Posted by:
toddbecker
at Wed Nov 14 12:07:02 2007 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by toddbecker ]
I am going to reiterate and expand a little on what the previous poster stated(Sarah, I think). Definitely go with a front opening cage rather then a top. As a baby snake everything is bigger then it, and in the wild ALL of its natural predators would attack it from above since it is about as low as you can get. So naturally they are weary of anything coming in at them from the top.
General rule of thumb for any of the large snakes is two people for over 8' then an additional person for each additional 3'. Now this may be overkill but it is better to be over prepared then under. I do not care how big and strong you think you are, a 12 plus foot burm is much stronger then you are.
Babies are notorious for being nippy and defensive. Biggest thing is to first condition yourself to not jerk your hand(or whatever is getting bit) back when you get bit. This is hard and takes some time but you will experience far less tramatic injuries if you react properly. I have seen pics of people who had to have stitches and in one case surgery to repair nerves from jerking after a bite by a big snake. Condition yourself while it is a baby. Also, condition the snake. Use a hook whenever you are entering its cage. Gently stroke the snake,near the head and let it know that it is not going to be hurt or more importantly fed. Do this religiously every time you open the cage for anything except for feeding. If you get him out, or are just reaching in to get its water bowl, touch him with the hook. After time it will associate the hook with you. When it is time to feed, ALWAYS, feed in its permanent enclosure. This is the safest and least stressfull method. Open the cage, toss in the PK/FT rodent and let it be. Your snake will usually adjust pretty easily to f/t. Do not use your hook for any reason when feeding. It will soon learn to differentiate the two different times, and the quick touch of the hook will usually "snap" them out of Feeding mode.
Burms are notorious for being very vocal. They often hiss and when they get large their hissing can be quite intimidating. Learn its behavior and signs and you will learn when it is really upset and time to leave it alone or if it is just acting up. While it is a baby, if it does bite you, do not immediately put it up. Continue handling it for a few more minutes. You do not want to condition the snake to "knowing" that if it bites you it will get left alone. Hope this helps and I am sorry it is long. feel free to ask anymore Questions, Todd
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RE: Getting a burm, Need some tips! - toddbecker, Wed Nov 14 12:07:02 2007