Hello, I have a friend who has just recently gotten into keeping snakes. Hes 16, and has two baby balls and a baby boa, and is planning on getting a burm. I feel that hes not really ready for the responsibility of one, hes never been around an adult, doesnt know how to handle one. He has only been keeping snakes for a few months and thinks that hed easly be able to keep a burm. Does anyone else think that he should wait on getting one seeing that he doesnt even know what to expect from an adult ball python. Im wondering if im overreacting a bit or not, but I do seriously feel that he should wait on getting one, try other kinds of easy snakes, and obviously tell his mother on the size of burms (he was planning to after he got one so she couldnt say no to him getting one). haha sory if im ranting about it but im really concerned. I'd appreciate any suggestions.
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friend ready for a burm? please help
Replies (22)
I would not recommend it. If he has not had an adult snake of any kind and only been working with reptiles for a few months it is actualy a realy irresponsible thing to do. I am sure his intentions are not bad or anything but they are alot of responsiility. You should do your best to convince him not to get one at least till he realy knows what he is getting into. I had wanted one for like 4 years and did not get one till this summer and it amazes me on how "unready" I was a few years ago and am so glad I waited. I now have 3 burms and 1 retic and love them all to death (I hope not literaly). He should get a large species of rat snake or bull snake or somehting and keep them for about a year or so and let them bite if they want so he won't be afaid of a bite. Being afraid is a bad thing with these giants. Respect is everything though.
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Justin
I would say your friend's thought of tricking mom into allowing it to stay once it is home is irresponsible enough on it's own to say this person's not ready. How can he respect an animal if he doesn't even repspect his own mothers wishes? He will not only need approval but support to keep an animal such as a burm simply because of it's size and demeanor. Seems odd that we're addressing this so much lately but hopefully people will pay attention and learn from it. You may try getting your friend some information and go over everything that is needed to care for a burm. If he loves snakes so much he must want what is best for them and he may not fit that bill yet. Not to say he's an idiot or will intentionally do harm but face it...most 16 year olds just aren't ready. (Leave me alone Justin, I said most! 
) I know when I was 16 all I wanted was to get away from the house, not give me more reasons to hang around.
DZ
I tell him often to wait, and explain to him why, but he just gets mad at me saying that I dont trust him. I've kept snakes for 5 years before I got my burm. He's recently now having troubles with his boa who has mites. All he has in its cage is a water dish and a hide, i told him that babies like having more things in there to climb and hide in, all its been doing is soaking in or next to the water dish, but he doesnt want to spend the money on realistic looking things and he doesnt want to put in things that arnt natural. He doesnt have a steady food supply for them, and thought petco has food for adult burms, I told him he had to find a place that sold food, he said he didnt need to find a place, and of he had to he would breed his own rabbits for food. Im running out of ideas on how to make show him that its not a good idea, I dont think I will be able to. Should I just let him be before he really gets mad at me, I dont want to loose his friendship, but I dont want him or the snake in trouble.
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I personally woudl find a few pics of some huge burms and print out a few of the care sheets on teh web that gives detailed information about the care of the snake and I would personally show his parents. They need to know what they are allowing their son to get. As far as the mites if one of his animals has them then sooner or later all the animals in the same room will also have them. Mites usually are nothing more then a nuscience to the snake but if left untreated they can cause the snake to become anemic and this can result in life long problems for the snake. He needs to understand it is his responsibility to care for these animals and that includes feeding and vet bills. If he is unable or unwilling to do this than he really needs to get another hobby or eh is just goign to kill his animals(or at a minimum cause them long suffering)Todd
I completely agree with everything thats been said so far. I just wanted to add that I have three burms and when they're small they're great but take him to a breeder/dealer and show him the big ones. Or let him get bitten by a juvenile so he can see that the adults could do alot of damage. He may think he'll breed rabbits for it and not waste money by just using minimal decorations but ask him what it would be like for him if his house had only food, water, and a bed. Thats the equivalent of that to a snake. As for the rabbits, does he realize a hutch, food (hay, fresh vegetables year round, fruit, etc.), a hide box, bedding, food dishes, water bottles, the cost of a rabbit itself, and any other costs he may run into will cost more than feeding the snake for a year on frozen or bought food? Also if you live in a climate that has harsh winters they will have to be housed indoors so their water doesn't freeze and they don't suffer (so add an indoor cage to the cost) At sixteen he should concentrate on a driver's license and school, not a snake that could make every neighborhood dog disappear. I am only 20 years old but I can honestly say that until I met my fiance and started our family I had no idea what "caring" for another needy being was like. A big snake is like a child and needs lots of care, attention, proper housing, feeding, and "clothing" (basically my description of an adequate tank setup). At sixteen I'm sure he's not ready for that and most teenagers feel that animals are more disposable than children. I can honestly say that my burmese (although still very small) are like children, they whine (hiss) when they aren't happy and don't always want to do what I want them to. They can also inflict alot more damage on your friend than his other current "pets". Please do the reptile community a favor and warn his parents what he's getting into. That snake will be an almost lifetime commitment for him and if he doesn't care for it, it will either die or be let go and prey on the neighborhood pets giving further fire to the legislators who are pushing for harsher laws on reptile keeping. Good luck but please do whatever it takes to prevent this (and maybe even do something to get better care for the snakes he already has.)
