Hey everyone, I just bought a baby male het green burmese python from Bob Clarl. I have had him since saturday. Now on monday, even though I usually wait a good week or so to feed, he ate a small rats from rodent pro with no problems at all. Now should I wait til this weekend to handle him for the first time? and per their metabolism...and the lump gone already..is feeding once a week ok, or is more long the lines of 5-7 days ok? I just know they have a huge metabolism rate. Now he can be nippy..should I use gloves as some recommend? Thanks
How big is he? (length, weight) If he's really snapy, then I would recommend using a snake hook to handle him. Are you feeding him in his cage? I always use feeding buckets to prevent the animals from equating my hand coming into the cage with meal time. Also, you may want to use tongs to offer food items if you're not already if you think he may be too aggressive. If you're offering the right size food item then feeding once a week should be plenty. Too many people underfeed their large snakes. I've never known a snake that would overeat, so try him out for a couple of weeks. You can offer him food in a few days after feeding. If he's hungry, he'll take it. If not, then you know to try later. That's pretty much the only surefire way to get a feeding schedule down. Trial and error.
Well he is about 2 1/2 feet long..VERY SNIPPY...he struck, hissed and musked all over the place...lol...but I know he is afraid right now and will grow out of it. I feed in the cage simply because I was told of their size when reaching adult, its the best thing to do...I think my once a week feeding will be good...ive known people to feed every 5 days and have a 10 ft snake within a year
Oh yeah, feeding in the cage for a burm is essential.. you want a nice feeding response, so that he rips your hand off as soon as you open his door, especially when he's 15ft That was a joke btw, heh. I would definitely NOT feed such a large snake as a burm inside his enclosure (no matter what size he is now) - unless you plan to dedicate a room-sized for-viewing-pleasure-only enclosure to it. I'd get him used to being handled, if he bites, get it over with now, rather than trying to train it out of him when he's 10ft+ Get him used to eating outside of his enclosure, and being handled for that purpose so that he learns when you pick him up, something GOOD is going to happen, and not "oh great, food" as soon as he sees your smiling face wander aroun the corner B)
Beleieve me..its he hits 10 feet thats fine. I completely understand what I got into before I made the purchase. I have heard many stories of people feeding their retics, annies and burms in their cage and if you feed them at the same time..everythime then they learn...which Im not sure abotu..hence why I came here for advice. Now should I wait til ive had him a week or so before I handle? and heseem awful nippy, how about gloves? thanks all
A friend of mine is doing that with a pair of young retics he has... He's feeding in their enclosure at the same time, same amount of days apart between each feeding, to try to get them into a routine. He's got 19 years experience with burms, retics & other large boids. But his are also being raised specifically as breeders, not as pets, where a little attitude is a good thing. He's got some 3yr old het pied ball pythons that he treats the same way, the only time they ever see him is for feeding or cleaning. The balls are in a rack, the retics are in a Neodesha display, with a big glass front, so they do see him walking around the snake room a lot and get used to seeing him, but the ball pythons are absolute nutjobs. As soon as you open the drawer, they're striking away at you - all of them, but they're great feeders. Now, burms & retics usually aren't as finicky feeders as ball pythons can be, so having that touch of agressiveness there isn't necessarily a good thing for a pet, and a mellow burm will eat just as good as a savage one. Yeah, I'd give him a week or two to let him just settle in and get used to his new home before you feed & handle him. Put him somewhere fairly low-traffic to ease stress, but make sure he can see you now n' again doing what you're doing. Maybe have the enclosure by the computer (but make sure not to have you speakers on real loud, snakes maybe deaf, but they can feel the vibrations), so that when you're sat down at the PC, he gets used to seeing you, but you're not moving around so much that it's stressing him out.
The reference to feeding in a separate enclosure was in regards to a young snake that is not used to being handled. Moving them to a separate enclosure for feeding is a good way to get them used to both being handled and help with snappy snakes that aren't used to people in their space. Some people do move large snakes for feeding, but it was never meant that he move this snake as an adult to a separate feeding area. It was to cut down on stress and the tendency to strike.
Yeah Matt, it is definitely impossible to shift a 15'+ snake just for feeding time, but like BioChic says, when they're still young, and 2-6ft long, it's not such a difficult task, and it's good to instill certain habits while they're young & impressionable Once they're older, yeah, feed in the cage, use the hemostats, or just throw it to the far corner of the enclosure when they're not looking, heh. Other than that, there isn't really much choice
hello, i'm new to this site and i read your post and all the replies. seems you got good advice. i've never had a problem feeding my burms in their cages. i had been doing this for awile when i found out some people recommend feeding them outside their enclosures. i always tap my fingers on the side of the cage for a few seconds before i throw in lunch. it seems to get their attention that its dinnertime so when i just open the door to clean or whatever they don't get to excited. i always pat them on the side like a dog if i'm going to move or handle them, they calm down right away. i still don't bother them if they're hungry or shedding. and i don't go in the cage if they act agitated. in case you're wondering my female is 16ft and 130lbs. she is very docile and i do everything to keep her that way. my male is just over 9ft, albino, he's a little more excitable but neither one has ever bitten or struck at anyone while being handled. watch your snake and get to know him and you'll be able to tell if he's in agood mood or not. enjoy
hi i enjoyed reading your advice and think it makes alot of sense.im getting an albino burm next week shes only a yearling so the advice has come in very handy thanx andrea
