Giants

[Reptile_Reptile]

i always wanted to own a giant but i know i cant handle it yet. so can any giant owners tell me what its like stuff you do and things of that nature that only a Giant needs or even experiences you've had

[Damion930]

Im purdy inexperienced as a new giant owner but awareness caution routine and someone to help u r key when they r larger u wont be able to handel them alone I try and always have someone on hand when im dealing with my retic and learn ther behavior know ther moods I think one of the biggest things about keeping giants is understanding the dangers involved and respecting them

[Will0W783]

I have only had my Burmese for 3 weeks so far, and he's not really giant territory yet. He's only 8 feet 9 inches long. However, for 2 months I cared for a friend's two massive retics. The male was 15 feet and 110-120 pounds. I couldn't get a definite weight on him because he was too big to hold on a scale. The female was 10 feet and about 40 pounds. She was very manageable. I could hook her to pull her out and then hold her. The only thing with her was her feeding response- when I opened the cage I had to use a hook to drop the door and stand about 3 feet back because she'd fly out looking for food. Once she saw no food was coming, she was ok. She kept me on my toes though.
The male, Big Boy, required me to haul a coil out at a time, and basically steer his head in the direction I wanted him to go. He was generally a cooperative snake; when I had his tote in front of the cage and pointed his head at it, he'd come out and right into the tote, but I had to make sure to keep track of all the length so he didn't pop his head back out once his tail was in. There was no picking him up- just too heavy. I have a thread on him in the giants forum- he escaped from the cage he came in and remodeled my garage, despite my having a lock on the cage. There really is nothing like a snake that large- you can't imagine it until you have to deal with it on a daily basis. It required a LOT of patience and coordination of schedules because there was nothing I could do alone with either snake that wouldn't put me in danger.

[Reptile_Reptile]

wow sounds like a handful and i remember that thread lol where he ended up in the garage door or at least all around the top uhhhh left corner i think. it was cool but probably scary as hell

[pythonman]

Over the years i have kept Retics to 14ft, Burmese the same but a lot heavier,Anacondas, true red tails etc.
A snake from either group of pythons and boas under say 9ft, is a very different propersition to one of the same species but with an extra 4 or 5 feet added. At 8ft most snakes can be controlled and handled without incident as long as the keeper knows his/her animal,common sense dictates snakes are not trophies or toys and a keeper in tune with the animals body language and general behaviour, i say this in the assumtion that the owner of the animal in question is experienced in his/her charge.
How many of you when handling your animals have felt the snakes power, either when it feels it may slip,or when trying to extract it from the viv(if it gets purchase around cage furniture) and its does,nt want to come out.
This applies to all snakes,................But a boa or a python at say 12 ft on a off day, a day it does,nt want to be messed with. A bite alone from this animal will damage you, and a bite from a python or anaconda that does not see you as food is preferable to one that decides to bite and throw a coil or two over the body area its long teeth are now firmly embedded in, the force this animal can produce is vicelike, dont blame the snake thats what they are designed for.
A good herpetologist friend in the UK, a few years ago told me how when cleaning out some of his giant snakes, a 13 foot african rock(the smallest python in the garage) python, struck at the back of his head,as my friend felt its teeth dig into the top of his scalp and the nape of his neck, he thrust both his hands over the the top of his head to grab the snakes neck(try this as your reading), his arms, and elbows are now roughly either side of his face, the snake at the same time as he went to grab it, was starting to coil, and constrict his arms against his head and face, these two muscular coils were prevented from covering his nose and mouth, by the position his arms were in when he grabbed the animals neck. My friend of vast experience realised it was a stalemate, not wanting to panic the animal futher he stayed as still as he could, roughly an hour later a friend found him sat on garage floor(the garage housed most of the big snakes, the house full of most everything else)the snake was still tightly coiled but his friend had the advantage of been able to grab the tail of the python and start to unwind, between the two of them it did,nt take to long to get the situation back under control, and as my friend had kept his grip on the snakes neck, it was returned to its enclosure
The force that had been endured on his arms lead to extensive brusing on them as well as his chest. He was in pain for a good week.
If you are geared up for it, have the knowledge and experience and space to house the animal no one can stop you...... but it is your responsibility
Big snakes eat big food items and big food items lead to........ can you imagine what 2-3 rabbits or a piglet produce when they come out at the other end...The giant snakes are magnificent and awe inspiring, but with so many pythons or boas of a more managable size is it worth the risk places such as zoo,s, or animal parks cope with giant reptiles,as do large breeding facilities... think long and hard.:) I forgot to say teeth numbering 13 were found in his head and neck.

