Aggressive Burmese!

[Jet]

A friend attempted to hold my (recently rescued) Burmese last night since my hand is still healing from his bite 10/21/04. He is still demonstrating a lot of aggression, and could not be handled!!! He is great once he is taken out of his enclosure, but getting him out is very difficult. Any suggestions?

***I know this is a terrible thing to wish, but if I could, I would have the previous owner be the one to take him out and suffer the bites for every day that he neglected him!***

Brightest Blessings!
Jet

[El_Gringo]

How big is he? I would say buy yourself a big snake hook to get him out of the cage with, then try handling him from there. There is a very good chance that the previous owner was feeding him live (maybe the only reason he/she got the snake) so when your burm sees your warm hand coming towards him, he thinks its dinner time. That could be one reason why he is aggressive. So, handle him frequently (maybe wear some gloves if this snake is rather large) and definately feed f/t and time will tell. Later.

Antonio Juan Sanchez.

[Jet]

My Burmese is 3 inches shy of 5 feet and in my opinion too thin. I have had him now for 12 days and I have feed him twice 2 "jumbo rats." He is due to feed again Saturday. I did notice last night that he is about to shed, which I realize may account for some of the aggression displayed last night.

Where can I find a snake hook?

[El_Gringo]

This one should work:
http://www.bigappleherp.com/Reptile_Supplies/Product/Big_Apples_Big_43_Inch_Hook_390120.html

Or look at a local reptile store.

Antonio Juan Sanchez.

[Jet]

Thank you, much! I will check it out.

[BWSmith]

That is wasy to fix. Get him out of the cage with hook, then you can handle him. I actually do that with all of my lerger boids. That way, they are not conered and feeling defensive and you reduce the risk of a feeding response.

[Jet]

Ok .... but while I am waiting for a hook to be delivered (via mail), what am I to do? What else can be used in place of a hook to take him out without any harm?

[JimmyDavid]

Here's how i got all my snakes to be tame (and i have rocks and retics, my friends). You'll really need a hook the few first times you take the snake out of the cage, but while some people think that putting the snake on their shoulders and walk around is good handling, here's where they are wrong. You must educate the snake on
"Picking up" not "holding around" because the first situation is the real problem.
Once out of the cage and on you, hold the snake for a couple of minutes to make her feel confortable. Then, let her crawl OUT of you and pick her up again (If you do this right away, she will not yet be on defensive mode), repeat this
"pick and let go" practice a lot of times.
You'll be surprised, in less than a week you can grab the snake right out of the enclosure and she will trust you.

[lakeridgekennel]

There are a couple of things to try. Use a pair of welding gloves to get her out or throw a blanket over her and then pull her out. If your hook will be there soon just leave her untill you get it. Do the basics just fresh water and keep feeding her.

[Jet]

I will try anything. I am a very determined female when I set my mind to something, and right now he is at the top of my list! I am determined to give him the things that he was deprived of before reaching me. I know that I can't expect miracles in such a short time, but if he can sense genuine kindness and a true friend, then we will eventually be the best of friends! If I am bitten again in the process, then so be it. His bite has messed my hand up pretty bad and I still have some brusing and a lot of tenderness. Hopefully, he won't get me again.

I want to thank each of you for the good advice, and will keep you updated.

Brightest Blessings,
Jet

[mudflats]

Frequenting south florida very often, i come across wild burms every trip. An all of them are not happy campers, being said, i always get nailed a few times by 5-6 footers. Anything larger i try and take caution. But as you said still recovering, a 5-6 footers are not bad or even hurt when nailing you imo. Taking hits isnt bad at all from a 5 footer. I would just say bite your lip and get him used to your hand entering the enclosure. An feed ina seperate bin.

[Jet]

...but are you trying to say that a 5ft Burmese can't do harm when it bites, and didn't hurt? When he chomped down on my hand and coiled around my arm, it was like a vice! He didn't just strike and release. It wasn't until I stood up heading towards the bathroom to run water over his head, that he released. I bled for several minutes and had blood vessels pool in mounds beneath the skin. That bite left me with nerve and ligamet damage and a rigid splint! After 7 days, I still can't even position certain fingers on that hand!

"If" I misunderstood then forgive me. If I did not, then I beg to differ on opinions and experiences.

Jet

[mudflats]

Usually bites i have had , on 5-6 foot burms consist of a bite and release. I just cant imagine one causing so much damage being the head of most of these individuals are about the size of my adult female ball pythons, just larger in width. All the bites i have had, have not done any damage other then a view marks and bleeding, although these bites have been on my arm. This bite was on your hand? Aswell as i do not have a high tolerance for pain what so ever, and these bites did Not hurt. they where not fun, and i would mind getting bitten again because it does hurt somewhat but not anything so intolerable. So if i was in your shoes with an aggresive burm that was less then 5 feet, i would probably not sweet taking him out of the enclosure and take the hit. Also did you happen to flinch and get deep lacerations during this process? I know a 5-6 foot burm on a sensitive area like the hand would do allot of damage if under right circumstances. Sorry if i am coming across as being ignorant, i am just saying the bites i have gone threw where not at all painful. The bites i have indured i dont see any causing damage, last year a 4 footer nailed me on the hand and didnt phase a bit to being a hurtful bite, i have never had a serious bite from a 5-6 footer therfore i will not mind getting bitten until i learn the hardway, you have so i would say avoid the bite at all cost. As for me i dont see a 5-6 fotter hurting.

[Jet]

I have an enormous tolerance to pain, and the bite did not hurt in my opinion. The bite did however feel like a vice and I first calmly tried to pry him off using my left hand, but instead got pricks from his rear teeth in 2 of my fingers. I realize that it is for this reason that he chomped down harder and began to chew! His grip only got tighter with me attempting to pry him off, and he only released once I stood to go the bathroom and get him off . I knew better to flinch or jerk away, because I knew it could have resulted in stiches to my hand. This was not my first snake bite by far (36 years of experience), but it was definitely the worse. I was bitten by a Boa about the same size several years back that was nothing more than a bite, release, and then bleeding. It didn't really bother me. However, the bite site from that Burmese looked bad enough that it made me sick on my stomach. It bruised immediately and swelled up. It hurt after the fact, not during. I had to remain calm when bitten, because my mom was there and my daughter in-law that is 7 1/2 months pregnant. I was actually laughing afterwards in order to calm them down. that is about all I know to say. This is my first Burmese. I didn't want it, but I couldn't help but take him from the guy who had him. I do not care to keep discussing my injury. I am simply asking for advice from the "experts" on Burmese that own them and can help me get him where he needs to be in order to be healthy and happy. I want to be the best care giver that one can be during the process without injury to him or me. That's it.

[weinerboy12]

my 5'6 burm bit and constricted my wrist about 2 weeks.. it was a joke :p i jsut got my girlfriend to uncoil her.. no spraying it in the face with ****.. no cold wanter... then we just pushed the head foward because of the damn curved teeth