Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have kept a # of other snakes b4

How old are you and what other snakes have you kept and for how long? Todd

i am 14 and i have kept red tails form the most part. my oldest 1 i have had since i was 7, also i have red a few books on burms and have a basic i idea of what to do

Please do not take this the wrong way for I mean no disrespect at all. You need to wait. There are so many variables that you need to seriously consider. First off, are your parents there to support you with this endevour. Are they going to be present and hands on parents. Are they going to be present for every handing session and every feeding. You should already know that for any large snake you should have atleast two people there. Second, if you are only fourteen then how in the hell are you going to be able to support this snake. It will require a large enclosure and that can be quite expensive. Feeding a large burm on its on self can get quite expensive. And this isn't even taking into consideration that you should take the snake to the vet for checkups and if/when it gets ill. These are all key things to look at. Also, what are you going to do with your snake if/when you go to college. Not a single dorm I know of or have heard of will allow you to keep a reptile in your room. The purchase of a large python is a long commitment and right now you are not in a position where you can effectively make that type of commitment. In my personal opinion I do not think that anyone under the age of 18 should own any of the large pythons. In fact most people regardless of age should keep them. Please take my post into consideration and do not make a hasty decision. You will thank me in the long run. Todd

ya i see were u r coming from and respect that thnx 4 ur help
but if i was to get 1 do u have any care tips

There are care sheets to be found all over the net. Just type in ' burmese care sheet' and you will find much more than you really need. They cover everything from the type of enclosure to keep them in all the way the way through to what to feed it, how often to feed, proper temps and humidity and more. And please keep in mind, they do get larger than a red tail, and they grow fast.

Another reason a 14 year old should not keep a burmese python is at 14 you are going to lack the ability to research and read the higher text on this snake in the wild. You will not be able to understand how this snake works in the wild and relate this to you husbandry practices. A burmese python is much more delicate than people consider it (as proven in here a few times). Granted this animal has been in captivity for a long time and many methods which have worked for people will be available to you...it can be very difficult to find a truely credible source to give you optimal care conditions. Rob Carmichael has tried over and over to try and relay great information to this forum and it is passed up constantly and often even argued by some people with extremely limited experience. I also agree with the other posts and the factors they mentioned. However, at 14 you may be limited on many things...you are not limited on what you can research. University libraries would love to have you come in and read journals and other publications on pythons. While some of it may be difficult text you will be learning. I will also mention I was almost kicked out of college and had to write a paper on the dangers of animals in enclosed quarters in order to remain at the university. I do not need to get into detail for you to get the hint on this one. It would be great if you learned from this. I run a good organization which is very dedicated to the education and promotion of responsibility among the reptile hobby. Handing over information which helps a Burmese python go to a 14 year old would not be a good moral decision for myself or my organization but I hope I can help guide you in the right direction within this wonderfull hobby.

i thank u all 4 ur input on this but i do not wish to be clasified in such a way just because on my age.
i have kept snakes for half on my life and i do not buy on impulse.
i strongly belive that once you buy an animal its it for that animals life, you dont get bored of it and give it away like an old toy.
i always do tons of research from as many resources as i can
i thot this would be a great place to get some info from real people not cold text books, and while i understand where you are coming from i am very insulted.
if i cant get good info here i'll get it elcewhere

The problem with teenagers is they are teenagers. When they're wrong you can't tell them they are wrong or even get them to listen why they are wrong. Anyone who has raised them knows this. You're asking for care tips yet you do lots of research. This is basic man! You do not wish to be classified what you are yet you write at a lower level than a 14 year old should. Man, I know this is going to make you mad so go ahead and lash back if it makes you feel better. You've shown us you're not ready however; do what you're going to do. You were going to do it anyway. Let's face it, you're 14. What could anyone with twice as much life experience possibly tell you.
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DZ

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell

I gotta agree with DZ...he's gonna do it regardless of what anyone tells him. I'm not even sure why he asked...

