From: brigdit@aol.com (Brigdit)
\nNewsgroups: rec.pets.herp
\nSubject: Re: BURMESE FAQ????
\nDate: 20 Feb 1995 15:49:14 -0500
\nOrganization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
\nLines: 287
\nSender: root@newsbf02.news.aol.com
\nMessage-ID:
\nReferences:
\nReply-To: brigdit@aol.com (Brigdit)
\nNNTP-Posting-Host: newsbf02.mail.aol.com<\/p>\n
BURMESE PYTHON
\n Care In Captivity
\nTHINK!!!
\n Do you _really_ want a snake that will grow more than 20 feet long
\nor weigh over 200 pounds, urinate and defecate like a horse, will live
\nmore than 25 years and for whom you will have to kill mice, rats and,
\neventually, rabbits and chickens? Many people think that when they decide
\nthey don’t want their Burmese any more–when it gets to be 8 or 10 or 15
\nfeet long–it will be easy to find someone who does. Take a look at the
\nanimal classifieds – they always have sale ads for big pythons. The zoo
\ndoesn’t want any more – they already have one or more giant snakes. The
\nlocal herpetology societies and reptile veterinarians always have big
\npythons for whom they are trying to find homes. At 10 feet and 40+
\npounds, a 3-year old Burmese is already eating rabbits a couple of times a
\nmonth and is very difficult to handle alone. You have to interact with
\nthem constantly to keep them tame – do you want a hungry, cranky 100
\npound, 12 foot snake mistaking *your* face for prey? Who is going to help
\nyou clean its enclosure? take it to the vet when it’s sick? take care of
\nit when you go away to school or on vacation? No matter how much they
\nlove you, there are *some* things a mother, and your friends, will not do!
\n *Owning a giant snake is not cool – it is a major, long-term, frequently
\nvery expensive responsibility.*<\/p>\n
NATURAL HISTORY
\n The Burmese python (_Python molurus bivittatus_) is native
\nthroughout Southeast Asia including Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, southern
\nChina, and Indonesia. While Burmese are being captive bred in the U.S.
\nand Europe, native populations are considered to be “threatened” and are
\nlisted on Appendix II of CITES (Convention on International Trade of
\nEndangered Species). All the giant pythons (including the Indian, African
\nRock and Reticulated pythons) have historically been slaughtered to supply
\nthe international fashion industry with exotic skins. The exportation of
\nyoung snakes for the pet trade and for their blood and gall as used in
\nfolk medicine has put additional pressures on the wild populations that
\ncannot be sustained. If you must buy a Burmese, buy a captive-born
\nanimal.
\n These diurnal rainforest dwellers range from areas of lush
\nvegetation lining the river banks up to the montane forests. Equally at
\nhome on the ground and in trees, they are also excellent swimmers, and
\nalways enjoy a nice, long soak in warm water, especially just before they
\nare ready to shed.
\n Like all diurnal snakes, Burmese spend the morning hours soaking
\nup the sun’s warmth to enable them to begin moving around to look for
\nfood. In the wild, snakes do not eat every day, and are not always
\nsuccessful in capturing every prey animal at whom they strike. (Captive
\nsnake owners generally do not understand this and so it is all too common
\nto see obese snakes in captivity.) If they are lucky enough to eat, they
\nspend the rest of the afternoon, and the next several days or weeks,
\nkeeping warm enough to digest their meal.
\n Burmese breed in the early spring. Females lay their eggs in
\nMarch or April; their clutches range from 12-36 eggs. Females encircle
\ntheir eggs, remaining with then from the time they are laid until they
\nhatch; during this time, they will not leave the eggs and will not eat.
\nWhile incubating, the females muscles twitch; these tremors apparently
\nenable the female to raise the ambient temperature around the eggs several
\ndegrees. Once the hatchlings cut their way out of their eggs, they are on
\ntheir own.
\n Burmese pythons, like all pythons and boas, devour a variety of
\nprey in the wild – amphibians, lizards, other snakes, birds and mammals.
