Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi! I'm new to burms, but not to snakes/lizards... I've seen many suggestions for cage sizes from MANY sources, but I was wondering what you all think.

Our male we're picking up tomorrow is about 6.5', and a friend who works with snake alot (tho not much with BIGGER snakes) thinks he's about 3 years old. He a sweetheart, always trying to cuddle with his face on my cheek or forehead, and *tries* to curl around my ponytail!

My fiance is going to build the cage himself, but I am wondering what your suggestions are. From the sounds of it, he COULD get 16', MAYBE more (tho unlikely). I've heard the more normal size for a male is 10-13 feet. What do you think?
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Non-normal people make the world go 'round, not the other way 'round!

So what should the size of the cage be??? I'm thinking 7-8' in length, and we'll make a bigger one if needed. BUT if you people think it needs to be bigger, we'll do it. Also, 3' wide... I'm not sure how tall we'll make it yet.

I'm HOPING he'll not be one of the larger guys of the species, but if he's huge that's OK. He'll be completely locked up at all times anyhow for safety reasons. When he's another foot bigger, we'll always have 2 people handle him, at 13-14' have 3 people at all times to deal with him. But we have to make the cage kid-proof at all times with 3 locks since I have a two-year-old biped, as well as planning on another in about a year or so... Even without the kids, the snake would be locked up!

Thanks for your advice - and sorry it's so long. lol! I'll post pics tomorrow.

~Buggzter
1:1 collard lizard
3:1 blue bellied fence lizard
0:0:1 iguana
0:0:1 glass lizard
1:0 frilled dragon
1:1:1 ball pythons
0:0:3 rose hair tarantulas
0:0:1 unknown tarantula
1:0 beta fish
0:1 toddler
1:0 fiance who helps feed my addiction

and tomorrow....
1:0 Burmese python!!!!! HE'S COMING HOME!!!!

Hi there!
Sounds like you're on the right track with everything.

Personally, I think an 8ft(L) x 3ft(W) x 30-inches(H) is sufficient for most. It's also the minimum I recommend. When designing/building large cages you have to keep in mind the need to be able to get the cage through a doorway inside a house. Inside doorways are usually between 32 - 34 inches wide. By keeping the overall cage height 30 inches (O.D.) or a tad less, it will fit through an inside doorway.

Potential Problem:
If the cage is to ever go into a room that's located in the middle of a hallway, it ain't gonna go, it won't make the turn 'cause of its length.

I'm about to begin construction of what I feel is an ideal cage. I'll be building 2 cages for my adult burms. Each cage will be 10ft(L) x 3ft(W) x 30inches (H) and will be in 2 halves that can be bolted together once in place. I'm working on a small scaled model (balsa wood) that has two 4ft halves and a 2ft center sleeve that will allow it to be bolted together from the outside of the cage, making the inside virtually seamless. These cages will be way too much work for the average keeper to want to build and the odds are that I'll never need to move these cages from where I'm going to put them. But if I ever do, ahh, it will be so simple because I put a little more time & effort into the planning & building, looking out for potential situations.

Something else to keep in mind; cleaning a 3ft deep cage can be a hassle, having to reach in or practically crawl into. Never attempt to clean a cage with an 8ft or larger snake still in it. When I say "clean," of course I mean "spot clean." You obviously wouldn't want to use any cleaning compounds with a snake still in it.

I would like to give you a few more tips on keeping a burm. Please keep in mind that I'm not meaning to offend you by insulting your intelligence.

Get a snake hook. Use it to condition your snake and you'll never have any problems with a feeding response strike or a strike from a startled snake. Stroke the snake's head & neck area, and sometimes maybe even its body area, a few times to make sure it's alert and to let it know that you're about to get it out for handling.

I've got a 10ft-plus female & and an 8ft male that I've had since babies and never had a bit of problem with them. I rarely have to reach into their cage to get them out, they most always come out on their own. Reaching into a snake's territory can be dangerous.

Always use tongs to place prey into their cage. I've got a couple of real cheap grabbers like what's sold for elderly or handicapped people to pick things up with.

If the snake's not eating frozen/thawed already, get it switched over for both of your sakes.