Howdy. I just had to toss in my two cents here. Nick, let me just tell you a little something about my time with Burms. I worked for a carnival show that had three of them. One of them was almost 25 feet long and weighed well over 200 pounds! That snake was only about 18 years old. Are you ready for a snake that can reach that length and weight and live an additional 12 years older than our big girl? I only say this because after I worked with these snakes (and they are wonderful animals) I really wanted to get one. I almost did. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was not the right time. So I waited. I waited almost another 5 years. I waited until I knew I could afford to care for one the way they need to be. I'm sorry, but at 14 years old, I really don't believe you are ready for such a big commitment. What will happen when you get a girlfriend and you want to spend most of your time with her? What about college? I'm not trying to pick a fight here, but I know this will most likely upset you. That's fine. But believe me on this one, you are not ready for a snake of this size and commitment. I don't remember who said it on this board, but they said it perfectly: "The Burm is not your pet. You are its keeper. You have to care for it at all times as it needs to be." Sorry Nick, but if your parents encourage you to get a snake of this type, they must really not know anything about them. Tell them how it will grow and grow and possibly get to around 25 feet or more and weigh over 200 pounds. Tell them about the thousands of dollars you will have to spend on the food alone over its lifetime. Not to mention the incredible vet bills for such a large animal. And also not to mention the danger level of such a large boid. I recently read a report that was a few years old about a 19 year old kid from NY that was killed by his burm. All he did was have a chicken in a crate within smelling distance and when he opened the cage the snake grabbed him. This is for real. Be smart. Do as I did and just wait. There will always be Burms for sale down the road.

Circusfan

Provided that people stop making irresponsible decisions and stop spoiling it for others, Just like in NY.

You kinda forgot to add that.

Stan

Hi Stan, You're right! Sorry I forgot to add that. But you see my point right? I was trying to let the kid know that even the slightest dumb mistake can prove the worst. And as you said, not to mention screwing it up for everyone else who are resposible snake keepers.

Circusfan

I am the 14 year old's Mother. For your information my son has a very high IQ. His reading and comprehention level has always been amazing. At 10 yrs old he was tested to be at a first year college level. He has been reading since he was 4 and has read more books than anyone I know. I punish him by taking books away, and can't keep enough books in the house for him to read. He educates himself on all subject and even reads instruction books cover to cover on any idem we purchase. You should never jugde a child or under estiamte a child. They are capable of learning anything (my guess is you've never had children). At his age now he could teach classes, work in a vet hospital. He is honest, trust worthy, and has a heart of gold. He is extremly mature for his age and know an amazing amount of imfor mation on almost any subject from polotics, to history, from science to art, and knows more about animals than most anyone. He reads everything and just the fact that he is asking people like you for a little more information tells you how intelligent and responsible he is. "DO NOT UNDER ESTIMATE A CHILD", espscially this one. By the way he's also huge for his age. He's 6', and weighs 165 lbs, size 12 shoe. He's not a little boy...especially in his mind. He knows more about people and understands relationships, he is truly an amazing boy. Everyone loves Nicholas and many mothers ask mme to save him for their daugher. He's a good person and is responsible enough to handle a "snake" without a dought.
Mom

He is still a child....and that 165 pounds doesnt me sh#t to a 70 pound burm..and they get alot bigger than that

A mother so quick to stand up for their child. However, I never questioned this childs ability or intelliegence. I have no idea if you are the mother or a friend posing as the mother but this seems a bit off but I will treat this as you are honestly the mother. I do not care if his she size is an 18 and he can bench press 400 lbs, a burmese python is still going to win if he is alone. Mom if you are willing to keep this giant python while your son goes to college (I am assuming with his intelligence he will be going) then I wish you luck. If your son likes to study and read I highly recomend he does such and makes the decision to bring a large snake into his care when he is done with school and on his own. Would you be willing to allow venomous snakes into your home as well mom? While your son may be mature for his age, a 14 year old does not have the maturity to handle situations a large snake can put him in. And as far as politics...your son should know the reason this hobby is at risk of ending completely is because lawmakers are finding out minors are keeping these potentially dangerous animals without the parents knowing a thing about them.

they are 14 and 16 and both of them can spell better than you or your son however; neither of them are ready for a burm. If you or him were as smart as you say you are you would recognize the response from Mr. Carmichael, one who has seen your situation time and time again, recommends against it. Is he God? Of course not but several serious keepers here also recommend against it. I can appreciate you sticking up for your son but the bottom line is he needs to be a kid for awhile longer. I don't know what his girl situation is like but a female can screw up the plans of any teenage boy. But again, you seem like you're going to do what you're going to do. Just don't cry about the answers you get from people who know.
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DZ

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell

To the mother,

Nobody in here is belittle you son. We are trying to protect him. It is not a matter of size as this guy could tell you:
http://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=725419,725419 .