[Ch^4]

Incredible story pythonman!

[Lankyrob]

If you want a giant without all the danger i would recommend a SD retic. Mine is a cutey but a beast at the same time.

I don't normally handle snakes in the evenings cos of my condition/medication but he hasn't poked his head out for a couple of days so wanted to check on him. Reached in lifted his hide and picked him up no problem, he is in blue but i knoe he is ok to be handled in blue. He did his usual thing of treating my arm like a branch, kinda colied over my forearm like GTPs do on their perches.

Only had him out a few mins as dont want to annoy him whilst blue but as i went to put him back i had a "wobble" (i am not the most stable on my feet) and my arm dropped a couple of inches, this. Aused gim to grab hold to steadyhimself. That was thirty minutes ago and i can still feel the pressure on my arm from the single coil that tightened, am expecting a bruise to be there by morning!!

I think SD are a good step before looking at true giants as they can teach you all the lessons without the complete danger. Having been bitten by all my snakes bar my BP now i can tell you a retic strike, albeit a SD, is the one you want to learn to avoid!

Whatever you decide to do make sure you keep us updated with pics!!

[pythonman]

Incredible story pythonman!The point is Ch^4 accidents happen, and each accident or bad incident that is reported damages a lot of the work, we have put in. Reptiles and perhaps snakes in particular, evoke fear and hate in many humans, some of it instinctive,and the fear aspect very real and necessary in the wrong situation. The case i was trying to make is if we as responsable and dedicated keepers slip up, we can hurt the hobby, we all must be sensible with our charges, i am in awe of great white sharks but keeping one is out of the question. We are here to defend and promote this marvelous group of animals............ After all snakes dont have a leg to stand on:)

[Reptile_Reptile]

i am fully aware (especially now) that i am not ready to keep a giant, but i do have to say this. before i knew head from tails about the hobby i almost bought a retic nearly convincing my mom using the petco guys speil about size (6ft max lol) but i am glad i didnt cause i was 13. and even now at 18 i dont feel ready. that being acknowledged i have lots of dreams for my snake hobby and keeping giants is one of them. thanks for the replies so far im gaining a lot of insight and respect for them

[presspirate]

I know the feeling JR, I too hope to have a giant or 2 someday, but at 38 I still do not feel I am up for the challenge. Plus there are the space requirements to consider. One of these days, I'll have a burm, but it may be a couple of years yet.

[Will0W783]

They are an incredible responsibility; nothing else is like a giant python. Thank you for the story and advice, Pythonman.

[Aaron_S]

When anyone feels they have the necessary experience also remember you want to be stable, in your own place. These animals require a lot of room and it's very difficult to move them and their enclosures. Just another item to add to the "ready list".

[Will0W783]

Good point, Aaron. It is not easy moving them around or caring for them for a friend who's made a move.

[shaunyboy]

