Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i just recently got a burm from the birmingham alabama reptile show however it was decently calm down there and on the way back it has major issues i got the snake on saturday and it has eaten 3 mice sunday 2 monday 2 tuesday and 1 wednesday(today) it will not quit eating and will not quit striking it is like it is on crack or somthing i havent even seen a wild caught anaconda this agressive any ideals to the problems will be greatly appricated and helpful in narrowing down this disfunction

Eight mice in three days? How big (long) is this snake? Maybe you should be offering larger meals. How long have you had it? Have you given it any time to acclimate? Just a couple things to consider.

Quig

the snake is 3.5' to 4' long and i have had it since 11/15/08 but anytime anyone is even near the outside of the cage it is striking the inside of the tank and i dont think it can digest or get down anything larger than a large adult mouse but i have never had this problem so any and all help with trouble shooting this situation will be greatly appricated

A couple things. First off if you are feeding it everyday it will think its going to eat everyday and will show a strong feeding response. You are feeding it to much.

Second, give him time to get use to his cage. Thats why they suggest you do not feed them right away, and to give them a couple days. But that is just one persons thought.

Give him a couple days without feeding him, use a snake stick or newspaper roll touch him with it and then take him out.

When you feed in the cage they have a strong feeding response there until you show them its not food, just don't let that be your hand. What most people think it is aggression when it is just their feeding response.
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0.2 Rotts
1.0 Super Tiger (Dash)
1.0 Amel Retic (Mahola)
0.1 Ball Python (Cyeanne)
0.1 Red Tail (Memphis)
1.0 Coral Sun Glow Boa (Rodman)
0.1 Blood Python (Danica)
1.0 Green Ananconda (Prefontain)
1.0 Emerald Tree Boa (Bing Bong)

it was feed before ever going into its enclosure but every time I move or anything around it moves it spazes and strikes it is in the same room as my other 2 burms and they have never acted this way it was kind of skinny when I got it so I figured if it realized food was readily available it would quit trying to strike/eat everything that moved it eats frozen thawed in a feeding container not in its cage also and temps are holding steady to the other enclosures so I have no ideal what could be causing this behavior any other ideals or suggestions would be greatly appreciated but I kind of agree with happy hillbilly it might just hates me either ways I would like to find the cause of this problem

Wade,
Ya reckon it just flat out does not like you? Ha! Ha!

Seriously, though -
(1) Double check your temps to make sure they're not too high.
(2) If it's cage is in a high traffic area either move it or cover all sides with paper to give it some privacy.
(3) Completely leave it alone for at least 3 days. That means no feeding, peeking at it, or anything else that can/will disturb it.

Hang in there!
Mike
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

www.natures-signature.com

I dig mean snakes, LOL!

Seriously, at 3.5-4' in length, it can handle a larger prey item than an adult mouse. I've got Morelia and Aspidites of that size that eat larger meals than that. This is not to say you aren't feeding it enough. When a snake is fed several small prey items, they digest them more quickly than a large prey item, making it ready for feeding more often. I feel this has alot to do with feeding response.

In addition, I've a friend with a 5 year old son, a large active dog, and lots of friends in and out of his home. His initially docile burm became a mean SOB after a few months. He gave this snake to another friend of mine who leads a quiet lifestyle of a single woman with a love for reptiles. She provided the snake with several hides, a quiet room for its enclosure, and appropriately sized meals at 10 - 14 day intervals. This burm is an absolute sweetheart today!
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"He who would stifle debate rather than engage in it, does so at the expense of his integrity and credibility"

Mike Curtin

how big around is your aggressive burm? by the time that my trio of albino's were four feet long they were each POUNDING a large rat every week like clock work. yours should have no problem whatsoever handling something like a small to medium rat. Once a week feeding should be sufficiant as was mentioned before, let the snake chill out for a couple of days to get acclimated to its environment and then offer it food once a week as you have been feeding it in a seperate container you obviously handle it to put it in and out of its feeding container, how does it handle? does it still strike at you when you pick it up?

We have a 12 to 13 foot female that was recently moved into our living room. So far she has tried to eat both cats, the Sheltie, the Chow, our 13 year old son and my wife. I think she is finally figuring out that bouncing off the glass is painful.Haha If I let her she would eat every day, once she's out of her cage she's fine. It's just her feeding response.

Seriously, a burm that is 3 1/2 to 4 feet should be eating at least a medium rat about once a week. I don't know who you got the snake from, but some breeders maintenance feed to save on costs and some don't handle their available snakes. This might explain your problems. Like others have said, give him a few days to settle down and don't try to feed him for a few days. In time he will calm down.
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Randy and Michelle
Art In Scales
(719) 439-4199
info@artinscales.com