Burms are very different from boas in several aspects. They have awesome strength, that can overpower your son without breaking a sweat (if Burms could sweat). It's not about IQ's or size, its about knowledge and experience, and the future. What does your son plan to do with that animal after he leaves for college? If your son has half of the IQ that you claim that he does, he will most likely want to go to college. He is barely out of middle school and wants to keep a predator, that is almost unmatched in the snake world.

I am not saying that it isn't possibly to do this, but you can't count on the future. We are not trying to say that he is dumb or anything. Obviously you donot have much if any experience with large constrictors. If you did and realized the potential dangers, I am sure you would be much more hesitant before allowing this.

We are trying to educate your son, not tear him down. If your son does as much research, he wouldn't necessarily need to ask for care tips on the animals. It's in black and white throughout this forums as well as numerous websites. However, if he has an animal that has a certain problem that he is not certain of, most of us in here would be more than willing to help.

There are many smaller snakes that are very rewarding captives. Burms are for experienced keepers, even a few boas don't quite add up. There size doesn't even compare to the length and girth of a large burm. Their power is unmatched by even the largest humans. Are you going to be willing to help your son clean it's cage? Are you going to be willing to help feed it? Are you going to be willing to donate almost a whole bedroom to this animal? If the answer is no..........so should the answer to whether he can have one or not.

Sorry about the rant, but it needed to be said.

Best wishes,
Stanley

I believe you that your son is highly intelligent, a good person and physically strong. And brilliant teens are often underestimated and underappreciated by society.

But are you and/or the rest of your family prepared to assist him every single time Nicholas needs to clean his burms cage or change the burms water? His life could depend on it.

Here's a small personal anecdote... I'm a 5'4" female but I do farm work and for what it's worth, studied Jujitsu for a time. So I'm no cream puff. One day I had the opportunity to handle an unusually and remarkably calm and gentle 7-8 ft juvenile scrub python. As a youngster she was smaller and much slimmer than a grown burm. I held the snake, the snake calmly explored her surroundings. And at one point, this calm and gentle snake bound my wrists together with her tail and suspended the rest of her body in mid air to check out something four feet away. I would have been able to get out of it, but not easily. And not quickly. And she wasn't angry, wasn't scared, wasn't hungry. If she had been, my life wouldn't have been in danger, but she could have made things very unpleasant for me in the next few minutes. I can only begin to describe the sheer power of this animal.

Now take your son. Add 8 inches to my height, and add twenty or even thirty pounds of muscle. Big flippin deal. Now take the snake and multiply the strength, mass and length many many times over. I hope you get my drift. And even the sweetest most routinely handled burm is still a highly instinctive animal.

Offer your son a carpet python (5-10 ft depending on locality), an eastern king snake (7 ft) an american rat snake (5-9ft depending on species) or nearly any other type he pleases but for his sake, your sake, the sake of your wallets, and for the sake of the hobby, keep him out of the big five boids and all venomous while he's under your roof.

You called a burm a snake. It's not "a" snake it's "THE" snake. We aren't afraid your son will act like a silly baby and forget to change "Fluffy's" water. But "THE" snake requires an insanely stable situation for 30-40 years, and a committment even bigger than it is.
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0.2 chickens (Falcon & Condor)
0.2 dog mutts (half ownership, only mine when they misbehave, Lucy & Amy)
0.1 Halflinger horse (Crissy)
0.0 Arizona Mountain Kingsnake (coming soon)
1.1 parents
Still searching for 1.0 WC human