Over the years i have kept Retics to 14ft, Burmese the same but a lot heavier,Anacondas, true red tails etc.
A snake from either group of pythons and boas under say 9ft, is a very different propersition to one of the same species but with an extra 4 or 5 feet added. At 8ft most snakes can be controlled and handled without incident as long as the keeper knows his/her animal,common sense dictates snakes are not trophies or toys and a keeper in tune with the animals body language and general behaviour, i say this in the assumtion that the owner of the animal in question is experienced in his/her charge.
How many of you when handling your animals have felt the snakes power, either when it feels it may slip,or when trying to extract it from the viv(if it gets purchase around cage furniture) and its does,nt want to come out.
This applies to all snakes,................But a boa or a python at say 12 ft on a off day, a day it does,nt want to be messed with. A bite alone from this animal will damage you, and a bite from a python or anaconda that does not see you as food is preferable to one that decides to bite and throw a coil or two over the body area its long teeth are now firmly embedded in, the force this animal can produce is vicelike, dont blame the snake thats what they are designed for.
A good herpetologist friend in the UK, a few years ago told me how when cleaning out some of his giant snakes, a 13 foot african rock(the smallest python in the garage) python, struck at the back of his head,as my friend felt its teeth dig into the top of his scalp and the nape of his neck, he thrust both his hands over the the top of his head to grab the snakes neck(try this as your reading), his arms, and elbows are now roughly either side of his face, the snake at the same time as he went to grab it, was starting to coil, and constrict his arms against his head and face, these two muscular coils were prevented from covering his nose and mouth, by the position his arms were in when he grabbed the animals neck. My friend of vast experience realised it was a stalemate, not wanting to panic the animal futher he stayed as still as he could, roughly an hour later a friend found him sat on garage floor(the garage housed most of the big snakes, the house full of most everything else)the snake was still tightly coiled but his friend had the advantage of been able to grab the tail of the python and start to unwind, between the two of them it did,nt take to long to get the situation back under control, and as my friend had kept his grip on the snakes neck, it was returned to its enclosure
The force that had been endured on his arms lead to extensive brusing on them as well as his chest. He was in pain for a good week.
If you are geared up for it, have the knowledge and experience and space to house the animal no one can stop you...... but it is your responsibility
Big snakes eat big food items and big food items lead to........ can you imagine what 2-3 rabbits or a piglet produce when they come out at the other end...The giant snakes are magnificent and awe inspiring, but with so many pythons or boas of a more managable size is it worth the risk places such as zoo,s, or animal parks cope with giant reptiles,as do large breeding facilities... think long and hard.:) I forgot to say teeth numbering 13 were found in his head and neck.

^^^^^
this

RESPECT is what you need ...

RESPECT for the snakes power and capability's

these snakes are basically a 12 to 20ft muscle with awsome constricting power

as said its down to us to make sure we are always in a position of safety as the snake will only be doing what comes naturally to it should it decide your a prey item...!!

i had a feeding responce bite from a 5ft jungle

once i had grabbed its head with my ONLY FREE hand to stop it trying to walk its way round my wrist with its jaws it threw a few coils round both my wrists

i was effectively in hand cuffs

i had to sit blood dripping onto my bedroom floor until my wife came home from shopping

she walked through the doors to the sound of.....

" if your not too busy honey could you pop up and give me a hand "

she procceded to unwrap the jungle from my bruised and bleeding wrist/forearm

i can only imagine the strife your friend was in with a 13ft monster john

the power these snakes posess is truely astounding.....!!!

a lot of thought and planning has to go into keeping one of these guys

cheers shaun

[shaunyboy]

When anyone feels they have the necessary experience also remember you want to be stable, in your own place. These animals require a lot of room and it's very difficult to move them and their enclosures. Just another item to add to the "ready list".


fair point mate

when moving large heavy bodied snakes it always requires extra pairs of hands

even with my carpets should they require medication an extra pair of hands are neccesary...!!

cheers shaun

[Lankyrob]

^^^^^
this

RESPECT is what you need ...

RESPECT for the snakes power and capability's

these snakes are basically a 12 to 20ft muscle with awsome constricting power

as said its down to us to make sure we are always in a position of safety as the snake will only be doing what comes naturally to it should it decide your a prey item...!!

i had a feeding responce bite from a 5ft jungle

once i had grabbed its head with my ONLY FREE hand to stop it trying to walk its way round my wrist with its jaws it threw a few coils round both my wrists

i was effectively in hand cuffs

i had to sit blood dripping onto my bedroom floor until my wife came home from shopping

she walked through the doors to the sound of.....

" if your not too busy honey could you pop up and give me a hand "

she procceded to unwrap the jungle from my bruised and bleeding wrist/forearm

i can only imagine the strife your friend was in with a 13ft monster john

the power these snakes posess is truely astounding.....!!!

a lot of thought and planning has to go into keeping one of these guys

cheers shaun


Saying this from the bedroom my wife would probably have walked back out the house again!!! :shocked: :suspicious: :laugh:

[marvelfreak]

Saying this from the bedroom my wife would probably have walked back out the house again!!! :shocked: :suspicious: :laugh:
11432 11432
Here's a good thread on retic and burms

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/giant-python-discussion/83056-retic-burm-you-pick.html

[belovedboas]

What a story python man!!!! even though I have quite a few yrs keeping boas and smaller pythons.. This aswell as other info I have come across shows me I am not ready for a giant.. very informative.

