Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a wild Burmese I actually captured in South Florida, nasty as hell, and quite the handful at 9 feet.Any advice as to how I go about making him docile.

Taming a wild snake actually begins before the capture. I used to do this with rattlesnakes back in the 70's and 80's as a kid and a young adult. When you catch the snake, you do it in a manner that is the least threatening to the snake. If the snake experiences harm and potential danger in a traumatic physical capture it will likely forever associate "danger" with human scent. I know that sometimes it is next to impossible to capture a wild snake without having to grab and wrestle the snake into a bag or box,... but if you can simply hook a snake in a calm and non-threatening manner and get it gently into a bag or box without terrifying it, then you are WAY ahead in the taming process.

At the point that you are at it is just most important to show the snake over time (could take months, be patient) that you are not a threat to it. If it doesn't want to be held, don't hold it. Give it respect and this will go a long way. When you do get around to holding it, try to do so WITHOUT restraining it's head or neck. This will only scare the snake and give it the impression that it is being attacked and it will be on the deffensive.

Now,.. it's just possible that you have a burmese that can NEVER be tamed. So just be prepared to never succeed in this endeavor. This scenario is less likely than the one that involves an eventually tame burmese. They are fairly non-aggressive by nature, so you have a darn good chance to succeed in this. Just be very patient and build trust.

>>I have a wild Burmese I actually captured in South Florida, nasty as hell, and quite the handful at 9 feet.Any advice as to how I go about making him docile.
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It isn't "Ideas" that fail or succeed,... it is the "Systems" which are instilled to launch and sustain the idea that either fail or succeed.>[Me.]

A wild Burm from S. Florida? How provocative.

Seriously bro, the burmese that have been released in the Everglades are thought to be successfully "established" there and even reproducing. I think it's kind of cool in a way.

>>A wild Burm from S. Florida? How provocative.
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It isn't "Ideas" that fail or succeed,... it is the "Systems" which are instilled to launch and sustain the idea that either fail or succeed.>[Me.]

Definitely not cool. Introduced species are frequently an environmental catastrophe.

Well,... I know what you are saying,. but the catastrophic environmental disasters are usually from an insect, a plant, a parasite, or a rapidly multiplying rodent or other pest species. The burms would really only compete with other large snakes (adamanteus, indigos, etc) or gators for food and really don't reproduce at a tremendous rate or parasitise the land or animals around them. So it really isn't as bad. But I do know what you mean. Especially since some of the apex preditors there are already "delicate" due to HUMAN b@#$#!t. So it isn't that I am down with it,.. just that it's a cool thought that giant pythons might be on our continent. Do you see the distinction?

>>Definitely not cool. Introduced species are frequently an environmental catastrophe.
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It isn't "Ideas" that fail or succeed,... it is the "Systems" which are instilled to launch and sustain the idea that either fail or succeed.>[Me.]

of course the people on this board see the distinction...

you're forgetting that the people who are going to use that fact as another reason to shut down the exotic reptile industry - the government, whose 'experts' are so ignorant as to not even be able to differentiate between kingsnake subspecies with a field guide in hand...

those are the ones you should be thinking about when you say an introduced exotic species in a protected wildlife area is "cool."

consequences...

bc

All the same, the problem exists. And by me saying it's "cool" does not mean that the senate is going to convene today as a result and pass a new "anti-exotic reptile law". What this MIGHT do is call attention to the existance of burms in the Everglades and maybe, just MAYBE more Floridian herpers will be out there catching them. I would if I lived there. And this will have positive results.

>>of course the people on this board see the distinction...
>>
>>you're forgetting that the people who are going to use that fact as another reason to shut down the exotic reptile industry - the government, whose 'experts' are so ignorant as to not even be able to differentiate between kingsnake subspecies with a field guide in hand...
>>
>>
>>those are the ones you should be thinking about when you say an introduced exotic species in a protected wildlife area is "cool."
>>
>>consequences...
>>
>>bc
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It isn't "Ideas" that fail or succeed,... it is the "Systems" which are instilled to launch and sustain the idea that either fail or succeed.>[Me.]