Hi, don't take this the wrong way but your post shows that you do not get the point of what everyone here is saying. It is not so much the difficulty of care (in the sense of temp., humitdity, feeding, etc.) that makes this snake unsuitable for a 14 year old but instead the adult size of the snake that makes it such a bad match; and as far as you saying "he's huge/smart for his age" that is irrelevant. I'm a competitive powerlifter with an IQ of 145 and I wouldn't be foolish enough to believe I'm going to "outmuscle" a burm, once one has a firm grip on your neck or torso they have such an advantage due to the specifics of the situation that regardless of strength you stand little chance of escape without knowledgeable help around. I can definately relate to your son's situation; I'm 20 now and when I was 14 I wanted a burm more than anything, but after realizing that NO ONE knowledgeable thought it was a good idea I decided to wait and get some more experience (yes, very occasionally you can reason with a 14 year old ) , and I'm glad I did so. Even though the fatality rate for these animals is statistically low (when you look at the number of fatalities compared to approx. the number sold, many at pet stores to just about the least responsible people you could imagine, it is, statistically speaking, fairly low risk, but still present) the rate of people who are terrified/injured (a bite from a burm may reqiure stitches, especially if you react by pulling away the biten limb) by their "pet" is most likely MUCH, MUCH, higher. Now I'm glad that I didn't have a horrible experience with a giant I wasn't prepared to handle when I was 14 years old and instead still have a love of the hobby today, and you know what? I can still buy a burm today, I did not have to buy one when I was 14; and if your son truly was the VERY, VERY, VERY, rare individual that can take care of a burm at his age (few and far between, I'm only saying this because he might be able to point out a big name breeder or herpatologist that owned large snakes at a fairly young age) HE WOULD NOT NEED TO COME ON HERE AND ASK FOR BASIC ADVICE! Before you consider purchasing one of these animals do a google search and get some pics. of adult burms.

P.S. And if you don't listen to this advice and you still get one, at least always follow this one peice of advice: A LARGE CONSTRICTOR SHOULD NEVER BE HANDLED WITHOUT A LEAST ONE OTHER PERSON AROUND!!!! Every fatality report I've read caused by a burm occured when only the victim was present.

Nice try kid.
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AIM sn: z10silver

.

Your probably right, but when I was 14 the last thing I would have wanted is for people to think my mom was talking for me

I had a feeling this was a young person by the way they wrote their post (very teenagerish). This would be an absolutel DISASTER FOR A PERSON OF THIS AGE TO GET A BURM. My wildlife center alone has taken in over 200 burms in the not to distant past; and guess what, MANY of those were from teenagers who were completely ill equipped (but most likely well intentioned) to take on the responsibility of owning a burm. There are MANY reasons why a 14 year old shouldn't own a burm but here's a few:

1) MATURITY: Science has demonstrated, through research, that a child's brain is NOT developed until after the age of 22....this means that a young person's ability to reason, think clearly and make sound decisions are severely hampered at this age; don't take it personally, science has proved this!
2) RESOURCES: How are you going to pay for the upkeep of this snake? How will you pay for the HUGE rodent bills you are going to incur? Are you willing to spend the money to purchase a high quality cage made for large constrictors? Are you ready for a BIG vet bill should your animal get sick; and it will!
3) FAMILY: Do you own your own house?....of course not and until you have your own place, you shouldn't subject the rest of the family to sharing the house with an animal that they probably won't feel too comfortable with.
4) SECURITY: Is this cage going to be kept locked at all times and the cage kept in its own locked room?
5) EXPERIENCE: What experience do you have in working with large constrictors? What emergency protocols do you have in place if something goes wrong? Have you mastered the techniques in keeping a large constrictor? Do you have the physical ability to keep a large snake? Do you have friends/family who are going to be with you every time you have to take the snake out?
6) LIFE STAGE: Are you going to go to college? IF so, you won't be able to take your burm. Who will take care of it then? Keeping teh burm for its entire life is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY and no one else's.

If you answered "NO" to ANY of these questions you are not ready for a burm. My advice would be to work with smaller species (and there are some wonderful smaller species of pythons) until you are out of college and have your own place.

