Hello, I have come across a gorgeous albino burm in need of a rescue. A bit of background on the burm, the man who owns him bought him from a pet store and was told he was a male. I don't really trust the pet store to have properly sexed the snake so he may be a she. He was bought roughly a year ago. He is only about four feet in length. The owner hasn't really been feeding him on any kind of regular schedule so he is pretty much fed when the owner both remembers and has the money. He has been fed live mice but when I offered him a prekilled rat he eagerly accepted it with no problem. I recently cleaned his cage out when I was appalled to find out that it hadn't been done in about six months. Along with all the fecal matter I found mold and a spider with an egg sack in the cage. The only heat in the cage is from a heat rock and he also has a broken fluorescent desk lamp on 24/7 (I guess the guy thinks this lamp will suffice for some kind of heat). There's not even a single thermometer in the tank. The snake was taken out and handled about once a month up until about three months ago when the man gave up on handling him after he was bitten by him again. While the owner was handling him one time the snake bit him and instead of calmly removing the snake he jerked his hand away sending the snake flying across the room to smash into a wall and fall to the ground (grrrr..!). As is to be expected from a snake that has been treated in such a manner he is very “aggressive”(I say scared and rightly so). Despite all of this he seems to be in good health although very stressed due to his living conditions.
Now some information about me the rescuer, I am a twenty year old women. I love animals of every sort and was practically raised in a vets office. I currently own nine cats, one english bulldog, eight rats (these are pets not feeders
), one common boa, two toads, one house gecko and one rabbit….and of course I am soon to be the owner of this beautiful albino burm I have been typing about. I have read every thing I can get my hands on about burms so I know exactly what I am getting into. This snake has been through enough without going to another owner who is only getting it for the coolness factor and that will tire of him six months after getting him. I am confident that I can provide him with a wonderful loving home for the rest of his life and I am fully prepared/able to do whatever is necessary to provide him with such.
In just the past few weeks of handling him I have already seen him calming down a bit. Everything I have read and been told about burms sings the praises of there good temperament when handled regularly. I think with regular persistent handling he will learn that I am not out to hurt him, but I would like to get your advice and views on this. It saddens me to think all his human experiences up until now have been so abusive and neglectful. As soon I open his cage he begins hissing and puffing up, but he calms down (well as calm as a terrified snake can get) once I pick him up and he knows it’s me and not his owner. I usually sit in the floor with him, hold and rub him for about 10 to 20 minutes to let him take in what’s going on and calm down a bit, then I slowly handle him and gently move him about. So far he seems to be slowly making progress. Is there any other advice you might have in handling him? And seeing how he is already stressed how much handling is to much or not enough?
This will be my first burm and any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much for any help. Sorry for the long post 
Fairy
