference to Message Id: 1762071
First time burmese owner
congrats on the burmese purchase! granted my burm isn’t big enough that i can’t answer the size questions and food questions, but you will not be disappointed with this snake! i absolutely love mine, he’s a healthy eater, very gentle with everybody, and is thus far very easy to manage. i just had to mention on your radiant heat panel question; they were recommended to me just recently on the red tail boa forum, so i bought one for my red tail, and it was worth every penny. as long as you see that its installed properly, it will pay itself off immediately. i’ve noticed great improvements in the heat and humidity maintenance on my red tail’s terrarium, because for the last year i’ve been fighting to find a good heat source, and i couldn’t be happier! enjoy your new python, i’ll post a picture of mine just because i love showing it off, and good luck! 
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06/16/08 07:12am
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#1764465
ROADKING
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Message To: Drepop In reference to Message Id: 1762071
 First time Burmese owner
Let me first congratulate you on a wise decision. They are great. I personally have 3 and I am baby sitting 2 while a friend of mine is away. Males burm can grow to be about 6 ft in the first year. Being that you have a baby I personally recommend feeding 1-2 hopper mice a week. Some will say every 2 weeks. That is a personal choice that’s really depends on your snake. I have 2 10ft burms that are about 3 years old I got them from a guy that was starving them so really they have come along way since I got them. I also have a 7 ft Albino green burn that is about a year old. They usually, now this is usually some will say different, max at around 17-18 feet but I have seen them bigger. My friend has 2 Albino regs, the male is about 12 feet and the female is the same size as my 2 @ 10ft. The temperament on all my burms are fantastic. Some advice on feeding - I also knock out or drown prey before feeding only because I feel they are less aggressive than snakes on live prey (now this is my personal decision) . I’m don’t know where you feed you’re snake but anyone will tell you it is recommended to feed in a separate enclosure or the bathtub so that way they don’t associate their cage with food. Handle only to put your snake back in the cage after feeding. Too much handling in the first 24 - 48 hours can cause regurging. Make sure you have correct temps and humidity. If you have questions on that please feel free to message me. As far as bedding. Again I don’t know what you use, I personally use Aspen in the cage and Sphagnum moss in a humid box on the UTH (under tank heater). The water bowl I recommend something large enough so it he can submerge, I know my burms love to submerge.
Especially at shed. I hope this helped helped. Please feel free to message me with any questions.
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06/17/08 10:39pm
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#1764486
Yellowfang
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Message To: ROADKING In reference to Message Id: 1764465
First time Burmese owner
Growth ranges on feeding. My baby was fed rat pups from the beginning, as they have more nutrients to them. My baby had been the smallest out of her 15 other siblings and is blind. So even though she eats regularly, she’s only about four feet at a year old now. I would expect about a six foot snake thoughby next year. Give her some regular handling and you’ll have a nice snake on your hands.
By the way, you should really look harder at those shows, I am there every show and notice some kind of burm there all the time. Of course, I’m in there from eight til four o’clock.
This is my girl at a year now:
Yellowfang
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06/17/08 11:05pm
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#1765018
Drepop
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Message To: Robi In reference to Message Id: 1762462
First time burmese owner
thanks robi just what i wanted to hear. I think he’s gonna be a biter because he was waiting for me to give him a reason to bite but i never did so he didnt. The thing that scares me is that I think he has a respitory infection already. I know burms get them easily. Or he could of been hissing at me. I really hope he was just hissing cuz I felt alot of wind hitting my hands and i heard noses coming from me couldnt really tell if he was hissing or wheezing. Ive dealt with RI before and its VERY expensive at the vet to treat. The money I have now is supposed to be for his cage. This really sucks but he’s my lil buddy and I want to give him a good life til he’s old haha. If you know how to treat RI without going to the vet plz let me know.
thanks
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06/18/08 01:54pm
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#1765028
Drepop
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Message To: ROADKING In reference to Message Id: 1764465
First time Burmese owner
thank you also roadking and yellow fang. and if you guys know how to treat RI without an expensive trip to the vet let me know aswell.
