Burmese

I currently keep ball pythons and corn snakes. The largest snake I've ever cared for is a red tail boa and she wasn't full grown when I sold her (maybe 6ft). My boyfriend really likes the snakes and used to own an albino Burmese when he was a kid. As I'd like to get back into breeding snakes and feeders, he has expressed an interest in keeping and possibly breeding burms.

I have no experience with burms with the exception of handling a baby a few years ago at a show. I can read all I want about care and housing but IF/WHEN we do get into burms, I'd like to have some experience.

What are some good ways to get some handling experience and care experience? It'll mostly be his project but he'll need a second person to help and I'd like to be prepared.

What is the temperament like in comparison to other giant species?

I've kept Burms and retics. It has been my experience that Burmese pythons are in general calm, placid snakes with a strong feeding response. However, due to their large size, properly housing, feeding and cleaning up human size poop for decades pretty much ended it for me.

For first hand experience you may want to visit the Richmond Zoo and see if you could volunteer to help with their Burm(s). Also Bonnie at VA Reptile Rescue may have some helpful suggestions:
http://www.vareptilerescue.org

Well I have a 5 month old puppy that's 35lbs and he leaves human sized turds so I'm used to that. Burmese are not something we could get into where we are living now mainly due to space. Our snake room is the smallest room in the house and I barely have enough space for the snakes and rodents I have. This is definitely something for when we get a bigger place or get a place where I can put in a separate facility on the property just for snakes. In the meantime, I want to do as much research as I can and get some experience so thank you for the suggestions.

Jesse,

If you would like some large constrictor experience first hand, I have quite a few in Chester VA.  To include burms. Along with 1n 18' + retic.  You and your boyfriend are more than welcome to come out and really make sure it is something you want to get into in the long run.

Now I will say this, most of us remember those monster 17-18' burms, not any more.  I personally believe the bigger bloodline of burmese were weaker immune system wise.  The biggest confirmed burm in captivity is 16' 10" the rest are all just numbers.

Caring/Feeding/Housing a burm isn't to bad, but when you talk about having a few breeding pairs it can be a lot of work.

jw wrote:

I've kept Burms and retics. It has been my experience that Burmese pythons are in general calm, placid snakes with a strong feeding response. However, due to their large size, properly housing, feeding and cleaning up human size poop for decades pretty much ended it for me.

My retic dropped a full load on the front lawn a few days ago. It was beyond anything that would come out of a normal, healthy human and rivaled something my horse would have left behind.

Deedle wrote:

Jesse,

If you would like some large constrictor experience first hand, I have quite a few in Chester VA.  To include burms. Along with 1n 18' + retic.  You and your boyfriend are more than welcome to come out and really make sure it is something you want to get into in the long run.

Now I will say this, most of us remember those monster 17-18' burms, not any more.  I personally believe the bigger bloodline of burmese were weaker immune system wise.  The biggest confirmed burm in captivity is 16' 10" the rest are all just numbers.

Caring/Feeding/Housing a burm isn't to bad, but when you talk about having a few breeding pairs it can be a lot of work.

That would be great! We won't be able to get one until we move into a bigger house (reptile room is small) so I have plenty of time to get some good experience before we dive in.