Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm just curious. How big should a well cared for burm be at a year old? Four years old? I've been seeing quite a few burms on Craigslist lately and there sizes have seemed small for their age. One was a year old and 3ft long and then another was 3 to 4 years old and 4 to 5 feet long. I don't know much about burms but I thought they grew faster then that. Thanks.

all depends on food size and frequency...
I had a 2 year old burm come in at barely 5 foot- the people thought it was a "really huge ball python".... *rolls eyes*....

I raised a burm on my own that hit about 7-8 foot at about a year old... i dont powerfeed- but i dont just feed once a month... if she was up "hunting" at nite- I'd drop a frozen prey in some hot water and thaw it out- and feed it to her... she's about 14 foot now... total doll... if i could figure out how to post a pic i would...

it all depends on the owner...
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The rescue site: www.freewebs.com/okreptilerescue

Howdy!
I personally feel that in general, a 1 yr old burmese should be about 6ft or so. At 4 yrs old they should be around 12 - 14ft or so.

There are a lot of factors that need to be considered before claiming abuse or neglect. However, it's unfortunate that abuse or neglect is the leading cause of undergrowth. It can be due to ignorance or flat out neglecting to take care of the snake. The snake's genetics play a key role, also.

My female was 8 1/2ft at 1 1/2 yrs old where my male was only around 6ft. The male is a finicky eater and the female is a rodent disposal machine.

I feed in a slower, steadier, manner than the average burmese keeper because I feel that slow, steady growth is healthier than a "get big quick" approach.

As long as a snake isn't overweight for it's size I see no reason not to feed it when it begins to look for food. It's when a snake already looks like the Goodyear blimp and prey is continuously being shoved in it's face, whether it's looking for food or not, that endangers it's health.

To sum it up; Basically, the snakes you're seeing on Craigslist are neglected and undersized due to either ignorance, fear, or flat out neglect. That's why they're tryin' to get rid of 'em. So yeah, they'll be somewhat smaller than they should be.

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

well said- totally agree! and my big girl was also a rat machine- lol
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The rescue site: www.freewebs.com/okreptilerescue

my burm is about a 1.6. give or take a few months, Hes close to 6 ft. feed a good sized rat every week maybe a few leftover ones. my female about 10mnts old is more than likely than surpass him pretty easily