my new GIANT albino burmese python!!!!!

[brandon0133]

heres some pics of the snakes i just got,,,i know,,im compolsive,,i buy buy buy but i do take really good care of my snakes,,matter of fact the big yellow is sick,,has some kinda bubbles comming from his nose,,,taking him to the vet monday or tuesday, anyways any ideas on what it is? heres some pics of him and i also bought a 4 1/2 ft long ball python,,,so i have like 14 snakes now,,lol,,heres some pics

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p246/brandon0133/100_5564.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p246/brandon0133/100_5568.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p246/brandon0133/100_5572.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p246/brandon0133/100_5571.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p246/brandon0133/100_5577.jpg

[Loren]

Cool snake- very pretty. Reminds me of my albino kenyan sand boa, but a thousand times bigger! I want a retic someday, but I can keep alot of other snakes in the place one retic would take up, plus I'm not really built to handle a 15 ft snake.
Sounds like a respiritory infection, if I had to guess. Make darn sure that the temps and humidity in the cage are correct for a burmese. Remember that many reptile health issues come from improper care- maybe the person you got him from didnt adjust the temps as needed as winter came on. Make sure he gets plenty of alone time- in other words- no stress.
The bright side is that many health problems cause by improper set-ups can be corrected by fixing the problem- but see what the vet recomends.
You might find it easier to clean up after him with a more basic substrate, as big snakes tend to make big messy messes.
14 snakes- better watch out, or you'll just keep collecting more and end up with 60-something like me :D. I dont have any that big though.
Just read your profile- 27 and a mechanic... I'm 30, and a mechanic. Pretty cool.

[brandon0133]

cool,,thanks for the advice,,when i went to pick him up i seen he was in a cage and no heating light,,least not that i seen,,looks like they relied on room temp to heat him,,it was a wooden box with glass front with holes in it,,thats all i seen,,and a water dish thing,,,and he has mites,,which wont be to hard to cure,,,probably get something from the vet,,does any vet deal with snakes or do i need a special vet?

[Loren]

You might try asking around in your area to see who the reccomended reptile vet is, but most vet clinics will probably look at him. Sometimes the local petstores can at least tell you the name of a popular reptile vet.
On the mites- be prepared to possibly have to completely empty the tank to rid the mites. Once they have spread through all that bedding, they will be really hard to get rid of. I like to put reptiles in the most basic setup possible while treating them- paper towels or newspaper- diposable water dishes and hideboxes(just use a cardboard box or something). Then I chuck everything and wipe down the whole cage with a mite spray everytime I treat the reptile. I have had good sucess with reptile relief, but I mostly have dealt with lizard mites- not snake mites(different species). I treat every 4-7 days, for at least 3 treatments, if not 4 or 5, then wait for several weeks before putting the cage back to normal, in case they show up again. You will still need to make sure the temps and humidity aare good through all this.
Others have good luck with provent-a-mite - its used in the enclosure, not on the reptile. People always say that it only works right if you follow the directions exactly. I believe a couple freinds of mine have used Hartz 3 in 1 (or 2 in 1- cant remember)cat flee powder in the cages with success. I think vets sometimes use ivermectin(or something spelled like that). Jerry ( Log- on name-Bay Area) might be able to help with the flea powder idea. Others use baby oil or something similar- its supposed to coat the mite so they suffocate- but I'm not sure on that one. Also, a good luke warm water ( 85 degrees?) soaking will help drown alot of the mites that are on the snake.
Keep in mind mites can spread like wildfire- wash up thoroughly between handling any of your animals until you get it handled- (even in between the ones that dont have mites- because they might have them now), and dont let anything from 1 cage contact another. Keep inspecting all of your reptiles on a regular basis.

[Loren]

I think I meant to say mineral oil- not baby oil- but again, I'm not sure on that one.

[brandon0133]

ive heard that to,,the big albino has a few mites,,,id say probably 50 that i can see under his scales,,and remember 50 aint many on a snake thats 8 ft long,,lol,,anyways i will check with the vets,,probably call a few tomorrow and then take him to one on tuesday,,maybe they can get me the best stuff that have for the mites,, i just talked to the lady who had this snake,,she said his light broke and its been broken for over two weeks now,,so this is probably why hes sick,,dont u think?

[Loren]

On the sickness- yes that sounds like what probably caused it. I've heard of a few people tell me about their large boas/pythons getting resp. illnesses, and it seems like it is often people that have the snake cages in their garage, and its often in the winter.