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center

>>i am 14 and i have kept red tails form the most part. my oldest 1 i have had since i was 7, also i have red a few books on burms and have a basic i idea of what to do
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

You stated it perfectly, Rob. People honestly do not realize what they are getting into. Baby Burmese pythons are very cute. 14 foot, 100lb. pythons can be very intimidating to even the most seasoned herp person. I cannot tel you how many people have told me "I lift weights, so I will have not propblems with a big snake if something happens", or "well, I'll just let it roam around my house instead of putting it in a cage". Please reconsider getting a large costrictor until you have the space, finances, and experience to do so. It will be better for you and the animal.
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Derek Roberts
Sonoran Reptile Breeders
sonoranreptile@cox.net

yes yes i understand and like i said befor i have large boas b4 so i no the amount of care it takes to handle them and the cost of food but i didnt ask for a lesson on the human mind and its devvelopment, i asked for care tips by people who have kept them.

Get tons of your friends cause its gonna take alot of 14yr olds to hold back a burm that has its mind set on somthing.
What do your parents think of this?? i have a hard time believing a responsible parent would allow this. What do they know about burms?

ONCE AGIAN YOU ARE MISSING THE POINT I JUST WANT RELIABLE INFO ON THESE ANIMALS
and by the way my parents fully suport and share my love for snakes
we might not no as much about burms as u but thats why i posted this to begin with, to learn more so that i will be ready to care for this animal properly

Man listen to me. I got a burm when I was young. I had no idea what I was doing and how to care for it. I thought I new a lot for I too read everything that I could find but in all honastly I knew nothing. I can look back at this now and realize the terrible mistake I made by getting that snake. It takes a very mature person to understand the timely limitations. I say they are timely because you should be able to develope yourself and your skills so that someday you will be ready for a burm. But no you should not get one. The reason no one has answered your question is twofold. First, that information is absolutely everywhere and anyone with any amount of research ability can find ample amount of information in regards to care. Secondly and most importantly, none of us can in good faith to the hobby give advice to a 14 year old and try to let him know that it is alright for you to get one. So instead of getting your answers you are getting great advice. Please adhere to our requests and wait. Todd

Nicholas,

If you want information, we could provide it. Unfortunately, you will most likely use this information to get an animal that you aren't ready for and could possibly be used as another statistic, that DNR's and State government's use to take responsible keepers rights away. I am not saying that you will not be a responsible keeper in ANY way. I am personally within the belief that you will be. But there are more things to be considered in this issue. What information are you requesting? If it is simple, basic, information (humidity,temps,feeding,caging, etc.) you should read throughout this forum and you will find more information than you will know what to do with. This forum is filled with a wealth of knowledge. If you want information, it is best to earn it.

Good Luck with your decision Nick,
Stan

because the best source of information will not likely respond anymore because of complete lack of respect you have shown...I will contribute to this again. I am very prepared to see you bicker about this over and over and defend everything that has already been shot down for you...but I will try and convince you not to make this decision. Believe me...the last thing I want to see here is photos of your python and some quick "I told you so" comments. Since my organization is dedicated to responsible keeping I must try and speak to you by looking into your perspective. I am very aware you may be able to take care of a snake. However, this snake in particular has demands which are nearly impossible for you to meet. I already mentioned how I was nearly kicked out of college for keeping snakes in the dorms. I never thought I would get caught either and I was very carefull. I was busted when a roaming RA saw a snake when someone left the door open after borrowing some batteries. This puts a huge dent in the hobby and makes snake keepers look bad. This was also years ago and I am still trying very hard to make up for this by promoting responsibility and pushing education to the public. The snake found in my dorm was a ball python and it still caused a wave of problems. My paper had to explain the dangers of all pets in closed quarters and the particular danagers of this animal. I explained to the university this animal poses no danger to humans. They completely understood but I was still forced to explain why peoples genral fear of snakes made this unacceptable for the dorms. Finding out a snake was in their building would not make it possible for some people to study duie to the extent of their fear of snakes. It seemed like a stretch but this is how the public views snakes. I was wrong. Just liek you would be wrong to keep a Burmese python a 14. People knowing you have a python that can grow over 20 ft would be fearfull you cannot keep it contained and it will come to eat them. Sounds silly but this is how the public thinks. I know you do not want another lesson on the human mind but you know as well as I do that the general population is afraid of snakes. Please do the right thing here and show everyone how your decision will be one to further help the snake keeping communit..not put it in jeopardy.