\nIn captivity, they should be fed pre-killed mice, rats, rabbits and
\nchickens. You can buy the prey at pet stores and from private breeders
\nand suppliers to the herp trade; these animals have been specially raised
\nand are clean, healthy and well-nourished, and you can always find a
\nsource who uses humane methods of euthanasia. Chickens can be purchased
\nat hatcheries. *Under no circumstances should you feed your snakes
\nwild-caught prey items.* Wild rodents and other animals carry a variety
\nof parasites and bacteria for which your snakes have no immunity. If you
\ncannot afford to buy the proper food, you should not buy the snake.<\/p>\n
Selecting Your Burmese Python
\n Choose an animal that has clear firm skin, a rounded body shape,
\nclean vent, clear eyes and that actively flicks its tongue around when
\nhandled. When held, the snake should grip you gently but firmly when
\nmoving around. It should be alert to its surroundings. All young snakes
\nare food for other, larger snakes, birds, lizards and mammalian predators
\nso your hatchling may be a bit nervous at first but should settle down
\nquickly. Like all pythons and boas, Burmese have anal spurs. These
\nsingle claws appearing on either side of the vent are the vestigial
\nremains of the hind legs snakes lost during their evolution from lizard to
\nsnake millions of years ago. Males have longer spurs than do the females,
\nand have tails that are wider at the base (tail-end of the vent);
\notherwise, there is little difference in temperament between the two
\nsexes.<\/p>\n
GETTING STARTED
\n @ Build or purchase a strong snake-proof enclosure. Select
\nan enclosure especially designed for housing snakes, such as the Critter
\nCottages\u015f with the combination fixed screen\/hinged glass top. All snakes
\nare escape artists; Burmese are especially powerful when it comes to
\nbreaking out. A good starter tank for a hatchling is a 55 gallon tank.
\nAfter the first couple of years, you will have to build your own enclosure
\nout of wood and glass or plexiglass. Some people partition off a large
\npart of a room or convert a walk-in closet into a suitable Burmese “tank”.
\n Be prepared – giant snakes need lots of room, not the least of which is
\nroom enough for you to get in there and clean it out! Remember that your
\nsnake will grow rapidly, even when fed conservatively, so you must always
\nbuy or build an enclosure much bigger than the present size of your
\nBurmese.<\/p>\n
@ Suitable substrate. Use paper towels, butcher paper or
\nunprinted newsprint at first. These are easily and quickly removed and
\nreplaced when soiled and will allow you to better monitor for the presence
\nof mites and the condition of the feces. Once the animal is established,
\nyou can use decorative ground cover such as commercially prepared shredded
\ncypress or fir bark; do not use orchid bark. Pine, cedar and redwood
\nshavings should not be used as they can become lodged in the mouth while
\neating, and due to the oils, may cause respiratory infections and other
\nproblems. The shavings must be monitored closely and all soiled and wet
\nshavings pulled out immediately to prevent bacteria and fungus growths.
\nThe utilitarian approach is to use inexpensive Astroturf\u015f and linoleum.
\nExtra pieces of Astroturf\u015f can be kept in reserve and used when the soiled
\npiece is removed for cleaning and drying (soak in one part bleach to 30
\nparts water; rinse thoroughly, and dry *completely* before reuse).
\nRemember: the easier it is to clean, the faster you’ll do it! Linoleum is
\neasy to clean and disinfect and, when used on the floor and a couple of
\ninches up the walls of wooden enclosures, will help preserve the wood from
\nthe acidic urates.<\/p>\n
@ A hiding place should be provided for Burmese
\npythons. A half-log (available at pet stores), an empty cardboard box or
\nupside-down opaque plastic container, the latter two with an access
\ndoorway cut into one end, can also be used. The plastic is easily cleaned
\nwhen necessary; the box can be tossed out when soiled and replaced with a
\nnew one. Once your snake outgrows these easily replaced hide boxes, you
\nwill need to use your imagination. Eventually, you can use a large
\nkitty-litter pan or suitably modified garbage can. Once the snake reaches
\nten feet, you will have to put your imagination (or hammer and nails and
\nwood) to work to devise increasingly larger enclosures.<\/p>\n
@ Proper temperature range is essential to keeping your
\nsnake healthy. The ambient air temperature throughout the enclosure must
\nbe maintained between 85-88F during the day, with a basking area kept at
\n90F. At night, the ambient air temperature may be allowed to drop down no
\nlower than 78-80F. Special reptile heating pads that are manufactured to
\nmaintain a temperature about 20F higher than the air temperature may be
\nused inside the enclosure. There are adhesive pads that can be stuck to