Link
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3.6 ball pythons
1.2 king snakes (1 chocolate, 2 albino)
1.0 columbian red tail boa
1.1 pueblan milksnakes
2.2 african house snakes
2.2 striped albino applegate gophers
1.0 watersnake
1.2 burmese pythons (1 albino, 2 hets)
2.1 pygmy rattlesnakes
1.1 dumeril's boas
3.3 corns (miami, okatee, snow, caramel, 2 creamsicle)
1.1 jungle corns
I forgot to mention that he live in California and I live in Minnesota, the only way I talk to him is online, and I have no way to contact his mother. It makes things even more difficult. I convinced him that breeding rabbits wasnt a good idea, but I dont think I'll be able to convince him to get his mother to take one of his balls to the vet. He says It'll cost more then the snake itself and his mother is tired of them, I dont understand how hes getting a burm then. It's just so complicated.
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another thing I find interesting and forgot to say is that he believes that he will never be bitten by a snake because he'll be careful, he hasnt ever experianced a bite for a baby ball
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Suggest to your friend get an amazon tree boa. Tell him it is a responsible step and a vital one for him to experience how to handle an aggressive snake. They do not get nearly as big as a burm but pack one hell of a bite for their size. If he has never been bit before then getting tagged by one of these might change his mind a little. I am going to search on here for a pic that Dave Barker posted about a year ago of abite he recieved from a large snake. If I find it then you can send it to him to see what these animals can really do. i will let you know if I find it. Todd
I will tell you that I have an alligator and three burmese pythons that are all about the same size (3 feet or so) and I prefer getting bitten by the alligator. Tell your friend that being careful will not save him. My friend has been keeping and breeding reptiles for twenty years and he gets bitten everyday plus he's been bitten at least twice that i know of by his hots. I'm sure if he can get tagged using a hook and taking the proper safety precautions then your friend will take a hit sooner rather than later. Also until he gets used to being bitten and learns not to pull away he risks shredding his own skin more and damaging the snake's jaw and teeth. Also if you know where your friend lives call information and see if they have a listing for his last name so you can get in contact with his mom. Because if she is tired of ball pythons then a burmese will drive her insane. good luck. sera
S and M Reptiles
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3.6 ball pythons
1.2 king snakes (1 chocolate, 2 albino)
1.0 columbian red tail boa
1.1 pueblan milksnakes
2.2 african house snakes
2.2 striped albino applegate gophers
1.0 watersnake
1.2 burmese pythons (1 albino, 2 hets)
2.1 pygmy rattlesnakes
1.1 dumeril's boas
3.3 corns (miami, okatee, snow, caramel, 2 creamsicle)
1.1 jungle corns
That would be great if you could get that picture, I know he has a fear of being bitten. He wasnt going to get a boa because he thought they were aggressive, maybe if he sees what a larger python can do he'll think twice about it. Thank you all so much for the help. I really appreciate it.
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I too never thought I would get bit because I was careful. My baby is 5' at 7 months and I stuck my hand in to change the water bowl. Keep in mind, I was about 3' away from him and he was inside his hide. I was prepared to move and really "careful". I binked and found a 5' burm clamped down on my finger. I shook a little, remembering not to pull back, and he let go immediately after realizing the warm thing in it's cage was not a rat. Bloodied and smarter, I now take the snake out only with a hook. Also, between building a new enclosure for a snake that'll get to 12-15', 6x3x3' and ~$200 not including heat panels, hides, etc., and the 3rats/week (presently), $10, I think your friend is seriously underestimating the cost, care, and commitment that a burm requires. I'm married with children and I have 5 years of snake keeping experience before I felt I was ready to tackle a Burm and it still suprises me how much I don't know. Sixteen is way too young, no attacks on anyone, to accept even the financial burden let alone the focus.