Your 8ft - 2 handlers, 13ft - 3 handlers, sounds good. When my female was 8ft and had clouded eye scales before shedding, I had to clean her cage. When I got her out, for the first time ever, she hissed for awhile. It was then & there that I realized I shouldn't be handling her on my own anymore. Now I always make sure my wife is around.

For some people it helps to do dry walk-thrus of your emergency response plans from time to time. I don't, haven't, but I probably should. More for my wife's sake than mine.

Post some pics when you get them & enjoy your burmese python. They're beautiful gentle giants.

Take care!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

Hi! Thanks alot for the advice. Tony mostly does woodworking, but he does all other home repair stuff, too, so he's eventually going to design a full wall in our future house to just be cages for various herps...

So yeah, 8X3X2.5' will work beautifully... and Tony can always manage to add another 2 feet to an end if needed... And as I was running some plans, I was thinking two halves would be better, too. Thanks!

So where would you get such a snake hook for a burm? I've seen some places, but I dont' know what size to get or what would be best for such a situation. If he ends up big and heavy, I will need something to accomodate him.

Also, how big should the water dish/tub be for an 8' snake? for a 12' snake? I know they say "enough for it to soak in", but how bit is that exactly? I don't know how big he'll be around at 8' - I know other species, but burms are supposedly chunky compared to many large types.

Any places I should check for advice/care info/forums/whatever that I may be interested in? I'm the type to find out EVERYTHING I can about the creature as soon as I can... Again, thanks a ton!

~Buggzter

> > > "So where would you get such a snake hook for a burm?"

Here's a link to a place you can order hooks from:
www.tongs.com/shop/index.php?GrID=16
Ideally, the "Python Hook" at the bottom of the page.

You can usually pick up a decent one at a reptile show for around $25 or so.

I made several lightweight hooks for less than 5 bucks and they're strong enough to support most of my 8ft male burm's weight. Of course, you don't want to lift a snake completely off the ground with a single hook, anyway. You'll mostly need one to stroke it with & to occasionally drag it out the door of it's cage. The cheap snake hook that I made is all I've ever used for any of my snakes, including my 10ft-plus female burm. Here's the link to directions on how to make one in case you're interested: Snake Hook

Water bowl:
You can use anything from one of the larger dog bowls to one of the plastic cement-mixing tubs found at Home Depot or Lowes. You have to keep in mind that if the burm soaks in it, they'll most likely defecate in it, too. Then you've got to pull the tub to clean it. This can be a lot of trouble when using large tubs like plastic storage bins. Misting them every now & then seems to keep them out of their water bowls. Low humidity or mites is usually what drives them there the most.

As far as care sheets, etc..., I don't have any links to any but there are some decent ones out there that can be found thru a Google search. Some are garbage, some are good.

Yell if you've got any more Qs.

Take care!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

For a hook I bought a piece of straight rod from Lowe's and a piece of hardwood dowel. Bend the end of the rod and thread the other end. Drill a hole into the dowel and insert rod. Fiance a carpenter, he'll make it nice.

As for the cage, Happybilly is right. You have to be able to clean it thoroughly. Non-pourus floor and sides that go up the side wall about 6 inches. Any and all seems must be sealed or unrine will leak onto the floor. Walls need to be plywood as most solid wood ,if to narrow, will split from the humidity. As for a bowl; after several types I ended up with a stainless steel bowl that is wider at the bottom, any bowl with straight sides and they will dump it. The biggest dog food bowl I could find as they drink allot. It's not big enough for him to soak in, that's a separate bin. I'm working on a cage with a slide out hide and soak pan from underneath. I finally moved into my last house so I'm building a 11 x 4, 24 inches high. The cage will be on wheels as well as the hide and soak tub. They will slide under the cage and lock in place. There will be a 10 x 10 opening on the cage floor for him to enter these areas with a lid to secure the openings when cleaning. The entire front and back will open so I can get to the entire floor for cleaning. The ultrasonic humidifier tube will enter from the top to keep the floor free of cleaning obstructions. I'm running an additional water line for misting, filling or cleaning and possibly a drain. If not I'll be able to roll the soak tub over to the sump and dump the water. Then bring it back to the cage to refill. Adjusting vents high and low to keep humidity and temps. Insulated sides, bottom and top for efficiency. 4' x 2' radiant heat panel up top and 2' x 1' for hide & 1' for soak tub with individual thermostats. Covered light tubes (posibbly from top over glass like aquarium) on 12 hour timer and black light for night. Exhaust fan on timer to purge air once a day. And who knows what else. Most of the features are designed to make cleaning much easier, the rest are to automate. These guys can get nasty and when they're big, it's nasty times big.