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06/18/08 02:01pm
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#1765211
Rebelyell83
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Message To: Drepop In reference to Message Id: 1765028
First time Burmese owner
ususally bumping your heat up a little helps with that
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06/18/08 04:16pm
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#1766070
ROADKING
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Message To: Drepop In reference to Message Id: 1765028
First time Burmese owner
I definitely agree with rebel. If it is a RI and you caught it early just raising the heat should take care of it. When I got my 2 big ones, They both had RI’s , scale rot , and mites. They were both about25 lbs underweight and severely dehydrated. That’s was an expensive trip to the vet =). They are doing well now though even though when my male hisses he does sometimes sound like he has RI again but the vet said he’s in great health now. Another tell tale sign is if he is salivating really bad. My male when he rubbed against the plexi would leave nasty marks of saliva on the front of the cage and his bedding kept getting stuck to his mouth, so we had to go with newspaper for a while just so the aspen wouldn’t suffocate him.
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06/19/08 10:14am
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#1769741
Drepop
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Message To: ROADKING In reference to Message Id: 1766070
First time Burmese owner
its actually not RI. he’s just a grumpy baby. im happy but then again a grumpy burmese isnt going to be fun. he’s been in shed since i got him june 14 and he hasnt shed yet. all my snakes take about a week to shed this guy has gone over a week now.
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06/22/08 04:17pm
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#1769887
Robi
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Message To: Drepop In reference to Message Id: 1769741
First time Burmese owner
raise the humidity first thing... misting is also recommended when having a prolonged shed, even though my burm HATES being misted. one thing i’ve found when removing my burm from his tank, is he hates it. yes, he hisses at me, but when i’m removing him now i use a snake hook. he has no argument with that, and once i get a hand under him he’s totally fine to come out, which then allows me good quality time with him. i always make a point when i’m at home to handle him at least thirty to fourty five minutes a day to keep the agressive side of him in check, and i make sure my roommates handle him when i’m around as well because otherwise he might not be as comfortable around other people. when people say snakes are a time commitment, they’re not messing around... take the time to handle your snake on a consistent basis and that will do wonders for agression.
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06/22/08 06:47pm
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#1770202
Drepop
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Message To: Robi In reference to Message Id: 1769887
First time Burmese owner
Thanks alot Robi. And trust me I LOVE HANDLING. Thats the main reason why I got snakes in the 1st place. Im annoyed cuz he wont shed and I really want to handle him already but you said you handle him even tho he’s in shed. I guess I can do that as long as he’s little at least haha.
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06/22/08 11:27pm
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#1770241
Josue
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Message To: Drepop In reference to Message Id: 1770202
First time Burmese owner
you all have good lookin snakes!!
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06/22/08 11:54pm
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#1770546
Pythonguy21
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Message To: Josue In reference to Message Id: 1770241
First time Burmese owner
everything that was said was pretty good except for one major thing, please dont feed your burm outside the enclosure, same for retics and condas and afrocks. if you have experience in giants you would know that you don’t feed outside the enclosure cause burms have a insane feeding response. i had a rescue try to kill me once feeding out of the enclosure and that was the last time i will ever do that again. if you are getting you snake out for handling, and changing water, and spot cleaning then feeding will be ok, but if your only association with the snake is feeding then you have problems. do as you wish but it is very dangerous.
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06/23/08 11:35am
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#1771930
Drepop
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Message To: Pythonguy21 In reference to Message Id: 1770546
First time Burmese owner
Thanks for the info pythonguy21. Just know that I LOVE HANDLING snakes and he will be my 1st large snake. Just tell me exactly how to feed him inside his enclosure. Ppl say hook train him but exactly how does that work? I didnt buy him just so I could feed him Im looking forward to handling and educating ppl with an approximate 12ft. snake. By the way your albino is gorgeous.
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06/24/08 01:12pm
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#1774222
Pythonguy21
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Message To: Drepop In reference to Message Id: 1771930
First time Burmese owner
reply thanks well i guess it would be good to know its current enclosure. i lay down cardboard over her bedding and then i toss in a thawed rabbit through a trap door on top of the cage and she will come from the bottom to feed on top.
i just get it in their fast and let her do the rest. i dont hook train my animals some feel its to aggressive and other swear by it, IMO its personal preference, but if you goodle hook training for snakes you will find some great info, if you are going to do it i would start with her as a juvenile so that he gets used to it as he grows and as you guys build a bond together. its a great experience and i would say their isn’t a neighbor or family member that doesn’t love karma (my burm) although most were scared to death at first.
i think you will be satisfied with your purchase, just thaw his food, and throw it in the cage. i let karma have 4 days to digest and then she urinates and poops. and after that she is ready to be handled and happy as can be.
anyways good luck and if you need anything just ask
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06/26/08 11:16am
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#1777351
ReptileGurl202
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Message To: Pythonguy21 In reference to Message Id: 1774222
 First time Burmese owner
Nice snakes everyone....My baby girl cocoa...