He does not understand the cost involved, he thinks that hell get a job when he needs to to pay for it, but it wont be that easy. His mother doesnt want to spend any more money of food for the snakes he has already, and he still will have to get a bigger cage for his boa, if it even lives that long. Because I'm so far away I cant do much about it, he doesnt see the importance of heat and humidity, thinks that an under tank heater, a hide, a stick, and a water dish are all that he needs and that heating and humiditu isnt importent. I think the only thing that will change his mind is the failure of the animal to thrive unfortunatly. Off the topic, I emailed this guy who makes cages, and he says an adult male burm would fit fine in a cage thats 48x24x17.5 with a shelf. Is that too small for even a male burm? I feel it is.
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Temporarily it will be fine, not for an adult male. The big thing you have to remember is different heating areas since the snake is cold blooded and requires moving from hot to cold to hot to regulate it's body temperature. 48" is not too large of an area where the temperature can vary, not when the snake itself far exceeds this length. My little guy is presently in a 30G high tank. He's only 5'2" @ 7 months. He is way too large for it and his new home should be ready in about 2 weeks.
I showed him that picture, and his responce was "that guy is stupid for owning a retic in the first place". I dont know what do do anymore, I'm thinking of just leaving it and letting him learn the hard way, hes decided to breed mice for food and I cant even get him to be responsible in caring for them, he said if they die he will just get more. By the way wingl, I love the colors in your burm, mine has some orange but not quite like that. My burm is about 7.5 feet long and has only bitten me once so far. I had just gotten done feeding everyone the day before, and the bags the rats were in were still in the garbage. I fed my burm a smaller meal then normal, I was sitting in my chair, not noticing he was on my desk, I turned around and suddenly theres a yellow thing attached to my arm. Luckly I was wearing sleeves, but he still made a mark. Now i throw away anything thats had the rats in right away.
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I still think you should try information to get ahold of his mother. I don't know. I hate to see any animal die ( I cry when I see roadkill) and its such a waste of a beautiful animal that could make an interesting and educational companion. Well good luck. Please update us. Also if you let me have your friends e-mail address or screen name I'll talk to him as well. I'll be nice but I would also like to express my concern. Thanks.
Sera
S and M Reptiles and Exotics
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3.6 ball pythons
1.2 king snakes (1 chocolate, 2 albino)
1.1 columbian red tail boas
1.1 pueblan milksnakes
2.2 african house snakes
2.2 striped albino applegate gophers
1.0 watersnake
1.2 burmese pythons (1 albino, 2 hets)
2.1 pygmy rattlesnakes
1.1 dumeril's boas
3.3 corns (miami, okatee, snow, caramel, 2 creamsicle)
1.1 jungle corns
0.1 american alligator
0.2 ferrets
0.2 degus
I will try my best to get ahold of his mother. I too dont want to see any animal suffer or die, but his philosophy is that he owns them and will care for him how he wants to, he doesnt like me telling him what to do about his snakes. Id really appreciate it if you talked to him, but ill need to get his permission first to want to talk to someone else if that makes sense. Also he feels that since I have a burm and able to care for it he'll be fine caring for one, the fact that i've had 5 years prior experiance with snakes doesnt matter, and he thinks if he cant get a cage big enough he'll just let it roam free in his room, thinking its fine because thats what i have to do with mine, but he ignores the fact that i had to let mine out because he was really hurting himself trying to get out of his cage (a large modified plastic sotorage container), and that mine is under constant supervision. I'm getting his new permenent cage by winter. He also doesnt understand the expenses involved with one, figuring his mother will take care of it, but his mothers tired of paying for what he already has. I'll get back to you with his email as soon as I can if he allows it. Thank you
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Thanks I hope if he lets you give me his email that hearing some of what you've said from a stranger will be helpful but if not please try to direct him in ways that will help that snake live a better life. If it gets too hard on him have him e-mail me and I'll even pay shipping to have that poor snake come here where I can give it a good home. Thanks again,