This is my 4th cage and I find little things I don't like each time.
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DZ

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell

HappyHillbilly, Not HappyBilly
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DZ

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell

Ha! I didn't even notice it. You don't have to apologize for that, I've been a LOT worse. Ha!

Hey, can I come live in your burm's cage? Nice!

I've given some thought to a large soak tub but this being my first cage build I'm about "thought out" from all the planning, material & tool gathering. Whew! Hopefully I can come back and add something to an end, similar to what you're gonna do.

Catch ya later!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

I can only do it this way because I have allot of space. 1 single home investment in the D.C. area buys allot of house in Michigan.

The soak tub is a difficult thing. Moses only pooped in it so I removed it from his present cage and had to close the hole with a large piece of stainless steel and caulk the seams. The only way I'll ever do a soak tub again is if it's easy to pull out and clean. If it pulls out it has to be VERY strongly secured to the cage when installed, but quickly releasable for removal. I'm thinking of using a large childrens toy bucket in a wooden box with a wooden top that fits perfect to the opening of the bucket and clears the floor of the cage by about 1/8 inch and locks into place with a foldover hinge in 2 places. I'll be able to slide the box out, then slide the bucket out to dump and clean. Refilling will be done in place with a water line right to the tub opening and a spigot on the cage. I'll use quick connect hose to go from the cage to the house plumbing system in case I need to move the cage. The water line in will be filtered with a PUR refridgerator filter as well as the sulfer filter for my home.

I gotta go. Families waitin for me to get home frmo work.

Happy 4th.

DZ
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DZ

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell

to keep and breed many types of giant snakes I NEVER FED THEM IN THEIR CAGE. The reason being is that when you open the door you immediately trigger a feeding response. I would remove them to an enclosed feed box and only then feed them. Some of my charges over time became so used to this that to put them back in their enclosure I only had to lift the lid of the feed box and they would slowly return to their cage on their own!! This feed box was 4' x 2' and easy to move as it was on wheels. That is the safest method I have found. Needless to say one had to careful putting food in. thanks...Tom Crutchfield

Hey Tom!
To me, in theory, if they're fed in a different cage the chance for feeding response is still there, only then it could happen in the feeding cage instead of its regular cage. I can imagine that "territory" would/could play a role, though.

What I've always done is open their cage, take them out, handle them for awhile, put them back in their cage, feed them.

They almost always come out of the cage on their own, right off the bat, as if they know they're about to get to do some exploring & get some exercise. I've never had anything remotely close to a feeding response or any aggressivenes from them.

Tom, you've been around these big creatures enough to know, would you do me a huge favor & take a look at the pic in this thread and tell me if I'm right about the snake being obese? Here's the thread's link: forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1341313,1341313

Thanks! I'll owe ya one!

Have a good one!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

Its morbidly obese. TC

n/p
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

i made mine out of Melamine from home depot.
There 8 ft x 3ft x 2 1/2 ft.. had to bring them in threw window.

I used heat tape on the bottom and then some 1/2 trim to raise the plex glass thats in the bottom.
2.00 air vets placed in the ends . sliding glass track was 6.oo then ordered he glass to size. sliding glass door are the best thing i did.



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1.0 Albino Burmese Python 15'
0.1 Albino Green Burmese Python 10'
0.1 100% het Albino Granite Burmese Python

2.0 Albino boa
0.1 100% Het Albino dbl.Het stripe boa
1.1 Colombian redtail boa
0.1 Suriname Red Tail
0.1 DH Sunglow Poss. 66% Anery

Thanks Kevin