[brandon0133]

yeah i guess its like kids and winter and getting sick,,im still going to call,,this snakes over 5 yrs old,,and i want it to live as long as i can,,any ideas on how much this will cost me?

[Loren]

not really.

[brandon0133]

good answer,,,lol,,also i know that the snakes will get in the water to drown mites,,,but mines sleeping under the water,,,well has his head up out of the water,,,but hes sleeping like that,,is this normal for a snake this size?

[Loren]

As you said, it is probably in the water to seek relief from the mites. Thats not a big deal for them to soak now and then as long as the water is clean, however, if they do it too much, it can lead to skin problems.

[brandon0133]

well hes out of the water,,when i got him last night i sprayed him with mite spray,,he soaked pretty much all night and now i dont see but like 1 or 2 mites on him,,i used that mite relief like u said,,worked pretty good so far

[salzar]

okay when I worked in this big pet store in Cal. the owner had manny big snakes and used mineral oil to relife the snakes of mites it seemed to work well.
so I have also seen this too!!
bye
michelle

[brandon0133]

maybe ill try that to,,,i have to wait awhile before i treat him again,,,so maybe this will do it,,hope anyways,,

[brandon0133]

heres some pics of me and him today,,,
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p246/brandon0133/100_5578.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p246/brandon0133/100_5583.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p246/brandon0133/100_5585.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p246/brandon0133/100_5603.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p246/brandon0133/100_5605.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p246/brandon0133/100_5611.jpg

[adamanteus]

I have to say, Brandon.... your tank is way too small for that Burmese. You do know how quickly it's going to grow, don't you?

[Charlet_2007]

i was thinking that myself.. we had ours in a 250g and she was 9ft long female albino berm..

[adamanteus]

I once saw a 22 ft Burmese in a private collection in Portsmouth.... they can get pretty big!!!

[reganngo]

what is that phyton eating a dog LOL...now thats huge

[Stefan-A]

what is that phyton eating a dog LOL...now thats huge
I think I have a picture somewhere of an albino burmese eating a dog..

Should I post it, or will people get upset?

[Lori P]

Stefan, if you do post it, put it in it's own thread with a warning. I really don't want to see it. Sorry... wimp here.... :o

[anji1971]

I think you could post it, but Lori's right -- put it separately with a warning. I'll probably look, I have a sick kind of curiosity about these things!!:D

[Stefan-A]

I'll wait until a moderator approves it. I can't guarantee that it's a burmese and I can't guarantee that it's not a fake. :)

[adamanteus]

It might be upsetting for people, the warning might only serve to make them curious. Perhaps if some members want to see it you could PM it to them?

[Stefan-A]

Too much work. But I can PM it to you. :)

[adamanteus]

Too much work. But I can PM it to you. :)

Haha! I'm not sure I want to see it! Oh, go on then!:)

[Cazador]

I agree with James... The PM route is probably the best way to go. Thanks for asking first, Stephan.

Rick

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

Python.html (http://www.pitt.edu/%7Emcs2/herp/python.html)
man thats creepy how huge they get i like snakes that i can hold,
also wont that cost a ton feeding it rabbits and pigs? and also getting a giant enclosure? and cleaning it? wow u have your work cut out for you
and id watch out there have been lots of reports of Burmese pythons killing children

[Stefan-A]

Thanks for pointing that out, Reed. Personally, I don't mind people keeping these giants, as long as they know what they're getting into.

Rabbits aren't that expensive if you breed them and I know that many use f/t chicken to feed their burmese. Or were they retics.. Large pythons anyway. :) If you can afford to house it properly, feeding it shouldn't be difficult.

[brandon0133]

im thinking soon hes moving into my garage,,,i think if i use enough heat lights i can built basically a big wooden box with a door on it for him,,put some bedding down and supply water and of course heat,,,i know its winter but i might wait till summer to build the box,,,maybe like a 5 foot tall by 10ft long,,i think thats probably big enough right? that way i can go in and get him,,dont want to get on ure hands and knees and crawl face first into a box with this guy,,,lol,,,anyways as far as it being hard to handle i dont see any problems,,,hes a nice snake so far and is handled really well. i hope he dont get to 20 ft,,,lol,,but if he gets over 14ft ill probably sell him or give him to someone who can care for him,,under 14 i can handle i think,,i already wont let him wrap himself around my neck when im holding him, lol,,right now he eats jumbo rats...probably baby rabbits but have not tried that one,,,anyone know how to get him to eat live animals? hes always been fed f/t rats

[Stefan-A]

Okay, so how much of that was intended to be taken seriously? :) I don't want to get preachy, unless it's absolutely necessary.