Sera
sabuyny@hotmail.com
S and M Reptiles and Exotics
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3.6 ball pythons
1.2 king snakes (1 chocolate, 2 albino)
1.1 columbian red tail boas
1.1 pueblan milksnakes
2.2 african house snakes
2.2 striped albino applegate gophers
1.0 watersnake
1.2 burmese pythons (1 albino, 2 hets)
2.1 pygmy rattlesnakes
1.1 dumeril's boas
3.3 corns (miami, okatee, snow, caramel, 2 creamsicle)
1.1 jungle corns
0.1 american alligator
0.2 ferrets
0.2 degus
I am so glad there's people like you in this world. I'm willing to take his two balls and boa, but I wouldnt be able to house a burm for too long. All the animals but two birds, a cat (persian) and a dog(standard poodle) that I care for has been adopted/rescued. I still have some room left but I wont be able to get the money for another big enclosure for some time. I'll continure doing my best for him and his animals. (yesterday he asked me if its alright to pierce his mice and dog's ears. He may not I dont know if it can be called commen sense, but he is sensitive to the general well being of other creatures, so all hope is not lost. I'll try to get him to talk to you. Thank you so much
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Well I'm hoping for the best but expecting the worst so I'll be waiting. Best wishes,
Sera
S and M Reptiles and Exotics
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3.6 ball pythons
1.2 king snakes (1 chocolate, 2 albino)
1.1 columbian red tail boas
1.1 pueblan milksnakes
2.2 african house snakes
2.2 striped albino applegate gophers
1.0 watersnake
1.2 burmese pythons (1 albino, 2 hets)
2.1 pygmy rattlesnakes
1.1 dumeril's boas
3.3 corns (miami, okatee, snow, caramel, 2 creamsicle)
1.1 jungle corns
0.1 american alligator
0.2 ferrets
0.2 degus
I have some bad news, I just heard that one of my friends ball pythons has died. I dont know exactly what happened, but I do think that it wasn't any fault of his. The snake was an impulse buy from a place that force feeds all their baby snakes fish every day. He did not try much to help it though, I told him to take it to a vet, he didnt, he was fine just waiting for it to die. I'm also now worried for the other snakes, especially the other ball which shared its cage with the sick one. From what ive heard now hes even more deturmined to get a burm. I havent talked to him yet, but when I do I'll keep you updated.
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0.1.0 Columbian boa constrictor
1.0.0 Albino burmese python
1.0.0 Pine/bull snake hybrid
0.1.0 Ball python
3.0.0 Cornsnake (anerythristic, snow, normal)
0.0.1 Cali kingsnake
0.0.1 Rainwater albino leopard gecko
1.0.0 Tokay gecko
1.0.0 Bahama anole
0.0.1 Red eared slider
1.4.0 Cat
4.3.0 Bird
1.0.0 Dog
Oh no. Impulse buys (especially from pet stores) are the worst!! I'm so sorry for the snake. And your friend is at fault there for not doing anything while his snake died. After e-mailing with your friend I pretty much believe he is immature and pretty much the bane of the herp world. I know you can't stop him from doing anything but at least save yourself some pain and just stop talking to him because he won't take your advice and that shows how much he values you and his snakes.
Sera
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5.7 ball pythons (7 normal, 3 het albino, 2 het axanthic)
1.2 king snakes (1 chocolate, 2 albino)
1.1 columbian red tail boas
1.1 pueblan milksnakes
2.2 african house snakes
2.1 striped albino gophers
1.0 watersnake
1.2 burmese pythons (1 albino, 2 hets)
2.1 pygmy rattlesnakes
1.1 dumeril's boas
3.3 corns (miami, okatee, snow, caramel, 2 creamsicle)
1.1 jungle corns
0.2 ferrets
0.2 degus
0.1 salcotta tortoise
1.2 mice
1.1 rats
0.0.1 human on the way
I've pretty much given up on trying to convince him, but I'll still keep talking to him to answer the questions he has. (the last one was if it was ok to give the snakes a bath in bleach to kill mites) I wouldnt feel safe leaving any animal in his care, his two birds were recently eaten by his dog. He's irresponsible with them, but he could be a lot worse.
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0.1.0 Columbian boa constrictor
1.0.0 Albino burmese python
1.0.0 Pine/bull snake hybrid
0.1.0 Ball python
3.0.0 Cornsnake (anerythristic, snow, normal)
0.0.1 Cali kingsnake
0.0.1 Rainwater albino leopard gecko
1.0.0 Tokay gecko
1.0.0 Bahama anole
0.0.1 Red eared slider
1.4.0 Cat
4.3.0 Bird
1.0.0 Dog
