Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Im really intrested in getting a burm. I love snakes and all animals in general and I have the room for a large enclosure and from what Ive heard they can be very docile but what do you do with a 15ft snake? I see all these burms up for rehoming and feel so bad for them. Thank you

honestly, if you dont know what to do with a 15 foot snake... you dont need one....

I run a rescue and get several good size girls in every month. We get TONS of burms about 7 foot long.

When people come to me looking for a burm, I have them come SEE our big girls... one at 14 foot and one at about 16... I show them pictures of them eating several rabbits and i show them pictures of them around a bunch of kids at an adoption event. We take our big girls out side for a nice looong strech about twice a week when its warm enough and we get A LOT of attention every time and it pays to know your information and to know how to handle not just the snake, but the onlookers as well.

If you are really interested in one and have the resources to find 7 rabbits or a good size pig on a pretty regular basis- and i don't mean "i only have a baby now, i'll find rabbits later". Some feedings i'm paying around 10$ PER rabbit- other times i can get them for 3$ each... other times, for free... One of my big girls eats 7 rabbits at a time, the others eat 4-5, one of them only eats 2. Add that up.... i'm spending close to 200$ at times to feed all my big snakes (and that doesnt count the smaller ones). Now, you only want one... 10$ a month doesn't seem like much when they're smaller... but when you start talking about 16 foot... and she refuses pigs mind you, you're looking at 70$ every 2 months.... still not much if done monthly... 35$ a month...

There are a TON of them up for rehoming and it is depressing. When i started this rescue, I said "No iguanas and not many 'big things'..." several years later- I can house about 10 adult iguanas and 8-10 BIG snakes.... and if the need arises... I will build more cages... I run my rescue to suit the needs of my area...
If you are interested in a burm, look for a rescue... I get tons of wonderfully healthy burms- sometimes at 4 foot, sometimes at 7 foot... and some at upwards of 10 foot. Going to see a rescue or a breeder with burms could be very informative for you...

I love burms now and I wish you the best of luck with yours.
Beth
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The rescue site: www.freewebs.com/okreptilerescue

If you are unfamiliar with burms, I would recommend starting with either a baby or a small rescue animal. Burms are very docile animals for the most part, but things can get out of hand quickly with a large burm, especially if you unfamiliar with their body language. We recommend having at least 2 people when handling or removing a big burm from their cage. NEVER handle a big burm alone.

We have several large burms, our biggest is 15 feet and about 100 pounds. All of our animals are hook trained, we never go into the cage to remove them without at least first touching them with the hook. If we are feeding, we do not use the hook. This way, they understand that if the hook comes into their cage they are not going to be fed.

As newborns, we start them out on fuzzy rats, but our biggest girl eats a 7 1/2 pound rabit every 10-14 days. Our newborn burms are kept in a plastic shoebox in a rack. Our biggest girl is kept in a 7 foot by 2 1/2 foot cage. We are just trying to show you how much things change over the years.

I think it is great that you are asking these questions before you purchase a burm, so that you can get an understanding of what is to come for you down the road. Educated customers keep big burms from ending up in a rescue situation waiting to be rehomed. We have a great respect for those who rescue burms, but we think if people were more educated BEFORE they purchased a burm, there wouldn't be so many that need to be rescued.

Burms are our favorite type of snake, they are one of the most docile big pythons out there. They have been termed as gentle giants, and this is very true.

Here is a picture of our 15 foot 100 pound albino green. To give you perspective, I am 6 foot and 270 pounds. What you don't see is that there is about 5 feet of her body that is draped down my back. She is a handful when I have her completely on me.

Talk to you later.

Randy

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Randy and Michelle
Art In Scales
(719) 439-4199
info@artinscales.com

wow Randy thanks i am a snake rescue and am a member of the nor cal herp society and we curently have 4 to 5 waiting for homes one has been her 3 years cuz the owner got scared when is got to 10 feet wouldnt handleit and now it mean as he** but yes thanks i love the burms i own and they make fgreat pets just know and get some handle on to what it takes to keep and handle a big burm thanks BIG JESS

yeah best to wait until the market is flooded with the 7 foot max Dwarf Burm pythons but,if you need something right now!!! Bob Clark has a pair of Dwarf Burm Pythons for only $8,500..

I can't wait until breeders begin developing the color morphs of these Dwarfs!!! Maybe I will get in the breeder game

We are already in the process of introducing the color morphs into the dwarfs. We produced half dwarf het albino granites this year.

Randy
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Randy and Michelle
Art In Scales
(719) 439-4199
info@artinscales.com

> > > "...what do you do with a 15ft snake?"

Only what it allows you to do.

I see you've been given some good advice already and there's not much more I can add to it. I strongly suggest finding someone with a burmese python 10ft or more and spend some time learning the ropes, handling the snake, seeing what it takes to care for one, etc... A rescue center would be ideal as you'd be more apt to encounter one with a bad attitude and/or illness or injury.

The main thing: Keep on "thinking" before you act. I say that for your sake as well as the snake's.

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

Thank you for the info and advice and rest assured that I will give serious thought and do my research before making the decision to get one or not. Thanks again and Happy Holidays