[brandon0133]

what are u refering to?

[Stefan-A]

Well, it'll probably reach about 3 meters within a year and a half, the garage better be properly insulated because the draft will kill it, the snake will end up weighing as much as a full-grown man, you can't count on it being co-operative despite it being managable now (just wait till it's 3.5 meters and hungry) and I can't think of any good reason to want it to take live food instead of f/t. And just planning to sell it or give it away when it gets too big is just irresponsible.

This is what I meant about getting preachy, but I don't mean to provoke you. :)

[drache]

better you than me, Stefan
I have this unpleasant tone of accusatory hysteria that creeps in with my preachiness
that's why I try to restrain myself and leave the preaching to more reasonable individuals with some modicum of emotional restraint
that being said - I totally agree with Stefan, Brandon
the only thing I cannot refrain from adding is that I am amazed at the casualness with which you acquire and "get rid of" snakes

[Lori P]

Thank you Rhea and Stefan. Holding my tongue now.

[Lulu Bennett]

Well, it'll probably reach about 3 meters within a year and a half, the garage better be properly insulated because the draft will kill it, the snake will end up weighing as much as a full-grown man, you can't count on it being co-operative despite it being managable now (just wait till it's 3.5 meters and hungry) and I can't think of any good reason to want it to take live food instead of f/t. And just planning to sell it or give it away when it gets too big is just irresponsible.

This is what I meant about getting preachy, but I don't mean to provoke you. :)

Im sorry Brandon, but i agree with Stefan. why on earth would you want your snake, who will be rediculessly large in a year or two, to start eating live food. i will just start thinking anything that moves is food! and god forbid a young child tries to cuddle it!
As for the size. Should that not be something you thought about before you bought him. Stefan hit the nail on the head, it will be 100% irresponsible if you plan on getting rid just because you didn't think of the size before you bought it.
I have just had to adopt a boa because a 15yr old didn't think about what he was getting himself into.he just saw it as being a big snake and it getting him the popularity status. the poor snake hadn't eaten in ages. see this is why i am not chuffed when i hear about these stories.

i am sorry brandon but just take time out and try thinking about what you are planning on doing.
Lori, sorry but i am not the type to keep my mouth shut with something i am so passionate about.

P.s brandon please dont think i am having a personal attack at you. i am also p***ed off at the store for not checking any knowlege of the buyer and also about the people that do NOT consider the welfair of the animal in question.

[anji1971]

Brandon, I just replied to one of your other threads about this matter, so I won't repeat myself. Just suffice it to say that people are VERY concerned about all this!

[RZL36]

I know what it is to not be able to control my snake buying tendencies. I know what you are going through. The best thing to do is limit the buying to colubrids and reading as much as I possibly can about them beforehand. Boids and pythons are just too hard to maintain (and boring really). I'm not gonna give you **** for buying snakes, but keep in mind that burmese pythons eat like an alligator and sometimes just eat the alligators. They also have a reputation of being entirely unpredictable, but it's a free country and you can keep what you want most of the time. If you think that is giant, you ain't seen nothing yet. I would take it back or sell it.

[brandon0133]

ok heres what happened,,i used to have albino when i was a kid,,it got about 6ft and my mother made me give it away,,scared her,,,anyways this lady wrote me on craigslist and said she had two snakes that she needed to get rid of,,,she said one was sick and she did not have the money to care for it,,,and the other was a really nice 4 ft ball,,,,so i really wanted the ball and seeing the sick albino i had to take it home,,she said i had 2 hrs to come get them both or someone else would. now i know i have the money to care for the snakes so i decided to get it,,i did not know they grew 25ft long,,lol,,,i knew they got big but not that big,,,so yeah i jumped the gun. but dont sit there and think im just going to let it go in the back yard or something, whatever i do decide to do with my snakes will be a responsible decission. im taking the snake to the vet soon which will not be cheap and alot of people cant afford so maybe this snake would have died if i was not here to care for it. now i know im not the most knowledgeable about these kinds of snakes. that's why im asking everyone. i like the snake and would like to keep it but how many people can keep a snake over 14ft long? and as for live food i just thought it was more interesting to see it eat something live, i did not think about it wanting to attack anyone that moves,,which thanks for that advice and i now see why i should not do that.

