Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hi i just got a new burm

its a male,,he's 6ft long,,the previous owner said that he's been feeding him for once a week sence he was a baby,,he didnt tell me how old he was,but he's six foot right now,, if if i continue to feed him for one week,,how long would it take to get to his max adult length?

thanks

Hi!
We don't have the determining factor - "how much it will be fed each week."

Cage setup, exercise, the snake's metabolism, also play vital roles in growth rates.

Odds are, I believe, your new Burmese python is 1 1/2 years old. However, it could be anywhere from 9 months - 9 years old. I personally prefer a slower growth rate than most other keepers. I just feel it's healthier for them.

If you feed it enough to relieve its hunger and not over-stuff it each week, I say that 12ft in 3 years is a good growth rate. Feed it 'til it pukes each week and it might could reach 12ft by this time next year. Male's typically grow at a slightly slower pace than females and don't get quite as big so look for 12 ft to be close to max. However, it's widely believed that they actually never stop growing, just slow down a lot.

Nearly everyone wants a big Burmese python, fast. The sad reality is that there are a lot more overweight Burmese pythons than there are appropriate sized ones. Fat in reptiles is just as much a killer as it is in humans, if not more so.

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

www.natures-signature.com

What do you think the average length / weight of a burm is in captivity?

I know they can reach 20ft in the wild, but on average what do you think the adult size would be for a male / female?

Thanks!
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1.0 Het Albino Burm
0.1 Albino Burm
1.1 Mojave Ball Pythons
0.1 Normal Ball Python
1.0 Albino Ball Python
1.1 Pastel Ball Pythons
0.1 Spider Ball Python
0.2 Het Albino Ball Pythons
0.1 Lavender Albino Retic

Seeking bigger cages for the family

I have kept burmese off and on for over 20 years and they were always my snake of choice so i would have to say that they have always been my favorite. As far as average lengths in captive specimens, my best guestimate would be around 14-15 foot and around 75-100 pounds for a male. 17-20 for a female and between 150 and 200 pounds for a big adult female. In my opinion, captive snakes of all species will regularly grow much longer on average then that of its wild kin. In the wild snakes do not eat on a regular schedule and therefore there growth rate varies a lot depending on the time of the year. In captivity, a snake gets fed regularly and on a set schedule and therefore their growth rate is much more consistent.
I do believe that they continue to grow throughout there entire lives but usually after about three years their growth slows incredibly. They do not get length nearly as fast but will continue to get weight and girth. This is where I think HH is right on point. Once a snake has reached maturity and the growth has begun to slow(length) considerably, I feel it is important to slow down their feeding to about once every three weeks to once a month. They do not need to be fed every week or even every two weeks and to do so will just creat a fat unhealthy snake. Take a look at "Baby", the world record holder for the largest snake. When she died I believe she was 27' and wieghed over 400 pounds. She was truely a giant but she was incredibly obese and in my opinion suffered tremondously from what is commonly referred to as "pinhead." This is where the snakes body grows faster then its head and you end up with a huge snake with a dispropotionate size head. Easily avoided if properly fed and maintained. Just my opinion on every thing stated above. Todd

To avoid going against, or disputing, what Todd said about average lengths & weights, let me put it this way. And I do so with all due respect to Todd, and/or anyone else.

Based purely on photos and posts from this forum and on various other forums, and from what I know some people have, here is what I have seen, read, and/or heard of:

Males - Average length of 11 - 12ft, 80-plus pounds.
Females - Average length of 14 - 16ft (closer to 14), 100-plus pounds.

Now, with that said, there may be some people whose average Burmese python may exceed those ranges. Zoos and rescues could fall into this category. Unfortunately, there aren't a whole lot of long-term keepers. I used to wheel & deal a lot, myself, to get a different morph or species in trade and gaining experience. Breeders will usually retire & get rid of their older, larger ones because it's just not cost efficient to keep 'em. But a lot of people ditch theirs once they get 10 - 12 ft and the novelty wears off and the reality of the cost of feeding & caging hits home.

I feel that the length to weight ratio Todd posted (for males and/or females) is "ideal." Unfortunately, too many people are overfeeding these days and there are a lot of obese Burmese pythons. A 14ft, 100-pound Burmese python is a very healthy specimen. Add a few more pounds at the same length and you'll have an obese one.

So where do all the big ones go? Where are they? I'm afraid we wouldn't like to know the truth. No tellin' how many "giants" have perished due to poor husbandry. Either in the hands of inexperienced keepers or lacksodasical ones.

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

www.natures-signature.com

HH,
Yeah you are probably more right as after sitting back and reading my post I think I did tend to lean towards the larger size. And I totally agree that there are more fat and obese burms then there are healthy burms out there. Hopefully with the knowledge readily available the new upcoming generations will fully accept the responsibility and maintain these maginificent creatures for their entire lifetimes (the snakes not the keepers). Whether it be one or 100 they should be kept comfortably for their entire life. I have a concept that I truely hope to bring to fruition one day where I take all my old retired breeders and have a building dedicated entirely to them with zoolike enclosures where the individual snakes can choose to move inside and outside on their own. I think it is the least we can do for these creatures, especially when they have successfully bred generations for you and help you make your living. Even though this is just a concept in my head, look me up in ten years and I guarentee it will be real. I know this has gone way off topic...lol....just rambling a bit here. Todd