Reptile & Amphibian Forums

so i recently acquired a new burm from someone who i was mutual friends. ive been keeping large snakes for awhile so i had no problem agreeing to the rescue. now heres where the problem arises the snake shows up and it is possibly the fattest burm ive ever seen. were talking rolls here people. i feel bad for the lil hot dog tailed girl. they were feeding her 2 large rabbits a week. i was wondering what kind of advice you guys had to help her lose some weight and be a healthier animal as im concerned for her health in her present state. i know obviously lowering her food intake but what rate would help the most? and have any of you guys had any experience with lowering the weight of obese snakes? thanks in advance for all who help.

I'm no burm expert, but I can speak a bit to reptile nutrition...
You're dealing with an ectotherm -- your snake's temperature, which you more or less control, determines his metabolism.

This is NOT to say "turn up the heat and watch him shed meat." You should never keep your snake at temperatures which exceed his species-specific requirements. That being said, however, make sure the gradient you offer him DOES cover the higher range of temperatures he needs to fully digest meals and begin burning those reserves. For P. molurus bivittatus I think these are upwards of 88 or 90 F in the basking area (cooler on the other side of the enclosure and at night) -- but double check this, of course.

As with all species, exercise is also an important factor. If he won't chase a tennis ball, at least make sure his enclosure is large enough that he can crawl around and explore. If he's handleable get him out and really let him roam. The more he's moving the more energy he's using which, in biological terms, equates to flopping off the flub.

Finally, of course, cut back his diet. Make sure to do this slowly though. Reptiles are slow to do everything and they don't appreciate sudden changes. Keep him on his current diet until he's settled. Once he's comfortable and established in his new home, slowly begin cutting back -- maybe continue feeding him two rabbits, but smaller sized ones. Continue this until you arrive at something more compatible with a snake of his size.

Keep in mind, too, that smaller more frequent meals are preferable and more conducive to healthy body weight than are larger less frequent meals (the same is true in humans!). Make sure he always has plenty of water and monitor him carefully to evaluate his progress.

As I mentioned, I'm by no means an expert, but I hope this provides a good jump off point. Good luck to you both!

Brad Waffa
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1.0 ball python (Python regius)
1.1 hypo apricot pueblan milksnake (Lampropeltis triangulum campbelli)
1.0 hypo tangerine honduran milksnake (Lampropeltis triangulum hondurensis)
0.1 montane egg eater (Dasypeltis atra)
0.1 woma (Aspidites ramsayi)
1.1 calabar python (Charina reinhardtii)
0.1 hog island boa (Boa constrictor imperator)

I have had experience with an obese snake, but it was a corn snake. The advice given to me was to just not feed it for a few months. Hmm...something just didn't sit well with me on that one!

Here's what I did do:

The snake was being fed a very large mouse every week. I began to feed it a hopper every other week. As it entered the shed cycle, I held back feedings, so sometimes it was three weeks between feedings. Exercise (ie handling) was increased, and I even let him swim a bit. I also found that as his meals decreased in size, he became more active in his cage, looking for food like a normal snake. It's about 2 years later, and he's a much better looking, almost 5 ft corn snake. However, he has a softer stomach now, when he used to feel firmer.

If I were going to do the same thing with a Burm, I would follow the same protocol, simply because it worked for me. I would make sure temps were accurate, and I would feed a XXXXL guinea pig (or two) or small-med rabbit every 2-3 weeks. She will grow more active as she begins to look for food, but I would give her a chance to exercise. My big snakes have a Wal-Mart kiddie pool that they like to hang out in on warm afternoons. They get to swim a bit and hang out waiting for prey to come to the watering hole.

My Burm needs weight...maybe we can do an appetite transplant or a fat transfer, LOL!

It's worth remembering, too, that you should never to talk openly about this subject with or in front of your snake. Some snakes, like my milksnakes for example, are very sensitive about their figures (as reflected in the consistency of their feeding). Your burm is in a new environment and it's important now that you establish a strong, trusting relationship with her -- a single "you're too fat" or a passing "you look like a hot dog" could end disastrously.

Just speaking from ex-girlfriend experience.
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1.0 ball python (Python regius)
1.1 hypo apricot pueblan milksnake (Lampropeltis triangulum campbelli)
1.0 hypo tangerine honduran milksnake (Lampropeltis triangulum hondurensis)
0.1 montane egg eater (Dasypeltis atra)
0.1 woma (Aspidites ramsayi)
1.1 calabar python (Charina reinhardtii)
0.1 hog island boa (Boa constrictor imperator)

Been there, done that. The worst we had here was a boa that was sooooo fat her scales were spread open.

What we did was cut her feeding down. THis snake was getting an insane amount of live guinea pigs weekly. I would have to dig out the paperwork again, but for some reason 10 is sticking in my head. As I did not have piggies, let alone live here she was started on large rats.

I did have the incentive of the change of food to give me a boost. I offered 1 week in, and she refused. By the third week that F/T rat looked tasty. I cut her down to 1 XXL rat every other.

FYI, much like any overweight thing, when you cut down the food intake, you will notice a smidge of crankiness. Establish a feeding protocol early, and be sure the food is always offered with things other than your hands. My girl did get hositle for the first few months, but settled in after that. She did KNOW when it was feeding time and if for some reason I was a few days late, all hell broke loose.

I would avoid cutting food off completely, but to cut down the intake over all. She is digesting which is burning calories as well as the fact that she will get restless and spend time looking for more.
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Cindy
PHFaust

Email Cindy

Land of the Outcasts!

I wondered about the crankiness issue. My experience was only with a corn snake, and an extremely pleasant one at that!

Burms are said to be pretty docile and since mine has such a low feeding response, I was wondering if this obese Burm would get cranky.

I think everyone has given great advice. Everything that I thought of, or can think of, has pretty well been covered.

* Metabolism (which is controlled by environment conditions)
* Reduce food intake instead of witholding
* Exercise

It will take some time, probably a few months, before a noticeable difference will be seen. As with humans, a gradual weight loss is much healthier. It's less traumatic, physically, as well as mentally.

One thing I'd really like to reiterate for safety reasons - As was mentioned, the snake will become more active in search for food due to hunger. And also as mentioned, this will likely cause a change in temperament.

The snake's feeding response will likely get pretty intense so stay on your toes. This will probably subside as the stomach shrinks and hunger reduces over time. Maybe, maybe not.

Personally, I would continue to feed rabbits since it's already taken a likin' to 'em, just reduce the size of the rabbits. If you revert back to rats, guinea pigs, or anything else you may never get it back on rabbits. You're probably going to have to experiment with the prey size & frequency of feeding. You may find that feeding one smaller rabbit more often is better than a few smaller rabbits less often. Or, vice-versa.

One other thing - A proper enclosure is very important since the snake will become quite active. It must be secure and free from surfaces that can cause nose-rub damage.

You're in for a long road trip but it can be done. As with most road trips, it won't be without adventures.

Best wishes!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
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