It seems this forum has been kind of quiet lately. But why do we keep trying to convince those that can't be convinced?
Have'nt we seen this here before?
Yet we all get worked up, and keep on fanning the flames.
Why bother...maybe if we ignore the problem it might go away, rather than pay it heed, and strenghten their resolve?
Let this thread go...we've all seen it before.
Only the names have changed.

Bob

The right message needs to be put out there. Attempts need to be made to push a positive goal. People have decided against keeping these snakes before and things I have said in other forums have made kids think again about their idea. Many times they will see a burmese python in a pet store, some want "a male yellow" anaconda just to have an anaconda, many want a retic after animal planet made them out to be the most hardcore man eater alive, some are just suckers for pretty colors, some people buy into it when people tell them how retics are "one owner snakes" and they only like the owner (people get the idea of "cool watch dog" in their head). But most these people need to hear the side about the extent of dedication necessary. This is not a "cool" thing. I think the coolest people are the ones who can keep their collection a secret. The ones who don't let any snakes get out, the ones who don't get put in the hospital by them, the ones who do not have them on their shoulders while riding a motorcycle. These people are doing all of us a favor.

I know I am not one that should be talking about this issue as I am only 16. Most teenagers do not have the capacity and maturity level to deal with them. I have all my plans setup and back up plans on top of those. You know with college and all. My dad also helps me with anythign I need help with and he helps pay for my stuff too. I also have a few friends with the same interest and they help me if I need it. I realy liked that last part of what you wrote eunectes4, I totally agree.
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Justin

you see he is only 2 years older
my parents support and help me with my snakes
and i also have friends who keep snakes (tho i admit none have a burm)

i have almost the same deal as him

Nick,

Look, this isn't an argument room, to try to impress people into thinking that you are ready for a burmese python. As an example, I have owned large constrictors for several years now. I know that I donot have near as much experience as some others in here do. However, I would not march into the venomous forum and tell people that I plan to purchase my first african rhino viper without experience with smaller, aggressive, quicker, non-species of snakes. It's not that I don't FEEL, that I am not ready. It's the fact that I KNOW that I am not ready. Give yourself some time Nick. You have plenty of time. I would recommend finding an owner near you that has some ADULT specimens for you to work with.

Where are you located? There might just happen to be someone in here that might be willing to set you up with some sort of "internship" type of thing. This way you can gain the proper experience to learn what you will be getting yourself into. If you read as much as you claim you do, you wouldnt need to be here asking for care information. You could have saved yourself alotof time. Asking about a certain possible problem, to learn more about the animals past the care, however is something different.

Good Luck with your decision Nick,
Stan

P.S. Having your friends post in the forums to help you prove your point, doesnt prove your maturity level any more past what it has shown.

Just realized who he was, scratch the PS at the bottom.
My apologies justin

Reguarding venomous...anyone getting into venomous snakes could very likely keep a rhino viper having never owned one themselves (don;t get the wrong idea). With any venomous snake people entering this field should be extremely qualified, should have a ton of knowledge of about every snake in the world, be extremely mature and aware of what they need to do to house the animal safely, and should have worked with someone who keeps venomous snakes. This simply isn;t going to be the case with a burmese python (ever). The bar is set so low right now for this snake it is sickening. I keep a lot of snakes and have worked with many large burmese pythons but I have never kept one. There were many I have liked but I am not equipt to deal with them right now. I keep primarily south american snakes and my snakes are all kept in the same room (in secure enclosures). Keeping my room between 75-80 degrees and offering a heat pad works well for the anacondas and tree boas. I can also easily control my rack of smaller snakes to fit their needs. But a Burmese python grows to quickly for me to house them in this room (and the MUST be in a separate room and I don't have another room to give to snakes) due to them demanding different needs than the others (they are from a climate which would not be acceptable to keep at a 75-80 ambient air temp). The point is, while I know how to, am old enough, and have the means money to keep a Burmese python...I am not in the right situation for them right now and I am mature enough to realize it. (besides I have enough snakes to deal with to where I do not need to keep another giant) Maybe when I can keep another room of snakes with slightly higher temp. requirements I will be able to add them to my collection.

eunectes,

While I understand what you are saying, I feel that you might have missed my point. My point with my post was to show him that even the more experienced of people have their limitations. Your personal limitations are not going to be the same as the next persons personal limitations. I own anacondas and retics as well. 65% of my house is donated to my animals. And in all honesty, I dont' have that many. Alligator,1 retic,1 burm, 2 anacondas (1green and 1yellow). Not to mention odds and ends specimens, just as water monitor (takes up the other half of the basement) savanah monitor (guard dog for my bedroom, jk) and my ball pythons, beardeds, and rats/kings/milks. Ok, maybe I have more than some, but overall, my limitations will not be the same as yours, and yours of course will not necessarily be the same as mine......