Someday!!!

[Freebody]

i handled my neirboors 11 or so foot burmeis python a couple years back before he gave it away, it was the largest heavy bodied snake i have handled , when he was holding me<< its power is somthing the word respect hardly covers, you feel that power and you know in seconds that you are completly at its mercy. like rob said, SD are the perfect big snake, large but not Huge, and lets face it, once they hit 15 feet + your not really handling much at that point , more like hooking it out to clean the cage, pet it a few times and back in the cage, if you got a SD at least you can still bring it out and handle it during its later years, and its still got that nice size we all love. Python man, good story to think of when planning on the big guys, your buddy was lucky and smart to chill and wait it out and not try to fight it off solo, surprised it still hung on, my snakes usually let go as soon as it taste my blood, which seems like a long time atm but a second or 2 and the dmg is done, got bit by my bredle the other day and now i got a little nerve dmg thats getting better on my finger it got, i press on the spot and it feels like an electric shock and that was nothing like what our buddy had gone through, i bet he was pooping t 3s like tic tacs lol :P arron you got a great point which is one of the most over looked things we here is the reason for 9/10 of all large snakes being abandoned or given away.

[Reptile_Reptile]

no if i got a giant i would only get it knowing that i could keep that snake for 20-30 years. at one point i was going to donate a snake (checked it out ended up not doing it) and since then i decided these are my snakes and they depend upon me. they didnt ask to be kept in a tank. the least i can do is make them comfortable, happy, and secure.

[pythonman]

Hello Folks.
Just as an update to the experience my friend went through, the following points should be noted. The friend this happened to is a well respected and one of the most knowledgable herpetologists here in the UK. He has been one of the giants in the hobby who,s shoulders i have stood on.
I dont doubt for one minute that had this happened to a less experienced herper the outcome would have been different, had he not reached over the top of his head to grasp the snakes neck,the snake would have wrapped across his head and face and he by his own admission would maybe not be here and the press would have a sensational story.
As it was, his elbows and arms were in such a position(as said reach over the top of your own head and place your hands on the nape of your neck) as the snake started to throw its coils, his arms and elbows which are at either side and to the front of his face were pushed together and his head and shoulders completly enveloped, but his nose and mouth, due to the position of his arms unobstructed and breathing possible. Freebody it was the fact he was breathing made the snake hang on, the animal was not in defensive mode it was in feeding mode.
Could i have stayed calm and collected like he did, i dont know, the bruising to his face from the pressure of his arms been forced into his face by the pythons constriction was severe, his elbows were forced together in front of his face and this proved very uncomfortable and extremely painfull, but any movement on his part resulting in seemingly more effortless force exacted by the snake to his person.
He knew he had to be as still as possible so as not to excite the animal, and wait it out.
I dont think anybody,should be deprived of caring for any animal they have the experience or know how to manage, and thankfully some do and are to be respected in expanding our knowledge of these large pythons, its just accidents happen, and its not just the handler that suffers, the animal itself will suffer a certain demise, and the hobby tainted by such incidents.
The hobby we enjoy is so vast, there are so many snakes out there that are strikingly beautiful, interesting, and with characters and challanges to suit every herper, with out endangering ourselves, family and neighbours.(and even family pets)
And although i have only been on this forum a short while, it is evident by the membership here, most of us are here to futher the hobby and educate and promote such a misunderstood animal.
So if you are ready for one of the big boys or girls, approach it with due consideration. We all know that cute 3 foot python is easy to care for and manage, but it is your responsibilty as rightly said by Reptile Reptile for up to 30 year, how committed are you?
As for me, there are enough safe, wonderful and magnificent snakes out there to keep me going for another 30 year, and i cant wait to enjoy every single moment:)

[Reptile_Reptile]

As for me, there are enough safe, wonderful and magnificent snakes out there to keep me going for another 30 year, and i cant wait to enjoy every single moment:)
.....hear hear

[Will0W783]

As per requested, here is the advice from the "Wanting a Burm!!" thread:

