Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just obtained a albino burmese python he is 3 months old. he was kinda nippy from the start so I wasnt suprised when it happend. I am trying to break him of this by taking him out of his cage to feed him and I try to limit my handling during feeding and the day after try to handle him to get him used to me any other suggestions?
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I have a few suggestions.
1)If you just got him the last thing you want to do it handle him. Let him get acclimated to his new environment for at least a week or so. Especially because he is a hatchling.
2)Get used to feeding him in the cage as you shouldnt handle him right before or after feeding him to put him back in his tank.
3)I wouldn't recommend sand as a substrate.
4)Hatchling burms do tend to be nippy, and this usually goes away with frequent handling/interaction.

well I was told to not feed him inside his cage becaues that would make him think he was gonna get fed everytime I stuck my hand in there to get him. Is it ok if I set the container in that I feed him in wait for him to crawl into it then pull him out? then just leave him in the container and set him back in his tank after he is done ?

If the only interaction you had with the snake was feeding time..then yes it may think that opening the door is feeding time
Not true with snakes that are handled often..and besides you dont want 10ft of hungry snake loose, besides the fact that there arent alot of option for feeding tubs when the are adults...i feed alot of my snakes in there cages and they are all fine...none of them try to bite or show any aggression when i open the door...

Jason

It's really not that big of a deal, he's not used to you, oh well, he bit, it happens. AFTER a few weeks, so he has time to unstress from the move and calm down, handle him alot (not during or after feeding). Until then, just feed him in his cage. It's not that big of a deal, he's not going to form a habbit in 3 weeks that will last his whole life. I personally DO feed my snakes out of their cages, but not for a tame factor, just for the clean up the mess factor.

Also, GET HIM OFF THE SAND. Use news paper, or best of all (IMO), paper towels. I keep all of my snakes on paper towels, even the big ones. It's soft, absorbent, and easy to replace. News paper does work well though.

Don't worry about that bite. I rarely get bit, but it does happen! I have a super tame 7 footer that tagged my girlfriend the other day, for no apperent reason.

Good luck

Once you get him used to his new home and start handling regularly if he does bite again do not put him back in the cage and end the handling session. This will teach him to bite when he wants something which you do not want.

Just my 2 cents
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1.0 Ball Python
1.0 Burmese Python

I find baby reptiles much more snappy than adults. Instinct I guess. On of the most agressive reptiles I've owned was a hatchling collared lizard, right out of the egg. It would charge and jump to try and bite any hand in its tank. After a week or so, he calmed down, but it was funny for a while.

Babys are more nippy because they are new, and not tame most of all. They have not been handled, and they aren't sure about it, I'm sure their instinct tells them its not right. But they adjust after time.

feed in the cage. start using a snake stick to get your snake out when you want to handle it. the snake will eventually associate the stick with being handled and not fed. my burm will hiss when i open his cage but as soon as he feels the stick he stops cause he knows he isnt being fed. once he is out of his cage he is good. i too have a new albino and she strikes a bit but she is calming down after handling i use the stick with her too and it is helping

I don't want to just keep rewriting what pretty much everyone else said but I haven't written in awhile so here's my jist of it:

1. sand bad. newspaper, paper towels or cypress mulch great
2. babies are not only nippy (usually, mine was great from hatchling to present) because they are new, don't know you and all that jazz, but the simple fact is, instinctually, you are a potential predator. Look how friggin' big we are compared to them. I'd be a little freaked out too seeing this huge animal coming at me (usually from above since most people start off with tanks) in a predatory fashion.
With gentle, but persistant handling, most babies will of course tame down and realize that you are not a threat and will gladly come out for handling.
3. I highly advise the idea too of investing in a good standard snake hook (midwest tongs is a great place, I love all of my hooks and such I've gotten from them) and please feed INSIDE the cage. Safety should always be the #1 issue when working with large constrictors and feeding in the cage is the first safety rule (next to not dangling a rat in your teeth of course.
Umm...I think that's it on my end for now....pretty tired and fried from life so I'll retire for the evening.

Hugs!

Amanda Rose

While I do agree that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I would like to know why you think feeding in the cage is the safest way? It's an OK way, but I wouldn't say the safest. Not to mention, it causes to leave behind bacteria that won't get cleaned away until the snake defecates. If blood comes out of the rodent, then gets on the bedding or side walls, it can harvest some nasty stuff. I feed mine in large rubbermaid containers just for ease of clean up. I also use opaque ones (only recomended if you feed f/t or p/k food) so the snake feels more secure and not like its putting on a show.

Just my opinion though.

Don't listen to the nonsense of the other replies to your post. There is no need to feed the burm in another cage. This practice is dangerous when the snake becomes large because it will associate you taking it out of the cage with food. What you need to do is de-program the snake's food response. This is accomplished by using a small snake hook (a glove, rolled up news paper will also work) to touch the snake on the head when you are entering the cage for purposes other than feeding. After a few sessions of doing this the snake will IMMIEDIATELY realize you are not opening the cage to feed it and shutdown its feeding response. This will not work if you are starving your snake or are not using proper husbandry techniques (clean cage etc.) and in that event you deserve to get bitten. If you want solid information on big snakes forget kingsnake.com its for hacks. Register at http://www.bobclark.com/bcforums/. -- Scorpius ZenWarrior