Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just found out that my sister and future brother-in-law bought a burmese python. They have a one yr old daughter. Should I be concerned about her safety. They wrap this 5-6Ft snake around her neck and allow her to play with it. My sister thinks they only wrap their food and won't see Eboni as lunch. Is this true?
Thanks for any help!

yes you should absolutely be concerned. That is irresponsible and dangerous. Burmese pythons are not domesticated pets. As much as some breeders would like to portray them as such by posting pictures of their large pythons with their children, there is a serious danger of the snake doing what nature has intended it to do. And that is to kill by constricting.

heres where everybody has diff views I myself have small children the youngest is 4. He is very active in our hobby and is allowed to handle all 12 of our pythons even our 11ft female BUT!!!! Only with very close supervision and I do mean close supervision because it only takes 1 and only 1 accident with a large snake and a young child for serious or even deadly results. One wrong pinch or grab from the 1 yr old could cause the snake to bite or even wrap out of fear. For at 1 a child does not have the ability to know not to grab its eyes or slap the snake.just my 2 cents

It's really not only the attack you need to worry yourself about though. I keep Sri lankan pythons which are around 6 ft 10lbs now. (burms are bigger at the same size). Anyways even when I have them around my neck they tend to squeeze. They squeeze to hold on so that they feel safe. I like to see how far they will take it sometimes and I have had almost my entire airway closed to the point I was gasping for a minute to get air before I took my big girl off. A young child wouldn't have the strength and probably knowledge of how to get the constrictor off. Really it's only a probably if they aren't under close supervision.
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John Light
JL Exotics
Contact Me
Web Site

I have a reptile rescue (as my name implies). I have, on several occasions had very very large snakes. We are the only group in this area that will take a giant snake with an attitude. We have a 9 month old son. now, before anyone freaks out. we also have a detached garage. There are snakes in the house. the biggest being an 11 ft burm. tame as a dead bird and blah blah blah. He's firmly kept behind shatterproof glass, 1 inch thick MDF board for the rest of the cage, the door has 2 of those gate latches that you see on the fences around pools and locks on the latches. Hes also well fed and quite happy. the majority of what we keep in the house are smaller things like RTB, JC, corns, etc... I will admit I have taken a picture with my son and snake. the snake was a 7 ft. red tail boa. put the snake around his waist and in his lap, snapped a pic and picked up the snake. My son has seen our big guys, i carry him to the garage and show him. ("see big snake", "see iguana" blah blah blah) I don't plan on taking a picture with my big guys and son for quite some time, eventually i will. he wont ever be playing with the snakes alone or anything stupid like that. I know from my experience that when we put the big guys on our shoulders that they do tighten up to hold on but they aren't trying to eat me. I don't think its a HUGE safety issue so long as there is supervision. we have made our trips to the liquer store and each snake has its own bottle of booz, just in case. (and yes, the booz are out of the kids reach too.) anyway, people are always asking me if its ok to have snakes and kids. for me, I say yes, if you take proper percautions. all my snakes are locked up unless they're being fed, cleaning cages, or if they're out for some sun. thats how i look at it, hope it helped....
Beth
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The rescue site: www.freewebs.com/okreptilerescue

>>heres where everybody has diff views I myself have small children the youngest is 4. He is very active in our hobby and is allowed to handle all 12 of our pythons even our 11ft female BUT!!!! Only with very close supervision and I do mean close supervision because it only takes 1 and only 1 accident with a large snake and a young child for serious or even deadly results. One wrong pinch or grab from the 1 yr old could cause the snake to bite or even wrap out of fear. For at 1 a child does not have the ability to know not to grab its eyes or slap the snake.just my 2 cents

Um... that is just as much irresponsible as the person letting their 1 year old play with snakes. Allowing your 4 year old to play with an 11 foot python? Even under close supervision, that snake could strike and kill that child lbefore you could get it unwrapped from him. And to add to that, a snake that size (or even smaller) certainly has enough strength to crush his windpipe at the very least so even *if* you could unwrap the snake, there would be a strong chance of still the child dying.
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DP

dr. pepper. When I said close supervision I mean close supervision my son is in my lap with me holding most of the snake. Also my wife is standing right infront of us. So no I am not irresposible. I do not alow my son to play with the snake. Snakes are not meant to be played with they are not dogs.He is alowed to hold them with me never alone. We use our snakes in shows at our other 2 sons elementary school and also a nursery/day care. They are in alot of contact with children we know what snake have the capibilities of doing and use every precaution to make our children and the children that come into contact with them very safe and they all enjoy being able to see and also touch these giants. We feel teaching these children at an early age about these large snakes will help ensure and inprove our hobby for the future. So we are not like those people leting their 1 year old play on the floor with a snake two total different situations.

That's "Irresponsible Reptile Keeping 101" at its best; nice way to make the news and another black eye for our hobby. Personally, a call to DCFW would be in order (as much as I hate to say it). And we wonder why our hobby is leading us to one state ban after another....hmmmm.

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center
Lake Forest, IL

>>I just found out that my sister and future brother-in-law bought a burmese python. They have a one yr old daughter. Should I be concerned about her safety. They wrap this 5-6Ft snake around her neck and allow her to play with it. My sister thinks they only wrap their food and won't see Eboni as lunch. Is this true?
>>Thanks for any help!
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

My 3'4" female ball python all ready made me turn blue. my burm is only 2'7" and is capabable of doing the same amount of harm in my opinion.I don't have any kids( I'm 18) but I wouldn't even let a 1 y/o play wit a 5' snake.I think a quick pic with a kid and a huge snake would be fine but I wouldn't let a child play with one. better safe then sorry. Just my 0.02
Link

...reminds me...how many more kids are killed/maimed by "domesticated" pets EVERY YEAR compared to "wild" pythons and boas...im just saying what no one wants to hear...

...wrapping a big constrictor around an infants neck is like letting said child blow in the face of the family dog...neither animal may ever even think about hurting the child...but why take chances?

WOW, I never thought I'd get so many different replys. I don't want anyone to think I am a snake hater. My son, who is almost 11, has had a thing for reptiles since he could walk and talk! He has had a rubber boa, and ringed neck snake as a pet, but I researched and read for a few months before allowing it in my house. I personally was horrified by snakes, but am growing to love them. He wants another snake now, but I'm not sure what kind to let him have. I do know that even though he's 11, (and he's a BIG boy at 150lbs and 5ft tall) that he will not be getting something that will get big enough to eat the family dog! No offense to the snake, but I personally feel that large animals like that are not good pets for children at any age. Just my opinion.
As for my sister, I emailed her articles, and this website and told her to read carefully! But unfortunately, I haven't heard a word from her. She is in Waco, TX and I am in PA, so I just can't go over to her house and slap her, though I'd like to!
Well, thank you for all the information. It was a big help.
Michelle

That's cool, I live in PA too. I went to the hamburg reptile show this past weekend, the trip was mainly for feeders but next time I will be getting hopefully a albino burm female for my normal male.

Richie