I recently acquired a rescue albino Burmese. I too, have wanted one for years but wanted to gain experience with smaller animals first. I have had Silas for a bit over 3 weeks now, and he's a great snake. He's measuring in at 8 feet 9 inches and 19.8 pounds. Silas was being neglected because the previous owners didn't understand the proper care of large constrictors, and he was also bred too young so he may not reach his full size potential.
I have cared for large retics for a friend, however, and that was an experience! I have a thread here on my issues with Big Boy and his female friend. Big Boy was next to impossible to keep in a cage- he was over 100 pounds and very strong. He busted out of the cage he came in twice, despite heavy locks. When I moved him to a cage with drop-down doors instead of sliding ones, he did not escape again, because there was nothing for him to brace against to move the doors. Retics are also generally more ornery than Burms, and can cause quite a bit of damage on an "off day". A Burmese is a good choice for getting into the giants, because they are generally very docile, and a male will average out to 11-13 feet, smaller than a retic. Some male Burms have been known to get over 16 feet long, so don't count on it staying smaller than a female, but the average length of a male Burmese in captivity has been said to be 11-12 feet. Even at that size, it will be taking several jumbo rats in a sitting, or a rabbit. At his current size, Silas ate 3 large rats for me. And he can be difficult to move around and control even at this size. He is at the maximum size I can handle him alone. As he grows, he will put on weight rapidly and require 2 people to move him out of his cage for exercise and soaks.

Despite their mass, the giants still require exercise and interaction, or they will become obese and ornery. A far too often fate for giant pythons is obesity and related health problems - an overweight snake is at risk of respiratory issues, liver failure and heart disease. Their lifespan is reduced as well. So you need to make sure you have room to house a snake that can potentially hit 16 feet- at that point, you need a cage that is at least 8 feet long x 3 feet wide, and preferably larger. Your food bills will also rise significantly- a single frozen rabbit is $8-15. And a 16 foot snake will eat 2-4 of those per month. You will also need to make sure you can handle cleaning up dog-sized poops and copious amounts of urates. From my experience, the larger snakes require a long soak and thorough cage scrubbing every single time they go, because they just soak their bedding and run through it and make an absolute stinky mess.

However, if you are sure you have the time, money and space, a Burmese python can be a very rewarding and impressive pet.

One can never be too careful with these guys- you HAVE to use common sense (which actually isn't that common these days, :-P) and can never let your guard down, no matter how familiar you are with the snake. Remember, it's 15-20 feet of pure muscle, all powered by a brain the size of a walnut (it's not smart, and you can always count on it to be a snake, but at the same time, you need to be aware of all variables that can affect its instinctual reactions). The one day you forget to wash your hands after playing with your cat/bunny/chinchilla/dog and your retic/Burm/Afrock mistakes you for food, you could be facing thousands of dollars of stitches and emergency room fees.

When a 5-6 foot python bites you, it hurts but you can usually wash it and bandage it and be ok. When a 16-foot python bites you, it tears you up and you will most likely need stitches and potentially have nerve damage and permanent scars.

[belovedboas]

Thanks guys!!! cause Ive wanted a burm for quite sometime but never really talked to anyone that owned one.....I will respect and appreciate there beauty until I am ready to own one.....which is not yet.....Thanks for all the good info:):)

[Will0W783]

No problem. They are great snakes, and I absolutely adore my big fellow.

[pythonman]

To those who want a giant snake please dont think i am trying to put any one off. I myself have maintained quite a few without any drama or incident, burms are generally excellent charges, retics are spectacular in pattern and again these have been maintained without any problem. If you have the space, time, knowledge,confidience and can handle the mess a big snake creates(especially after defacating a piglet or two) then go for it friends.... but when a big snake has a bad day you may have a bad day.
Many years ago when golden burms were new, i bred these. These animals were very tractable and even when retrieving the eggs remained placid, and no doubt of the 60 or so animals produced(2 clutches) i would like to think some are still in the hobby today. There will always be a demand for impressive large snakes. There is no reason why if all the correct precautions are taken, and the keeping of such animals is met with the correct approach they will provide the keeper with an increased awe of such impressive beasts. As a breeder i find space is paramount and would rather propagate many species rather than the larger constrictors, but thankfully many new herpers want to take their experience to the next level and that should be commended.... a few large(12ft and above) pythons in a collection is an exciting and memorable experience and if carried out professionally and with confidience very rewarding:)

[Will0W783]