I definitely agree with that. i was just hoping to get a clearer picture... good points, though!

bc

>All the same, the problem exists. And by me saying it's "cool" >does not mean that the senate is going to convene today as a >result and pass a new "anti-exotic reptile law". What this MIGHT >do is call attention to the existance of burms in the Everglades >and maybe, just MAYBE more Floridian herpers will be out there >catching them. I would if I lived there. And this will have >positive results.

I don't think there's any distinction.

There's no way of knowing what sort of damage they could cause. There are a lot of species in S. Florida that could be negatively affected.

I ask this because so far as yet every post I have read from you today seems the result of going from post to post looking for an argument. Like the one to Scott about Martin Luther King. Who are you to judge him and tell him how to quote or admire or be inspired by a famed trailblazer of fighting injustice?

And so freakin what if I said it was "cool" to have a giant living in our backyards? **Uh oh, better go get the rope and string up Brian! He doesn't care about our environment!** Who are you to judge me or what I say? And you do not know if the FEW burmese living in the Everglades are going to have a TREMENDOUS impact on the delicate ecosystem there. You haven't been out in the field with your magnifying glass uncovering evidence to back up this statement. (don't get me wrong, I actually DO care very much about the environment, so don't go implying I don't) But if you REALLY gave a hoot about the environment I'd think you'd recognize the simple FACT there is one greedy little animal that is doing a MILLION times any damage a few pythons could do to the environment. Of course I'm talking about HUMANS. And don't forget that these burmese didn't swim to the Everglades from Burma (Myanmar) that they were released there BY HUMANS. So if you want to be "pro-planet" or "pro-environment" I'd suggest you join Greenpeace and buy an electric car. Or better yet, sell your house and live off the land, because it is HOW we live that does the most damage. Just don't waste your time bagging on me because I said it was cool to have a giant in the Everglades. That doesn't help the starving Adamanteous that just had its rabbit stolen by a marauding wild burmese. Why don't you really do something about it?

>>I don't think there's any distinction.
>>
>>There's no way of knowing what sort of damage they could cause. There are a lot of species in S. Florida that could be negatively affected.
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It isn't "Ideas" that fail or succeed,... it is the "Systems" which are instilled to launch and sustain the idea that either fail or succeed.>[Me.]

Jezus, shut up. I didn't "bag on you," whatever the hell that means. All I did was DARE TO DISAGREE with the great Brian Smith, whoever the hell you are, and you go berzerk. Grow up and develop a thicker skin.

>>> Who are you to judge me or what I say?

I didn't judge what you said. I disagree with it. Excuse the living [bleep] out of me. I was under the impression that I had that right in a public forum.

>>>> And you do not know if the FEW burmese living in the Everglades are going to have a TREMENDOUS impact on the delicate ecosystem there.

That's exactly correct. And I never stated I did. I said, and this is an exact quote, "there is no way of knowing what sort of damage they could cause." So just exactly what is _your_ damage? Basic problems with reading comprehension?

>>> That doesn't help the starving Adamanteous that just had its rabbit stolen by a marauding wild burmese.

No, but it sure as hell doesn't help to refer to introduced species, particularly one as commonly dumped as Burmese, as "cool" in a public forum where impressionable newbies may read it, now does it?

Nicely put! unfortunately, your waisting your breath. Don't you know? The great Brian Smith is never wrong, LOL.

Hey Buddy, how's it going?

No, this one isn't about being "right" or "wrong", it's just a difference of opinions. But I guess I can still see where it is an oportunity for you to attempt to "join forces" or build an opposition to me based on "strength in numbers". Though why this is so important is beyond me. What exactly is your reason for having a personal agenda with me anyway? To this day I have no clue. Not that I really care,... just curious.

Happy Herping

>>Nicely put! unfortunately, your waisting your breath. Don't you know? The great Brian Smith is never wrong, LOL.
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It isn't "Ideas" that fail or succeed,... it is the "Systems" which are instilled to launch and sustain the idea that either fail or succeed.>[Me.]

Join forces? LOL. Please, stop with the melodramatics. It's nauseating. Besides, I payed you a compliment, Mr. Perfect.