Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was reading a bit in the posting comments below and I wanted to drop you a line. You seem to take some punishment and I hope I can give some perspective. I wanted to start a new line in the hopes you would pick it up and read it. The last string was getting a bit long - forgive me if I sound fatherly.

I don't know how you might be taking the feedback you are receiving from the folks posting here on Kingsnake, but I don't think anyone here is judging your love for your python, nor your intentions to raise a strong, healthy snake. I can see from your point of view that you are sharing your experiences with your burm and wanting us to hear that things are going well inspite of your young age. I think that is great to share your personal experiences with us. I hope that having these experiences with your snake are memorable and will give you joy for years to come. I don't think anyone here is telling you that those experiences are not real nor important.

I can also see from Rob's perspective, working on the front lines with reptiles daily and seeing the incredible good that comes from owning them and the horrible mistakes that poor husbandry can create. I can imagine that in his line of work, he sees many young people not following the best practices and harming either themselves or their reptiles. Rob Carmichael is also passionate about this species and he has so much experience and knowledge to share. When he speaks, I look at it like I am listening to golf advice from Tiger Woods or basketball techniques from Michael Jordan. Of course there are many husbandry techniques you can use to get results for your python. Rob is interested in giving you the best methods he has found through YEARS of research, professional and personal experience. He may come across as rough, and, I see that roughness as his true passion for these animals coming out. I can imagine he has seen many tragedies resulting from not following the best care strategies and only wants to shout out a warning to you about how to avoid them.

I don't know everything about raising pythons, nor anything else in life, but this I do know. When an expert in any field (medical, legal, business, psychology, etc) offers me advice, especially for FREE, I will give it more than just a superficial look. I will ignore any rough edges I hear and look to the root of the message and USE it. After all, he is not just talking about a hobby of his, this work is his job and his passion.

I wish you the best of luck with your burm and I hope I haven't been too preachy. My clients tend to tell me I am.

Sincerely,

Marco

I appreciate all of the kind words. I do want to make it clear that even though I am a professional herpetologist who operates a highly successful reptile museum, and, during the course of that job works intimately with not only burms but many reptiles including my favorites, venomous species (and eastern indigo snakes), I am also ALWAYS LEARNING NEW THINGS and do NOT consider myself an expert (the snakes are the experts but they can't talk!). I am always learning things about new husbandry techniques, handlilng methods, new equipment, latest research, observations from the field, etc. I even learn some new out of the box thinking from newbies who bring in a fresh perspective. But I also lean on the many years of experience I have accumulated (and some of that experience stems from the many mistakes I made when I was much, much younger). The key is to always be open to learning new things. Yes, I can be a big "rough" with people but I am just a very honest and upfront person who holds NO GRUDGES towards anyone. I say it like it as as respectfully as possible but when I cross the line, I will be the first person to apologize. Jake, we don't doubt your love for your snake but realize this, many people come to these forums who will never post and if you offer some advice that, based on many years of real experience, isn't consistent with what I would consider to be sounds advice, I must, out of my own good and clear conscious, speak up on behalf of the animals as well as to promote responsible keeping. I know you'll "get it" and as long as you keep an open mind, develop some thick skin, and always be willing to learn (and never claim to be an expert....I don't even make that claim), you'll do just fine. I know I was pretty harsh in my comments but sometimes that is what is needed to knock a little sense into young people (someday, you'll look back and say "boy was I an idiot".

Cheers,
Rob

>>I was reading a bit in the posting comments below and I wanted to drop you a line. You seem to take some punishment and I hope I can give some perspective. I wanted to start a new line in the hopes you would pick it up and read it. The last string was getting a bit long - forgive me if I sound fatherly.
>>
>>I don't know how you might be taking the feedback you are receiving from the folks posting here on Kingsnake, but I don't think anyone here is judging your love for your python, nor your intentions to raise a strong, healthy snake. I can see from your point of view that you are sharing your experiences with your burm and wanting us to hear that things are going well inspite of your young age. I think that is great to share your personal experiences with us. I hope that having these experiences with your snake are memorable and will give you joy for years to come. I don't think anyone here is telling you that those experiences are not real nor important.
>>
>>I can also see from Rob's perspective, working on the front lines with reptiles daily and seeing the incredible good that comes from owning them and the horrible mistakes that poor husbandry can create. I can imagine that in his line of work, he sees many young people not following the best practices and harming either themselves or their reptiles. Rob Carmichael is also passionate about this species and he has so much experience and knowledge to share. When he speaks, I look at it like I am listening to golf advice from Tiger Woods or basketball techniques from Michael Jordan. Of course there are many husbandry techniques you can use to get results for your python. Rob is interested in giving you the best methods he has found through YEARS of research, professional and personal experience. He may come across as rough, and, I see that roughness as his true passion for these animals coming out. I can imagine he has seen many tragedies resulting from not following the best care strategies and only wants to shout out a warning to you about how to avoid them.
>>
>>I don't know everything about raising pythons, nor anything else in life, but this I do know. When an expert in any field (medical, legal, business, psychology, etc) offers me advice, especially for FREE, I will give it more than just a superficial look. I will ignore any rough edges I hear and look to the root of the message and USE it. After all, he is not just talking about a hobby of his, this work is his job and his passion.
>>
>>I wish you the best of luck with your burm and I hope I haven't been too preachy. My clients tend to tell me I am.
>>
>>Sincerely,
>>
>>Marco
-----
Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

Thanki you rob aND I AM sdorry for my comments eralier i do trespect you and hope to get more great advise form you in the future...

Jake,
I must state that I am very pleased to see that after a time to collect your thoughts that you are able to look at all the advice given and understsnd that we are all just hear to help and we all just have the animals best interests in heart. Todd

Hey thabnks i understand what you mean but my whole life i did things my way.....I am raising a health python and everuthing i do works for me......I took advise from other professionals such as bob clark and them But i do ask for advise from others on kingsake espesially rob carmichael and i respect his answers it juts i guess when people tell me some5thing i don''t want to here i dont listen very well...but do keep in mind thast i do read everyones answers and i do listen to everyone and try what they tell me and i don';t mean to be so iggnorant and disrespectful all the time,
Jake

ps: sorry if typing and spelling are messed up i broke my handat football practis

sorry, couldnt help it...it is nice to see no hard feelings held between he parties. Butyou see Rob, that title on this post is the exact reason my name is not included lol. Anyway, you will certainly be learning something new about E. murinus in April. Don't know if it will be the 2nd, 3rd, or 17th that you learn it...but if you do not learn something new about anacondas from ISHS in April Mr. Carmichael...I will personally give you $11 from my pocket. Thanks for everything and I look foward to getting everything planned out with you.