Now I am just babbling, because I am tired from a long day. I am going to shut up and possibly make this post actually make a little more sense in the morning, lol.

Goodnight all,
Stan

My post babbled as much as yours. I got your post and the only problem I saw with it was the comment about keeping other venomous snakes before a Rhino Viper (or any other demanding venomous snake). The venomous community should be fully prepared to deal with just about anything prior to entering into private keeping themselves. Now there are exceptions (most elapids for example)...just because people have a lot of personal experience with many venomous snakes, they should still work with someone who has species specific experience with animals like mambas or other large and fast elapids. Oh forget it lol, I can see your response to this already and now I am just babbling again. Looks real professional on here doesn't it...lol

ALOT of people say they want a Burmese python. And I'm sure they do. But MOST people have no idea what they are in for. I LOVE Burmese pythons and I have had at least one in my collection for 10 years. (I am 31). I worked at a reptile store for 6 years and I used to get alot of younger people wnating certain animals, i.e. Nile monitors, green iguanas, reticulated pythons, Burmese pythons and, of course anacondas. We usually had adults of most of the babies that were for sale. I would show the people interested in purchasing a large constrictor the adult Burmese pythons. We would wlak into their enclosure and I would show them my routine in handling them. Then I would let them try. Alot of them aren't used to dragging around 100 lbs. of muscle, so they sometimes would say "nevermind". Most of them, however, liked it! So then we would show them the babies. Of course, babies are a tad bit different then the "big ol' slow" adults. Baby Burms, for the most part, are NASTY! Getting bit 5-10 times by a 24 inch snake with over 100 teeth kinda turns people off as well. Not to mention some of them spray "cloaca juice" everywhere. So if they were not turned off by the size of adults or the temperament of the babies, then I would show them the food. I would show them the rodent breeding room where all of our mice and rats were kept. I would first show them the adult mice and the rat pups that the babies would eat. Then I would show them the small - jumbo rats. Finally we came to the Guinea pigs and the rabbits. If we had one, I would pull out a 10 pounder and say "Our large female, that you were handling, eats 4 of these per month". I would also remind them, what goes in must come out. I would describe the "pile" from 20 lbs of bunnies as a "six-pack of smelly brown cans". After all of this, and they still wanted the snake, THEN we would discuss housing, care and all the rest.

I probably sold between 150 and 200 babies during my 6 years there. I can count on both hands the people who still have them.

As far as the "I am 6 feet tall and I have a size 12 shoe" crap, well...so am I. Except I weigh 225 lbs. HEAVIER than my 14 ft. female and she pretty much moves me around like I was nothing. She is not agressive at all, but she is handful nonetheless. Oh, and she is only 10 years old with ALOT of room to grow.

Please consider waiting until you are out on your own and stable. I am sure your parents are supportive, but they have NO IDEA what you may be getting them into. By the time you graduate high school, your snake will be over 10 feet long (probably much larger the way most 'Burm people' are". Get a Colombain boa, they are the BEST pet snake you can own. And now they come in designer flavors as well.

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Derek Roberts
Sonoran Reptile Breeders
sonoranreptile@cox.net