\nthe underside of a glass enclosure (unfortunately, when the time comes to
\nmove your snake to a larger tank, the heating pad cannot easily be removed
\nfrom the old tank and reused). Heating pads made for people, found at all
\ndrug stores and supermarkets, are also available; these have built-in
\nhigh-medium-low switches and can be used under or inside a glass or wood
\nenclosure. You can also use incandescent light bulbs in porcelain and
\nmetal reflector hoods to provide the additional heat required for the
\nbasking area. *All lights* must be screened off to prevent the snake from
\nburning itself, and bright lights must be turned off at least 12-14 hours
\na day to mimic a proper photoperiod; if kept under lights all the time,
\nthe snakes will stress and may become ill. If the proper temperatures
\ncannot be maintained without the incandescent light, then you must use
\nanother source of non-light emitting or dim light emitting heat. All
\npythons are very susceptible to thermal burns and for this reason a hot
\nrock must not be used. Buy at least two thermometers: one to use 1″
\nabove the enclosure floor in the cooler side, and the other 1″ above the
\nfloor in the basking area. Don’t try to guess the temperature. You will
\nend up with a snake who will be too cold to eat and digest its food. Once
\nyour snake is bigger, invest in a pig blanket, a large rigid pad for which
\nyou can buy a thermostat to better control the temperature.<\/p>\n
@ No special lighting is needed. You may use a
\nfull-spectrum light or low wattage incandescent bulb in the enclosure
\nduring the day but snakes do not require full-spectrum light. Make sure
\nthe snake cannot get into direct contact with the light bulbs. If they
\nclimb into the fluorescent tube fixture, they may pop out and break the
\nbulb–an expensive and potentially lethal accident.<\/p>\n
@ Feeding. Allow your snake to acclimate for a week or two
\nto its new home. Start your hatchling (about 22″ in length) off with a
\nsingle pre-killed week to 10-day old “fuzzy” rat. A smaller sized
\nhatchling may require a small mouse. Older Burmese may be fed larger
\npre-killed rats. The rule of thumb is that you can feed prey items that
\nare no wider than the widest part of the snake’s body. While Burmese
\n(most of whom are bottomless pits when it comes to putting down food) will
\noften gladly eat prey that is too large for their size, they will
\ngenerally regurgitate the prey item one or more days later–not a pretty
\nsight. If you have not had any experience force feeding a snake, you may
\nnot want to try it yourself until you have seen someone do it. It is very
\neasy to overfeed Burmese as most of them are always eager for food,
\nwhether they need it or not. Be judicious–you will end up with a giant
\nsnake soon enough. Just feed enough to keep it healthy, not obese.<\/p>\n
@ Provide a bowl of fresh water at all times; your snake
\nwill both drink, soak and may defecate in it. Check it and replace with
\nfresh water as necessary.<\/p>\n
@ Routine veterinary screening for newly acquired snakes is
\nessential. Many of the parasites infesting Burmese and other reptiles can
\nbe transmitted to humans and other reptiles. Left untreated, such
\ninfestations can ultimately kill your snake. When your snake first
\ndefecates, collect the feces in a clean plastic bag, seal it, label it
\nwith the date, your name and phone number and the snake’s name, and take
\nit and your snake to a vet who is experienced with reptiles. There it
\nwill be tested for parasites (which the majority of pet trade reptiles
\nhave) and the proper medication given.<\/p>\n
@ Handling your new snake After giving your Burmese a
\ncouple of days to settle in, begin picking it up and handling it gently.
\nIt may try to move away from you and may threaten you by twitching its
\ntail and hissing. Be gentle but persistent. Daily contact will begin to
\nestablish a level of trust and confidence between you and your snake. When
\nit is comfortable with you, you can begin taking it around the house.
\nDon’t get over-confident! Given a chance and close proximity to seat
\ncushions, your Burm will make a run (well, a slither) for it, easing down
\nbetween the cushions and from there, to points possibly unknown. Always
\nbe gentle and try to avoid sudden movements. If the snake wraps around
\nyour arm or neck, you can unwind it by gently unwrapping it starting at
\nthe tail end, not the head. <\/p>\n
@ Necessities. Some things you should have on hand for
\ngeneral maintenance and first aid include: *Nolvasan(TM)* (_chlorhexidine
\ndiacetate_) for cleaning enclosures and disinfecting food and water bowls,
\nlitter boxes, tubs and sinks etc. *Betadine(TM)* (_povodine\/iodine_) for
\ncleansing scratches and wounds. Set aside feeding and water bowls, and a
\nsoaking bowl or tub for the sole use of your snake.<\/p>\n
BAD PRESS – AND OFTEN DESERVEDLY SO!
