Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just got my burmese python yesterday. It's already a month old and is about 20/22 inches and also a six month old ball python who is 18 inches. I also have a 55 gallon take I keep the both of them in. First two ever snakes need info, heads up, and anything you think I should know.

Another question is I found out the burmese grows fast. I don't want a 6 feet tall snake a year from today. If I don't feed it alot(Not Starve) would that keep it from growing alot.

Any info is good.

Your burmese will and SHOULD get longer than 6 feet in a year. If you can't handle a 20FT snake, then you are better off giving it away. Feeding a snake less then it needs to eat is stunting and is UNHEALTHY for your animal. Your animal will be very bad off if you do this.

A burmese is not a small snake, if you're not ready for a giant, PLEASE give it away so it doesn't suffer. This may sound harsh, but it's the truth. It would be cruel for the snake to do it.

I'm talking, not feeding him every week. Instead I think I should feed him every two weeks.
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22 inch Burmese Python Month old
18 inch Ball Python 6 month old

Every two weeks? That is less food than a growing (sorry you cant stop it) burmese python should eat and you will still most likely get a snake larger than 6ft in a year. The only way to keep it under 6ft is to starve it. You should really give this snake to someone else. Im just wondering, why did you get a burmese if you didnt want a big snake?
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0.3 Burmese Pythons
0.1 Tiger Retic
1.0 Rubber Boa
1.0 Brazilain Rainbow Boa
1.1 Ball Pythons
0.1 Dumerils Boa
0.1 Kenyan Sand Boa
1.1 Giant Legless Lizard
1.0 Water Dragon
0.2 Beardies
0.1 Savanna Monitor
1.1 RES
0.1 Mexican Axolotl

Sorry, but Danny is exactly right. It doesn't matter if you WANT a big snake, you HAVE a big snake, and it's not an appropriate one for your second snake.

I would add that if you mean that you have had the ball python for 6 months and it is 18 inches because you haven't been feeding it enough, you should find someone to take that one too.

If the guy behind the counter at the pet shop said you could keep them small by underfeeding them I can't blame you for believing him, but there's probably a reason he's working in a pet shop and not running the reptile section at the local zoo. Pet shop employees that spread this &%#*&^ will be the second group against the wall when the revolution comes.

Imagine if your mom decided to only feed you one meal every 2 days so she could keep you in a smaller bedroom...

Please do some reading before deciding to keep any snakes and completely get this idea of controlling their size out of your head.

First of all I don't under feed my ball python. I feed it everyweek and I like the way it is growing. It is a 100 healthy and happy.
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22 inch Burmese Python Month old
18 inch Ball Python 6 month old

But you guys I am going to keep it because most likely I would get stuck to it and up keeping it. That's probably, and if I do keep it probably only to 10 feet. I love snakes and I know you guys are probably going to say if I'm not going to take full responsiblity it the future by keeping it then I should give it away, but I don't want to. Not really being ignorent, but I really just don't want to. And I am going to keep my ball python once it reaches it's full length. What you should also think of is that once a snake gets as big as 7 feet they are kind of dangerous.
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22 inch Burmese Python Month old
18 inch Ball Python 6 month old

If you wanted a big snake there are many alternatives to the Burmese which are easier to house and wont get as big. If you have to have a python I think maybe a Blood or Coastal Carpet as both get reasonably big. As Molurus go i've always preferred Pimbura
(Ceylonese) to Burms as they are more attractive and stay relatively small with males averaging 8ft. As for feeding less the only excuse is when the snake refuses to feed and needs work over time to get it feeding well. Once it is there isn't any excuse to not keeping a snake healthy whatever species.

"What you should also think of is when a snake gets 7 feet it's kind of dangerous?????"

Andre, If you know this then WHY did you get a snake that will possitively get MORE than seven feet long?? Burmese get large enough to KILL people if proper precautions aren't considered. This just makes NO sense. The ONLY way to keep this snake THAT small is to starve it, and it will most likely die before it reaches it's second year of life. Is that what you want??? To kill it? You CANNOT feed a growing burmese python mice or small rats all it's life. It would break your savings account. Once that snake reaches five or six feet it will eat at LEAST a dozen mice, or four small rats PER feeding. That's about 12-15 bucks a week where I'm from. And as it grows it WILL require more food to remain healthy. In two years, if fed properly, it should reach every bit of twelve or fourteen feet long. Sorry, but I agree with the rest. Give it to someone who cares about the health of a snake and consider doing some searches to find an animal that will stay within the size range you would like. There are many different ones to choose from. All of which will be just as COOL as a burm in their own right. Please reconsider what you are doing before this animal dies. JMHO.

Quig

You got the snake, you brought it home and placed this large breed snake in with your small breed snake, first of all that's a mistake in itself. Snakes aren't social animals by nature and trust me, that burmese doesn't want the pleasure of sharing it's home with the smaller ball python. No matter how much you think they "like" each other. Second of all, feeding it once ever two weeks is abuse, plain and simple. Burmese pythons are large breed snakes, if you want a snake that you only have to feed every other week, buy a beanie baby. Then you wont have to feed that one at all.

If you're so concerned about a snake being dangerous after it's 7 feet long, then why do you have one? This burmese you have will not be 7 feet long, it'll grow to three times that. Then what will you do? release him in the creek near your home? Leave him in his enclosure and let him rot? You are not able to care for this snake properly and should not have this animal. It's in this animals best interest that you give him/her away. Call a local rescue center. Do anything just stop this insanity and move along from having a huge snake.

yeah it sounds to me you didnt do very much research. If you didnt want a big snake then why would you get the third largest species in the world. Dont deprive the snake of food because you dont want it to get big. Also those two species shouldnt really be in the same tank. My advice to you is to sell the burm and get something smaller. Im not trying to be rude but to many people get those snakes without researching and end up with a 18 foot snake that they cant afford or take care of or whatever.

If you don't mind me asking, how old are you? Teens? Older? Are you living with parents? How are you going to pay for what you do feed it? What are you going to do when it does get too big for the enclosure? If you do feed it less than you should, besides the health effects, how happy do you think it is going to be when you "play with it" or handle it? It might be hungry and decide to find out if you taste like chicken! Listen to the people on here. They have all been especially kind with their responses. They have you and your snakes' best interest in mind. The hungrier it gets the more you are going to look like a "happy meal". Find someone that can take care of it properly. Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? Remember with proper care your snake should be right there with you. Think it all through.
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Bryan, Atlanta GA

1-0-0 Rescued Ball Python - Apep
0-0-1 Rescued Bearded Dragon - Zeus
0-0-1 Rescued Non-Alpha Green Iguana - Bud
1-2-0 Rescued Rats... no wait... ROTTEN Little Cats - Ra, Bastet, Isis
0-0-1 Rescued Fit and Trim Panda Hamster - Mr. Fluffy
1-0-0 Horse... whoops... BIG Golden Retriever - Jake
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