To those who want a giant snake please dont think i am trying to put any one off. I myself have maintained quite a few without any drama or incident, burms are generally excellent charges, retics are spectacular in pattern and again these have been maintained without any problem. If you have the space, time, knowledge,confidience and can handle the mess a big snake creates(especially after defacating a piglet or two) then go for it friends.... but when a big snake has a bad day you may have a bad day.
Many years ago when golden burms were new, i bred these. These animals were very tractable and even when retrieving the eggs remained placid, and no doubt of the 60 or so animals produced(2 clutches) i would like to think some are still in the hobby today. There will always be a demand for impressive large snakes. There is no reason why if all the correct precautions are taken, and the keeping of such animals is met with the correct approach they will provide the keeper with an increased awe of such impressive beasts. As a breeder i find space is paramount and would rather propagate many species rather than the larger constrictors, but thankfully many new herpers want to take their experience to the next level and that should be commended.... a few large(12ft and above) pythons in a collection is an exciting and memorable experience and if carried out professionally and with confidience very rewarding


Wonderfully put, pythonman. I couldn't agree more!

[percey39]

I have not dealt with many monsters unlike my european or american friends on here, but i have had the joy of dealing with a 18 foot burmese in Thailand. This snake was just incredible and had the personality of a puppy, it was incredibly excited by the fact it got to come out of its cage. This guy was incredibly heavy and wanted to try and get his whole body on my shoulders luckily he couldnt, i nearly fell over with what he did get on me he was that heavy ( i was 6'4" and 95kg at the time and rather fit ). They are incredible creatures, but are a even a more incredible commitment to keep.
We dont have access to the big guy's like african rocks, burms, retics, or green anaconda's which is proberly a good thing for me as i would happily get a pair of each ( especially african rock pythons as they stole my heart yeas ago ). We do have access to morelia kinghorni or scrub pythons here, which have a recorded length of 8.4m which is a BIG snake. I keep this species and keep a few of them, i will never fully trust these guy's as they are a lot more active due to their slender build compared to the other guy's i have mentioned. This species has killed here and there was a respected keeper killed only last year by a 4m scrubby. I have had a few close calls with feeding strikes just missing my face and could only imagine how it would feel to be coiled by a big snake.

Thanks for sharing that story pythonman, hopefully it will deter some people from owning these guy's that are not completely ready for them. This statement is not directed at anyone, but more so to stop younger people buying these guys as babies and then panicing or dumping them when they reach 3-4m long. This is where our hobby has copped a flogging over the couple of years.

Remember there is no anti-venom for lack of oxygen!

[Crikey4]

To those who want a giant snake please dont think i am trying to put any one off. I myself have maintained quite a few without any drama or incident, burms are generally excellent charges, retics are spectacular in pattern and again these have been maintained without any problem. If you have the space, time, knowledge,confidience and can handle the mess a big snake creates(especially after defacating a piglet or two) then go for it friends.... but when a big snake has a bad day you may have a bad day.
Many years ago when golden burms were new, i bred these. These animals were very tractable and even when retrieving the eggs remained placid, and no doubt of the 60 or so animals produced(2 clutches) i would like to think some are still in the hobby today. There will always be a demand for impressive large snakes. There is no reason why if all the correct precautions are taken, and the keeping of such animals is met with the correct approach they will provide the keeper with an increased awe of such impressive beasts. As a breeder i find space is paramount and would rather propagate many species rather than the larger constrictors, but thankfully many new herpers want to take their experience to the next level and that should be commended.... a few large(12ft and above) pythons in a collection is an exciting and memorable experience and if carried out professionally and with confidience very rewarding:)

Again well put. But I would like to add to..."but when a big snake has a bad day you may have a bad day." I have kept snakes just about my whole life but it wasnt until I got into the giants that I actually realized how incredible these animals are. One perfect example of their strength was shown to me when I worked at a reptile pet store. (Ill leave out there name) But me and another guy were working in the back room where they kept all of the big breeders. And without any warning a retic with a gnarly food response struck out of it enclosure, that was about 4 feet off the ground, grabbed my coworker and tried pulling him into the enclosure. Completely lifting him off the ground. The only thing that probably saved him was the fact that he wouldnt fit through the cage entrance. But just so everyone knows, that guy is fine but did have a very bad couple days.