\n Giant pythons have been in the press quite a bit lately, all due
\nto the fact that their owners died as a result of improper handling of
\ntheir snakes. While admittedly the press sensationalizes in order to
\nbetter sell papers, the fact of the matter is that not only is there still
\na great deal of morbid fear on the part of the general public as regards
\nsnakes in general, and giant pythons in particular, but there is also a
\ngreat deal of stupidity being displayed by many giant python owners (such
\nas by those owners who are surprized to find that their ten foot snake
\nleft their backyard to go exploring the neighborhood when left outside for
\na bit of sun). And for every story that the press “neglects” to correct,
\nsuch as the man who actually suffered a fatal heart attack while watching
\nTV with his python, rather than being killed by it, the press also fails
\nto point out what was being done improperly by the snake owner at the time
\nof the “attack.” If you smell like food to a snake, especially some of
\nthe giant pythons who seemingly contain a bottomless pit instead of a
\nfinite stomach, you will be grabbed. And since most people’s reaction
\nwhen being grabbed by a mouth full of fangs in a head the size of a
\ncantaloupe is to flinch and draw away, the snake, sensing live “prey,”
\ndoes what a snake ought to do–bite harder to retain a good grip on the
\n“prey” (hopefully your arm and NOT your face) and coil and constrict
\naround it to begin the process of suffocation. In the case of the
\nunfortunate Canadian snake owner who was killed, his python was not very
\nbig, but a) the owner was highly intoxicated at the time, b) the snake was
\nin shed and its eyes were fully opaque and c) the snake was known to be
\ntemperamental in general. So not only was the snake feeling particularly
\ncranky and intolerable of human interaction, its human was too intoxicated
\nto act, and react, appropriately. According to one hospital emergency
\nroom physician who has made a study of snake bites, he found that the
\nmajority of bites happen to young adult males (late teens through
\nmid-twenties) who are intoxicated at the time of the “attack.” On the
\nflip side, though, is the unfortunate Colorado family whose young teenage
\nson was napping when he was attacked and killed by the family’s eight foot
\npet Burmese, a snake who had been free-roaming in the house ever since it
\nwas brought home as a hatchling.
\n While it is true that you are more likely to die in an automobile
\naccident, it is also true that in the past year alone, the number of
\ndeaths attributed to and actually caused by pet pythons has more than
\ntripled. As a direct result of the irresponsible actions of these python
\nowners, cities and states are enacting ordinances and legislation banning
\nor severely restricting the private ownership of large pythons – in many
\ncases any snake of any species which reaches 6 or more feet in length.<\/p>\n
BEFORE YOU BUY…
\n Go to a zoo that has an adult specimen. Check out your local
\nherpetological societies to find other giant python owners and ask if you
\ncan be allowed to visit their snake, and, if possible, handle it. Few pet
\nstores actually have full-grown adult specimens.
\n Check out your city, county and state laws to see if there are any
\nrestrictions on owning a giant python or boa. Cities who have experienced
\nterror because someone let their Burmese get out of the house have been
\npassing increasingly stringent regulations prohibiting, or severely
\ngoverning, the ownership or possession of large snakes.
\n If you have small children, or children will have access to the
\nroom in which the snake will be kept, ask yourself whether you can
\nproperly secure the snake so that, not only is there no chance for it to
\nescape, but there is no way for young fingers to undo the cage.
\n Remember that regardless of how tame your Burmese becomes, and no
\nmatter how long you have had it, it is still a wild animal and as such is
\nto be considered unpredictable and potentially dangerous.<\/p>\n
Places to Go, Things to Do and See…
\nCheck your local pet stores and library for these and other python and
\nreptile care books:
\n *The General Care and Maintenance of Burmese Pythons*, by Philippe
\nde Vosjoli. 1990. Advanced Vivarium Systems, Lakeside CA.
\n *The Completely Illustrated Atlas of Reptiles and Amphibians,* by
\nObst, Richter and Jacob. 1988. TFH Publications, Inc. Neptune City, NJ.
\n Snakes of the World,* by Scott Weidensaul. 1991. Chartwell
\nBooks, Seacacus, NJ.
\n *Living Snakes of the World,* John M. Mehrtens. 1987. Sterling
\nPublishing Co. New York.<\/p>\n
