Strange rumour going around

[JimmyDavid]

Although i don't live in the states (former Toronto citizen and now living in Europe) and never visited Serpent Safari myself, i'm aware of the existence of Baby, the supposed real big burm they have.
But lately there's a rumour in many forums that i sometimes visit, saying she's probably dead and they're covering it up. Perhaps they don't wanna loose the potential visitors that go there mainly because of Baby, or something ( i would say that's very wrong ).
The rumour started when people went there and found a rather small python inside the cage with the "Baby" label on.

What do you think of this?

[scalawag]

I saw Baby about a year and a half ago, she was HUGE, just over 400lbs. I think her weight fluctuated between 400 and 440 from what I heard. I read that she died about 8 or 9 months ago.

[JimmyDavid]

If so, it's strange that they keep presenting the python currently there as Baby and therefore misleading the crowd ... oh, well; i guess the REAL WORLD out there doesn't care much it's Baby, another snake or a TOAD inside that cage, but the HERP WORLD cares. hehe...we are too hardcore about this to just let go.

I Think the next issue of Guinness should be refreshed on that then.

[KarlSnake]

Baby is till very much alive, healthy, & slithering.

Samantha was the giant female reticulated python that croaked at Bronx Zoo November 22, 2002.

I don't know the cause or circumstances of her demise.

Photo & brief text at: http://www.geocities.com/zoophotographer/samantha.html

[JimmyDavid]

Yeah, but i have a pic that some guy posted a month ago when he visited Serpent safari. In the pic he's close to "Baby" and she also looks more like 14 or 15 feet to me. it's just weird, somehow i pictured Baby much bigger. My burm looks larger than that, But some pics don't do justice to the animal, sometimes.
Anyway, that's the rumour going around.

[scalawag]

I just called Serpent Safari and Yes, BABY IS ALIVE and well. I'm assuming that this is a pretty good source!!! VIVA la Baby

[kevyn]

That snake has got to be the most overwieght snake on earth. I feel quite sorry for her. Ever read an interview with the guy?

[Linds]

Originally posted by kevyn
That snake has got to be the most overwieght snake on earth. I feel quite sorry for her. Ever read an interview with the guy?

Agreed :( Although I've never had the chance to see her in person, I have seen/read a few magazine articles before. Sadly enough, a lot of older captive burms seem to be relatively obese :(

[JimmyDavid]

C'mon, give Baby a chance and Louis some credit. I would not say she is THAT MUCH overweight, but rather accept that she's an adult female burm, wich is synonimous of a large, heavy by nature creature. If you ever see a polar bear missing the fat and large gutt i'll tell you that it's a sick one, because that's how they are supposed to be like. Almost the same with burms , here...
I'm not saying that she doesn't have some extra fat that could be without, but saying that it's Louis work is a bit absurd because, really, how do you overfeed a creature that will take 1 or 2 meals a month and not much more than that, regardless of your efforts or desire to make it eat more? It's not like the guy is forcing the food down the snake's throat or anything...gee!!

[kevyn]

Sorry the whole Louis/Baby thing seems like ameture hour to me. It's pretty easy to over feed a burm, my burms would eat everyday if I let them. They have huge appetites and a matabolism to match. Here's an article on Louis and Baby, don't let the source turn you off, Kaplan didn't write it. Can you spot all the feeding and husbandry mistakes?

http://www.anapsid.org/louisbaby.html

[kevyn]

Ooops, didn't see the little blurb at the bottom.

[JimmyDavid]

Kevin, are your burms the size of Baby? probably not, huh? if one day they reach such size don't expect them to have that same fast metabolism anymore.
I have dealt with more burms than i can remember (from newborns to huge ones) and the pattern has always been the same:
small burms-very fast metabolism
Medium burms- eat plently but less often
Big (say 15foot)- eat 2 or 3 times a month
huge burms- eat 1 or 2 times a month

Kevin, with all respect, if your pythons fit the last cathegory i can't believe they have a fast metabolism. It's impossible!!!

[Pinky]

Originally posted by kevyn
Sorry the whole Louis/Baby thing seems like ameture hour to me. It's pretty easy to over feed a burm, my burms would eat everyday if I let them. They have huge appetites and a matabolism to match. Here's an article on Louis and Baby, don't let the source turn you off, Kaplan didn't write it. Can you spot all the feeding and husbandry mistakes?

http://www.anapsid.org/louisbaby.html

I remember reading this in Reptiles Mag The close call gave me chills ! Man thats a big snake!

[reptile boi]

i heard she only gets a few chickens every month or two maybe more months, but i heard it on tv in guiness world records.




Thanks,
Ben

[scalawag]

I was there a year and a half ago and they said they feed her 7 chickens every month.

[KarlSnake]

7 chickens per month? A BIG chicken weighs about 7 pounds or so, say 50# for 7 of 'em. that doesn't seem to me like enough, much less "overfeeding". Burms are naturally a very heavy-bodied snake, most especially the females. For a really heavy-bodied python, look at a blood - not very long, but really stout & not fat, either, all muscle with a nastily nippy attitude.

[nolagurl]

where is serpent safari?

[JimmyDavid]

Location and other info is in the website www.serpentsafari.com
they also have a big Anaconda and other great reptiles.
I believe the Toronto zoo has a very big retic as well. Has anyone checked it out or know something about it?

[KarlSnake]

One of the cybersquatting extortionists has ripped off Serpent Safari's WebSite

"Baby", a Burmese Python, is still alive & slithering. A photo (& not much else) is viewable @ Serpent Safari, http://ahau.nidus.net/ss/home.html