New here/giant python question

[Wdnesday99]

Hi guys I'm new here so i wanted to say hi, plus i have a question about keeping giant pythons (14 ft plus). I'm wondering about the necessity of having a second person around when handling them? i have a good about of experience from keeping snakes (about 6 years) and also i work for a reptile breeder/zoo where i take care of green anacondas, retics, and Burmese pythons. I really want to get my first retic, i understand the care but ill be the only there handling it. What do you guys think of this?

[Venomhunter]

For every 3,2 ft of python/anaconda etc. One person to move it otherwise it can be very dangerous.
Ofcourse, the majority of the retics/burms are very mellow but what if they have a bad day and you are only with one other person? You probably will not get out of it's grip (75% sure of that) and no, i do not keep giant constrictors but i have had enough experience with them.
I got bitten by a 8 ft yellow anaconda when we needed to shift him into another enclosure at the shelter i work in, i was at the head and my co worker in the back.
It coiled around my arm, it took 3 persons to get it off and i had a tingling sensation in my arm for over an hour.
If you would keep them and you would like to clean their enclosure, make sure that there is more then one person with you.
This is more of an opinion though, you probably have more experience with giants. My advise is: play it safe
(Note, like i said i don't keep them but i know plenty of guys who do)

[bigsnakegirl785]

For the giants, having 1-3 other people is absolutely 100% necessary. It will be hard enough moving it by yourself at a certain size, let alone if something goes wrong.

If you cannot have other people to help you, giants are not for you.

I'd suggest a super dwarf reticulated python if you're interested in the species but don't mind a smaller snake, and make sure to get one with as much SD blood as possible.

[Minkness]

2 people is a definite minimum for a full grown giant. While you may not need extra people to feed it and water it, cleaning and any kind of handling can be dangerous. Maybe you can have a friend from the zoo you work for come over on those days.

[MDT]

i'm pretty sure a 14' pissed off retic could kick two full grown dude's butts.

[dave himself]

Just talking from experience here but when one of these snakes decides it's having a bad day it's definitely a 2 person job. Having someone come over to give you a hand doesn't really work out, as there times when the viv is almost flooded with pee and needs cleaned asap. It's at times like these your friend may be out for a meal or slightly intoxicated or even out of town for the evening. So your left with two choices, let your snake lay in its own pee till your friend or someone else who is capable and knows what they're doing becomes available, or hope that everything turns out ok and risk getting a large snake out of enclosure which could overpower you and do you serious damage or worse. I've been at the receiving end of a feeding response bite and wrap from Wilson our albino burm male, which was completely my fault but made it non the less frightening. We've also had our female burm Daisy go from her usual gentle self to a complete nut job, for no apparent reason. Sorry for the long reply but I really would think long and hard before you take one of these snakes on alone. At the end of the day what you decide to do is down to you and no one else :)

[Wdnesday99]

Just talking from experience here but when one of these snakes decides it's having a bad day it's definitely a 2 person job. Having someone come over to give you a hand doesn't really work out, as there times when the viv is almost flooded with pee and needs cleaned asap. It's at times like these your friend may be out for a meal or slightly intoxicated or even out of town for the evening. So your left with two choices, let your snake lay in its own pee till your friend or someone else who is capable and knows what they're doing becomes available, or hope that everything turns out ok and risk getting a large snake out of enclosure which could overpower you and do you serious damage or worse. I've been at the receiving end of a feeding response bite and wrap from Wilson our albino burm male, which was completely my fault but made it non the less frightening. We've also had our female burm Daisy go from her usual gentle self to a complete nut job, for no apparent reason. Sorry for the long reply but I really would think long and hard before you take one of these snakes on alone. At the end of the day what you decide to do is down to you and no one else :)

Yeah i wouldn't buy one intending on waiting for another person to come over, but i should have been a bit more specific. I don't live alone so i will always have two people around in case of the snake being in a bad mood or for feeding. For regular handling i might be the only one in the room which I'm personally comfortable with because the store i work at is so busy most of the day i think Ive had help handling big snakes(12ft-16ft) maybe three times my entire time working there.

[dave himself]

Yeah i wouldn't buy one intending on waiting for another person to come over, but i should have been a bit more specific. I don't live alone so i will always have two people around in case of the snake being in a bad mood or for feeding. For regular handling i might be the only one in the room which I'm personally comfortable with because the store i work at is so busy most of the day i think Ive had help handling big snakes(12ft-16ft) maybe three times my entire time working there.

That puts a whole new out look on things, personally I would go with two people in the same room with any large snake over 10ft. But everyone does things differently, so I you would be happy with the handling with someone close by I say go for it :)

[reptiledude987]

I dont keep giants myself but would like to share a story I heard that took place at a local reptile zoo recently. One of the staff was closing for the night and was the only one left in the facility. While closing he noticed that one of the lights in the retic enclosure was burnt out. So he decided to replace it which needed to be done inside the enclosure. Normally their retics have a great temperment and were not known to be aggressive. as he was leaving the enclosure from the light change one of the retics grabbed him on the calf and wrapped him up. He said it felt like hours that it had him wrapped up when in reality it was 30-45 seconds. Once it realized he wasnt a goat it let him go and moved along. However this "hug" it gave him resulted in multiple broken ribs internal hemoraging and minor brain damage. This happened several years ago and he still suffers the effects of it today.

All that being said only you know your situation. The point is as much as we all love these maginifecent creatures. Its not worth risking your own safety and well being. This is the reason that I dont have giants at present either. I simply lack the assistance that I know is needed to care for them. As Dave said I have a friend who would be more that willing to help me when the tank needs to be cleaned but may not be available every time the snake does its buisness. Therfore I will probably wait until I'm married and have at least 1 other person around full time to help when its needed.