Hi there!

Sounds like you're on the right track with everything.



Personally, I think an 8ft(L) x 3ft(W) x 30-inches(H) is sufficient for most. It's also the minimum I recommend. When designing/building large cages you have to keep in mind the need to be able to get the cage through a doorway inside a house. Inside doorways are usually between 32 - 34 inches wide. By keeping the overall cage height 30 inches (O.D.) or a tad less, it will fit through an inside doorway.



Potential Problem:

If the cage is to ever go into a room that's located in the middle of a hallway, it ain't gonna go, it won't make the turn 'cause of its length.



I'm about to begin construction of what I feel is an ideal cage. I'll be building 2 cages for my adult burms. Each cage will be 10ft(L) x 3ft(W) x 30inches (H) and will be in 2 halves that can be bolted together once in place. I'm working on a small scaled model (balsa wood) that has two 4ft halves and a 2ft center sleeve that will allow it to be bolted together from the outside of the cage, making the inside virtually seamless. These cages will be way too much work for the average keeper to want to build and the odds are that I'll never need to move these cages from where I'm going to put them. But if I ever do, ahh, it will be so simple because I put a little more time & effort into the planning & building, looking out for potential situations.



Something else to keep in mind; cleaning a 3ft deep cage can be a hassle, having to reach in or practically crawl into. Never attempt to clean a cage with an 8ft or larger snake still in it. When I say "clean," of course I mean "spot clean." You obviously wouldn't want to use any cleaning compounds with a snake still in it.



I would like to give you a few more tips on keeping a burm. Please keep in mind that I'm not meaning to offend you by insulting your intelligence.



Get a snake hook. Use it to condition your snake and you'll never have any problems with a feeding response strike or a strike from a startled snake. Stroke the snake's head & neck area, and sometimes maybe even its body area, a few times to make sure it's alert and to let it know that you're about to get it out for handling.



I've got a 10ft-plus female & and an 8ft male that I've had since babies and never had a bit of problem with them. I rarely have to reach into their cage to get them out, they most always come out on their own. Reaching into a snake's territory can be dangerous.



Always use tongs to place prey into their cage. I've got a couple of real cheap grabbers like what's sold for elderly or handicapped people to pick things up with.



If the snake's not eating frozen/thawed already, get it switched over for both of your sakes.



Your 8ft - 2 handlers, 13ft - 3 handlers, sounds good. When my female was 8ft and had clouded eye scales before shedding, I had to clean her cage. When I got her out, for the first time ever, she hissed for awhile. It was then & there that I realized I shouldn't be handling her on my own anymore. Now I always make sure my wife is around.



For some people it helps to do dry walk-thrus of your emergency response plans from time to time. I don't, haven't, but I probably should. More for my wife's sake than mine.



Post some pics when you get them & enjoy your burmese python. They're beautiful gentle giants.



Take care!

HH
-----
Due to political correctness run amuck,

this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:

Appalachian American

[ Show Entire Thread ]