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Derek Roberts
Sonoran Reptile Breeders
sonoranreptile@cox.net

ya taking all that has been said here i would like to say a few things

yes that was my mother (ya it sucks i didnt want her to say that and i didnt no she did) i no that i could be MR. AMERICA and a 7' would win

yes i have seen a full grown burm and got to "work with it"

i have a large boa (about 6 feet) so i know about the risks working with a big snake (even tho he is tame you can still feel its power)

i didnt post to learn basic info, posted to learn from real people and their problems they have had and how they delt with them

i understand that most of you are trying to help and i see that

i have taken all that has been said her to hart and i think i am going to work with my boas for a while more and just read things that are said in the chat and gather info. mayb in a year or so i will get one when i am SURE i am ready

thanx to everyone who posted (good and bad)

and good luck with your snakes
NICK

ya taking all that has been said here i would like to say a few things

yes that was my mother (ya it sucks i didnt want her to say that and i didnt no she did) i no that i could be MR. AMERICA and a 7' would win

yes i have seen a full grown burm and got to "work with it"

i have a large boa (about 6 feet) so i know about the risks working with a big snake (even tho he is tame you can still feel its power)

i didnt post to learn basic info, posted to learn from real people and their problems they have had and how they delt with them

i understand that most of you are trying to help and i see that

i have taken all that has been said her to hart and i think i am going to work with my boas for a while more and just read things that are said in the chat and gather info. mayb in a year or so i will get one when i am SURE i am ready

thanx to everyone who posted (good and bad)

and good luck with your snakes
NICK

Thank you for deciding to wait. I'd strongly like to quibble over how long you should wait (I'm very much in favor of far longer), but it's 11:30 pm where I live and this is a pretty large thread already.

Yup, LOL! Mothers. It's in their nature. Don't be too mortified, because they all do things like that.

So, before you get your burm, (which hopefully will be when you're a college grad with a great job,) there are a few things that you can do to prepare.

You can volunteer at your local wildlife center, museum or zoo, or if you know a highly knowlegeable breeder (not even of burms but just of reptiles) you can help him/her out in exchange for experience and knowledge. Or there's also reptile clubs where enthusiasts socialize.

There's books you can pore over, even the outdated ones that give poor advice are useful in that you can learn to identify what's wrong with what they say and what the right alternative is. Sorting bull from good information is an incredibly valuable skill.

And when something interesting comes up in a book that you want clarification on, you are more than welcome to ask here. And feel free to nose in on any thread and ask for details on what's said. Yes, we all pounced on you on your very first post, which can't be pleasant. And by all means we'll continue to bonk you with the statement that you shouldn't get a burm till your grown. The people here are insanely tenacious! But and because we truly want to help.

And please make your questions very specific, ie techniques to assure a good shed, what proportion to the snake should a hidebox be. Otherwise we'll have no idea what kind of answer to give.

Two last bits of advice. If nothing else, make sure that a competent and trustworthy person is ALWAYS there to help you with a large snake. Even for the most routine and mundane procedures. And also, a beautiful burm morph with a full setup would make a marvelous college graduation present. Yup, told you we're tenacious.

>>and good luck with your snakes
Thank you! Enjoy your boas.
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0.2 chickens (Falcon & Condor)
0.2 dog mutts (half ownership, only mine when they misbehave, Lucy & Amy)
0.1 Halflinger horse (Crissy)
0.0 Arizona Mountain Kingsnake (coming soon)
1.1 parents
Still searching for 1.0 WC human

Wow Nick,
To say that you have a large boa and know how to handle large snakes and then state that your boa is 6 feet proves that your experience level is not up to a burmese python yet. A six footer is a toddler compared to an adult burm. I am glad to hear that you are going to take some time to think about this commitment. I am not trying to discourage you from keeping snakes at your age I would just recommend you follow the advice of the experienced keepers in here and keep smaller more managable snakes until you have really started you adult life. I am 37 and unfortunately have to accept that fact that I am not settled enought yet to get a giant snake, as much as I would love to have one or twelve. Gain experience, raise the most amazing snakes you can, learn all you can and prove to the world that you are ready for a giant snake some day.

The best advice I can give you is this: Take you, your brothers, sisters and your parents to someone's house (or the Zoo) that is willing to show you their ADULT burm! Not a 12 footer, I mean a 20 foot Burm! Have them show you what the snake eats in a months time, where it lives...everything you will need to know about it. Get first hand experience with it. Feel it, hold it, try to carry it alone once. You will be surprised at the sheer strenghth of the beast! Too see, feel and handle one of these snakes is the best reality check you can get from anywhere!

P.S. I hope you live on a farm and your parents are pretty rich. You will need to raise your own food to keep a full grown Burm happy and healthy!