Hi! Please don't take offense with anything I say or think that I'm against you in any way. I just want to point out a few things to try to help you make the right decision in your case. I'm not trying to be rude, harsh, or anything like that.



You wrote; Right now I have a 6.5 foot Taiwanese Beauty Snake (Dog) who Ive had for about 5 months and i just got a 3.4-4 foot Black Mexican Kingsnake.

So I think i have a Bit of experience with snakes. I'm very comfortable handling snakes in general.



And 2 sentences later wrote; Im thinkin he might present a new challenge to me as he seems rather skittish and apprently hasnt been handled in a long time.



Like I said, I don't mean to be harsh, but, I get the impression that you have a wee bit of experience with friendly, cooperative snakes, only. When you have an 8ft, or 16ft, burmese python hiss at you, it's gonna make your heart skip a few beats.



I get the impression that you're somewhat reluctant to handle your newest snake due to fear of being bitten, and it's just a 4ft king snake. Burms are bulky, have a lot of mass, and can pack quite a wallop. An 8ft burm will dwarf an 8ft rat snake.



If you don't have the experience to know how to deal with an irritated snake, of any kind, knowing how to read their body language, being able to think like they think, then you're not ready for a burmese python.



Please believe me, I say that for your own good, as well as for the good of a burmese python.



Granted, there's several months between now & when you suspect you might get a burm from the person you're talking about. I beleive it's possible for you to gain enough experience within that time, but you'll need a good mentor and/or an untamed snake or two.



A few other things to think about are:

(1) Will you have someone that will help you handle your burm when it's about 2yrs old and 8ft long? That's when they're a sizeable force to reckon with & shouldn't be dealt with from that point on (20-plus yrs) unless you have someone to help you in case of an emergency.



Granted, it's few & far between, but the chance is always there, no matter how docile it's been for the first years of it's life.



I'm not trying to scare you away from them; they're known as "gentle giants" for a reason, but there's always that chance.



(2) Can you afford to buy, build or have a huge cage built for it? At least 8ft(L) x 2.5(W) x 2.5(H).



(3) Can you afford to feed it several rodents every two weeks? That can be costly.



I know you said that you're going to go to the breeder's place and get a better idea of caging, handling, feeding, etc..., and that's a great idea. I just want make sure you really consider these areas.





> > > I understand that getting one of these animals is a long term committment and I want to make sure that not only am I ready for that but also that I can provide for what the animal needs.



You're thinking on the right track, just be sure & not fool yourself or talk yourself out of going with your gut instinct.



Now, for the good part. Burmese pythons are wonderful, beautiful, creatures. They're not personal creatures, but very few snakes are. They're basically slow-moving, just enough to where you can enjoy handling them or watching them crawl around outside or in a room, without having to continually chase after them or change hands. Mine have given me more joy for the money than just about anything else I have, other than wife/kids, or course.





> > > When dealing with breeders what should i look for?



Well, not like I'm Mr. Perfect, but, the first thing that comes to mind is, "legality." The breeder you mentioned may well be experienced, knowledgeable, and generally a good guy that's skirting the law in this one area. I'm not knocking him. I don't know him, so I can't. However, laws are laws, even the ones we don't like.



I don't have a couple of rattlesnakes that I want due to my state's laws say I have to meet a few requirements first, but I'm just about there, legally.



I hope this helps.



Oh, and thanks for not getting upset with me.



Have a great day!

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

this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:

Appalachian American

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