Reptile & Amphibian Forums

my burmese is about 5 ft anybody with 5 footers im feeding a med. rat almost everybody says i need to go bigger rule of thumb no bigger than thickest part of body what ive been going by not interested in power feeding but want to make sure he is being fed enought havent tried to feed 2 meds. yet

At five feet i was feeding my burm a jumbo rat a week. Thats just me tho.

Todd, mix in a "period" every once in a while when you write; it will be easier to understand you. You must be a "young-in" because my teenage daughters write the same way when they are on line From what I could decipher, it sounds like you are doing fine. You can try one size larger and see what happens but one rat every 10 days is more than enough. Realize this, most people who keep burms overfeed them. Most burms in captivity are obese (or on their way to becoming obese). Why? Feeder animals are typically very "rich" and high in protein due to the high protein meals they are fed. Combine that with the fact that most people who keep burms stuff them in small cages (6') and they get very little opportunities for exercise, stretching out, etc. Our adult burms get fed once a month and that's plenty; they maintain excellent body weight and have excellent muscle tone because they are kept in large enclosures.

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center

>>my burmese is about 5 ft anybody with 5 footers im feeding a med. rat almost everybody says i need to go bigger rule of thumb no bigger than thickest part of body what ive been going by not interested in power feeding but want to make sure he is being fed enought havent tried to feed 2 meds. yet
-----
Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

Not saying you were, but it kind of sounded like you were say i might not know what im doing. Just because you said that right behind my post. I agree with a lot of what you said, so im sure i am just being crazy lol.

P.S. All my Burm's and Retic's are know were close to being called fat, but maybe just a little spoiled lol.

No, that's not what I was saying. I was making a very general statement towards all burm owners based on over 30 years of experience in not only keeping them but rescuing 100's and seeing the condition that they are in when they come to our facility.

>>Not saying you were, but it kind of sounded like you were say i might not know what im doing. Just because you said that right behind my post. I agree with a lot of what you said, so im sure i am just being crazy lol.
>>
>>P.S. All my Burm's and Retic's are know were close to being called fat, but maybe just a little spoiled lol.
-----
Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

So all the Burm owners you have met in your 30 years don't know what there doing when it comes to feeding? I'm trying to understand that, because you have 30 years you say all Burm owners? When i think about it, i see what your saying. On the other hand, you can't say you were speaking about all Burm owners, because you haven't might them. I'm sure you've had many Burms come to you in the last 30 years in bad shape, but you can't say because of those 30 years that you have, that all Burm owners over feed. I have watched these forums for many years an i see that you have lots of time in this business. I'm not trying to fight just saying "All Burms owners" might be a bit off. Much of the time i wouldn't ask questions because i have 13 years myself, but i was just wondering what you meant? Sorry if it came off rude thats not what i was going for. Just some times when i see you write to people i feel like you are belittling them by throwing around your 30 years in the business.

Lee

Belittle? What are you talking about? And, NO, I do not throw around my years of experience....I have experience as a professional and a hobbyist and if folks like you have a problem with that, well, I suppose it's your problem. When folks are poking around the forums for the first time trying to seek good advice it's nice to know who you are dealing with. Personally, when I read a post from someone (and I am NOT talking about you so don't jump to conclusions like your last post) who can't put together a basic sentence, I don't listen to a word they are saying. If they sound like they cannot articulate their knowledge, I tune them out. On the other hand, if someone says that they've worked at "X" facility which is well known and has a good reputation, I tend to take stock in that person's words. I still do my investigation but it has more meat. So, re-read my comments (which were meant to try to answer your initial question and I think I did just that) and don't jump the gun.
PS: Yes, there are many fine burm owners out there and, NO, of course I haven't met every single burm owner in the world. YES, I was making a generalization of burm owners in that most of the burms that come to our facility are either over weight, or, in bad health due to poor husbandry. Does that mean that all burm owners are bad? Of course not. Is that clear enough?

>>So all the Burm owners you have met in your 30 years don't know what there doing when it comes to feeding? I'm trying to understand that, because you have 30 years you say all Burm owners? When i think about it, i see what your saying. On the other hand, you can't say you were speaking about all Burm owners, because you haven't might them. I'm sure you've had many Burms come to you in the last 30 years in bad shape, but you can't say because of those 30 years that you have, that all Burm owners over feed. I have watched these forums for many years an i see that you have lots of time in this business. I'm not trying to fight just saying "All Burms owners" might be a bit off. Much of the time i wouldn't ask questions because i have 13 years myself, but i was just wondering what you meant? Sorry if it came off rude thats not what i was going for. Just some times when i see you write to people i feel like you are belittling them by throwing around your 30 years in the business.
>>
>>Lee
-----
Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

Good answer

HELLO
You are one of the most experiencied hobbyst that i have ever meet. I think that for many people, a picture of a fat burm would be useful. So, do you have one?
THANKS