[Cazador]

Hi Brandon,

I can see that people are concerned for your safety and the welfare of the snake, but for many people, this is an example of what's wrong with the pet trade industry. Here's a typical scenario: Somebody digs a gravid female out of a burrow (or raids her nest), and the babies arrive. Then an importer in the U.S. imports a few hundred of them to make an easy profit. When they arrive, they're dehydrated, malnourished, and often filled with exotic parasites. A pet store owner gets a "good deal" on the price if he buys 20 Burmese pythons at a time. Of course, he's able to make a good profit and pass along some of the savings to the customer when they see those cute little 1.5' long pythons. They have no idea how long they'll live or how large they'll grow, but he buys them anyway. After a few years, the owner finds out what the future holds, so he/she loses interest and stops caring for it. The next thing you know, he/she is trying to give the python away to somebody else who doesn't realize what's in store for them. Only now, the he/she is doing something much worse. Not only has he/she stopped caring for their giant snake, but they're passing off a large and potentially dangerous creature to the first person that shows interest, regardless of their ability to care for it (or protect themselves from it) in the years to come. Ultimately, this snake has to be euthanized (or passed to someone else) because it becomes too large and difficult to manage by one person.

Obviously, this scenario isn't the only possibility, but when people hear this type of account over and over, it makes a bad impression. People see the irresponsibility of others in the reptile trade industry, and fear for the safety of those they know (like you), fear for the welfare of the snake (which never should have been imported in the first place), and detest when they see one reptile owner taking advantage of another (as in the way you came to own that snake... how the lady said you only have hours to act, without caring if you had enough knowledge about pythons to provide adequate care).

I followed the link that Reed provided and then followed another link from there to read about a 15 year old Colorado male who was killed by a long-term, pet python of similar size to yours. I recommend that you read it, Brandon. If for no other reason, it will help you understand how powerful and dangerous these snakes are, and it will help you understand why your friends here, are concerned. It's not for the soft of heart, though.

Rick
The Keeping of Large Pythons (http://www.anapsid.org/coloburm.html)

[adamanteus]

No one wants to attack you Brandon. This sudden onslaught of negative responses must be upsetting. Your enthusiasm and hunger for experience is commendable, but I think you are making a mistake with the Python.
Of course many people successfully and safely keep large pythons. I have always found Burmese to be boringly placid. Unfortunately, most impulse buyers of this sort of snake fail to appreciate the truly enormous size they can attain in a relatively short time. A normal, domestic situation simply isn't adequate for their well-being. The giant I saw was seven years old, being fed on geese and took three big blokes to lift it. It was predictably calm in it's nature, but that would change if you happened to smell of rodent! A creature of that size has tremendous power, and if the mood took it, it could seize and overpower any man in the blink of an eye.

I think I have mentioned before about a friend of mine who was grabbed by a 9 foot Retic...... It pinned his wrists to his ankles, and held him, unable to move for hours until help arrived.

It saddens me that you would part with all your smaller snakes for the sake of this one.

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

personally what i think you should do is find a good home for that burmese python(where the people know how big and dangerous it can be) while its still on the smaller side because if you keep it untill it gets to large then just dump it at a zoo that would be wrong, and then stop buying snakes save up and keep your 3 garters 6 corns and 2 ball pythons and give them a great home of your own

[brandon0133]

so the ball wont get as big as the albino right? i read they dont get to big i think it said like 6 ft,,,,i might be wrong,,what can i do with this snake.. i cant just call someone and say hey come get this huge snake,,,and i dont want to do the same thing and give this snake to another person like me,,,any help? i would like for him to have a good home where someone can care for him, i really did not understand just how strong this snake is,,,and now that i know this im worried about my kids,,i know the snake is secure but u know how snakes are,,and i dont want to just put it outside,,,

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

balls get like 3-4'

[brandon0133]

mines over 4 ft right now,,lol

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

oh maybe its 3-5'

[brandon0133]

any ideas on what i should do with the albino?

[Cazador]

That's a tough one. First, I'd try to find a good home via Craigslist. Second, you might see if there is a local herp society/rescue center. Third, you might try calling the pound to see if they have advise. As a last resort, I'd opt for euthanasia over releasing it. Releasing it would be the very worst option, but I'm sure you know that. Hopefully, you'll get some other suggestions, too. Maybe a local pet shop would even allow you to post an add on a bulletin board?