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06/29/08 06:35am
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#1777372
Chezequers
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Message To: ROADKING In reference to Message Id: 1764465
First time Burmese owner
Quote: I’m don’t know where you feed you’re snake but anyone will tell you it is recommended to feed in a separate enclosure or the bathtub so that way they don’t associate their cage with food
let me put this in easy to understand terms your advising the guy to pull out a large hungry burmese python and move it to his bath tub on the way out the large burmese doesn’t put up much of a fight, it’s heavy weighing almost as much as him and it’s so long that it drapes around the door ways it’s tail curls around the door way but after a bit of a battle the guy manages to shake his snake off of the frame. He gets it to his bath tub and attempts to put it in but problem number one and by no means the worst one. The snake refuses to stay in the tub as he puts the tail back in the head and half the body have already left the tub, but eventually after 20 minutes the snake gives in and sits in the tub coiled up. He goes and thaws a large rabbit then brings it back up the stairs he hovers it over the tub for a split second and the ferocious strike happens its so heavy that the giant forceps used to offer the prey are almost wrenched from his hands and his arms are practically yanked out of socket despite the strength he applied to keep them from being dropped. But after these little drama’s the snake has settled down to eat its rabbit the guy waits for it to finish sat on the toilet reading a magazine on reptile care he looks up every now and then to check on his beloved reptile and eventually half way through an article entitled "snake feeding: myths and malpractice" he realises the snake is done so he stands up and goes towards his large burmese he looks for the best place to get a hold of the snake and as he reaches for the slightly raised outside coil which is slightly held up by the corner of the bath tub he blinks and as he does so with no warning the already fed snake has lunged out and grabbed his head in its mouth and then persisted to throw coils as he struggles and exhales the coils grip tighter and TIGHTER AND TIGHTER. He then eventually expires and is found by his mum who came in to drop off some dry cleaning still in the coils of his favourite pet that hasn’t managed to find a way to swallow him.
i think that story makes my point and please note that the risk of this happening is not a one time thing this is a highly possible and even probable outcome EVERY feeding
here are the facts of feeding a large boid
* unless all you do is go in to feed them then there is little chance that every time is feeding time to them
* most people dont have the room to feed them outside of the enclosure
* you should use a hook to remove large burmese anyway in order to minimize the risk
* they don’t have cognitive feeding abilities they are purely instinctual just like every other snake
* you should NEVER touch a burmese for a day after feeding at least not just for the digestion but because the snake is highly dangerous
these snakes really are not pets so when like everyone here on the board including myself you keep them drop the mentality that it is one
did i make my point?
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06/29/08 08:15am
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#1778177
Drepop
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Message To: Chezequers In reference to Message Id: 1777372
First time Burmese owner
Haha thats great chezequers. I was very big on feeding outside the cage in tubs until I bought my burmese. Out of all my snakes right now 2 are getting fed inside the cage my burm and my nicaraguan boa(he wont eat outside anymore). My cornsnake doesnt seem to mind me touching him and my male colombian boa either after feeding outside but my female boa does look at me like food so I think Im going to have to start feeding her in and start the hook training, she was fed outside the cage with her previous owner aswell. Im going to give my male colombian a few more feedings outside to make my final decision on whether its safe. He’s still a baby so I have time. But the burmese Im taking very serious. He’s cage aggressive already even before I ever fed him so Im going to have to keep maximum handling. He’s fine wants he’s out tho he doesnt try to bite.
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06/29/08 11:13pm
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#1780866
Robi
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Message To: Drepop In reference to Message Id: 1778177
First time Burmese owner
so let me make sure i follow all of this... i have always been under the impression that snakes have a natural instinct to bite at you every time you go to take them out of their cages if you feed them inside their enclosures. are you saying feed them inside the enclosure, leave them to digest for three to five days before handling them again? this is all foreign to me, but the last thing i need is a fat- burmese python strangling me to death in my own damn bathtub!
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07/02/08 05:46pm
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