help me please

[5N4K3B0Y]

Ok. so... I want a burmese python. Male. NERD says 10-15 feet.

My mom is not so hot on the idea, cause of size, and bunnies...

So, Maintenance feeding... how often should i feed him if I DO NOT want this snake to have a feeding response while being handled, but also don't want it to be 13 14 or 15ft...

Secondly, are there any (even minor) size differences between different morphs of burm?

Also, about prey items. i know that "rabbits are the best" but what is second best? my mom will NOT let me feed rabbits... at least while i live in her house... and I am only 15, so that's going to be a while.


Finally, are there any facts that you know, or statements that you could make that I may be able to use to convince her?

Please, keep in mind that I am looking for helpful comments

:) thank you:)

[ghost5967]

Personally, (and it depends on what you consider maintenance) I am not big on maintenance feeding. Most people take it too far, and it is more like existence feeding. I have 4 burms right now. One was a rescue that was on a "maintenance" feeding schedule. If the person was telling the truth the snake is 7 years old and it is about the same size as my yearling. They are both around the 6-7 foot mark. Way too small, in my opinion, for a 7 year old female. My 4 year old female it about 12 foot, and about 65 lbs.

As for the food. Again this is a personal opinion. When they get big enough, I prefer pigs. There is a lot less indigestible material, like hair. Either way, would your mother be opposed to feeding frozen/thawed food items? I buy frozen pigs, guinea pigs, and rabbits. It's safer for the snake, and much easier. Being an animal lover, I find no pleasure in feeding live, although I know it is sometimes necessary.

The other big issue to consider, is the enclosure that you will eventually need. Even if you end up with a burm that is smaller than average, you will probably need to build or purchase a custom enclosure, which can get pricey.

If you do decide to make the leap, and you can talk your mom into it, good luck and enjoy. I love my burms.

[5N4K3B0Y]

I am not looking to starve the poor thing! but it is always good to check, i suppose...

Can they make a leap from jumbo rats to pigs? Will a 12 footer be large enough to ingest a pig?

I feed frozen thawed... she doesn't even want a F/T Rabbit!

I have heard bad things about guinea pigs, nutrition wise... but i suppose if he got big enough he would end up eating pigs, so it wouldn't be a big issue

and about the enclosure, i was actually thinking of building my own... 7' x 3' x 1'-1 1/2'

I want this snake to be a companion.

[reticguy69]

cage size is plenty big. make sure it is secure and well ventilated, but able to hold humidity well. big boids can get switched to pigs and/or rabbits very early on. i switch my retics to rabbits, when they hit about 5ft.

[jeffg46]

FWIW, at your age think about what you are getting into with a Burm. I don't know what your plans are, but if college is in your future, what do you suppose you will do with a large snake when you go to school? If you go away, no pets in the dorm. I say this from experience. I had a BCI many years ago. I had to give it to a friend when I went away to college. It was hard to do.

Even if you are not going to go away to school, it is a big commitment you are thinking about, and for a long time. I am not trying to talk you out of getting a Burm. I am just trying to get you to think about some very real issues I wish I had given better thought to earlier in my life. And yes, I had a Burm too. I had to give that one away when I went into the Navy. That was even harder than the boa. I loved that snake, and wished, after the fact, that I had thought it through better before getting it. Burmese Pythons are great snakes. They just get big, fast, and require a lot of space for a long time. At 15 "a long time" is longer than you've been around. You have a long life with which to get the snake. Having your life settled enough to keep it long term is a good idea. Just food for thought from someone whose been there and done that, and wishes he had done it differently.

Jeff

[5N4K3B0Y]

thank you for your input, solid advice. maybe i'll discuss this with my mom later... (when she isn't so busy)

and aslo, thank you reticguy! good suggestions. :)

[-Brian]

Hey. I know this post is a little late (I've been off the forums for quite some time) but I thought I would add a little.

I have always felt that most people I encounter on-line over-feed their giants. I don't mean that they mistreat or endanger them, just feed more than necessary. All it does is create a lot of poop. The only burm I have right now is a 9 year old male, that I got as a hatchling. He is around 13 ft, and eats one 4-7 lb bunny per month. During the summer, I might step it up to one every three weeks, and one every five weeks during the winter. He is in great shape, healthy, alert, and has the stereotypical puppy-dog burm attitude.

As far as other possible prey items, I have fed him chickens as an adult, and appropriately sized other fowl (quail, etc..) when he was still young. I think that the occasional fowl keeps the skin looking nice, but I need to warn you about the mess and smell they create coming out!

If you do not want a 14-15ft snake, do not get a burm. I was really hoping my male would stay in the 9-10 ft range, but you just never know, and have to EXPECT and be ready for anything. I have seen several males theat are 16-18 ft too.

I agree with what the others have said as well. I have spent my life loving burms. I think that a normal, light colored burm is one of the most beautiful animals on earth. However, I did not actually GET one until I was nearly 30 years old, and with my girlfriend's permission! (Now my wife.) As said, a healthy burm could be with you for nearly twice as long as you have lived! And, unfortunately, we ALL now know the cost of dumping one you don't want anymore. It very well may cost us all our hobby.

Best of luck with your decision. - Brian

[Brewster320]

If you have an extra couple grand laying around you could always get a dwarf burm:cool: . Other than that your probably out of luck.

[bdenison]

Indian pythons tend to be smaller then there burm cousins, but have the issue that they are endangered and require a USFW CBW permit to have them shipped into your state unless there is a breeder in state.

[Mickfist]

I just don't think a burm or retic is a good snake for someone so young. there is so much involved.