Rick

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

well you could look on kingsnake to find people who breed them and im sure theyd be happy to take him (if ur giving him away for free)

[brandon0133]

good idea cazador and thanks reed..i already posted an ad on craigslist asking for exsperianced persons only...hope i can find someone that knows these snakes,,,i wonder if a zoo near me would take it? then i could still go see him sometimes

[Cazador]

Even if they wouldn't take it, they might have good advise for you. I'm sure they get these kinds of requests all the time.

Rick

[anji1971]

Good luck Brandon!
And I think you should definitely keep the ball python, they're beautiful snakes, and not quite so large!;)

[adamanteus]

Good for you, Brandon. It takes a big man to recognise his mistakes and take steps to rectify them. Respect.

[CrazyHedgehog]

Good for you, Brandon. It takes a big man to recognise his mistakes and take steps to rectify them. Respect.
here here!!

[Stefan-A]

Good for you, Brandon. It takes a big man to recognise his mistakes and take steps to rectify them. Respect.
I absolutely agree with this.

And thanks for not shooting the messenger(s). ;)

[drache]

Good for you, Brandon. It takes a big man to recognise his mistakes and take steps to rectify them. Respect.

well put and I totally agree

[Snaky]

I hope you can find a good home for the albino, it's a beauty.

I agree also, respect, a lot of people can learn from your attitude.

[Lori P]

You know... I DO have a neighbor I don't care for one bit... hmmmmm, Brandon, pm me....

LOLOL!!! KIDDING, I'm kidding!!! (Well, I really don't like her, she's evil. Really, pm me. NO... kidding again... kind of...) :D:D

[drache]

You know... I DO have a neighbor I don't care for one bit... hmmmmm, Brandon, pm me....

LOLOL!!! KIDDING, I'm kidding!!! (Well, I really don't like her, she's evil. Really, pm me. NO... kidding again... kind of...) :D:D

the question is - would she take the snake

[Lori P]

Well, actually, my thinking was, would the snake take HER--:D:D

She's probably too cranky and mean even for a burmese to eat...

[Charlet_2007]

I'd gladly take it.. we had a 9ft berm before our house burnt down and i am all aware of how big they get.. lol we have and alligator and a camin crock right now so talking about the long haul lol We'll have to have a will just to cover our reptiles lol but no i'm serious about the berm I'd take it in.. My husband has been looking for one since we loss ours.. she was like a family member to us.. RIP Haven 6-27-2005

[brandon0133]

probably would spit her back out,,lol,,i found the perfect home for the bermese,,,and the people had two other albino bermese living in there home,,they took a whole bedroom in there house and pulled the carpet out and caged the room in,,its a whole freakin snake cage,,,its awsome,,anyways i guess the 3 albinos will live together in there,,it looked to be about 12ft wide by 14ft long room,,window was left there but shut of course and the door was removed from the bedroom and they made a like gate door on it to walk into the room,,anyways these people seem to really love the albinos so im happy for him now,,and she gave me a 3 ft ball python in return to,,,

[anji1971]

That's excellent news Brandon!
And a pretty neat trade-off too! Put up some pics of the new ball python -- I just love those snakes!!:)

[brandon0133]

i have 3 ball pythons now,,ones 4ft and ones 3ft and ones 1 1/2 ft,,little ones a female other two are males

[Cazador]

What great news, Brandon! It sounds like a happy ending all the way around. Congrats!

Rick

[Snaky]

Excellent and congrats with the new ball python :)

[drache]

well, that worked out nicely, Brandon
congrats on both finding a good home for the burm and a new snake for yourself

[brandon0133]

yeah so now i dont have to push any snakes out of the house,,i have about 14 snakes and only useing 3 tanks,,,so this works out alot better,,and ball pythons are awsome

[brandon0133]

just got back from my anniversary this weekend,,took the lady to the moutains,,,heres a pic she talked me into while i was there,,hahaha

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p246/brandon0133/100_6209.jpg

[Lulu Bennett]

hahaha, that pic is great! Happy Anniversary!

[brandon0133]

thankssss!!!!!

[tikichick]

Hey congrats on your trade, sounds like it all worked out well :) Ball pythons are great snakes - so sweet and the perfect size! I'm totally in love with mine (can you tell? lol).