have any of you heard of this before?

[stephanbakir]

My friend has been cage feeding his burm for years, its never aggressive with people at all, its coming close to 16 years old and to date has never bitten anyone.

That being said, this snake has a rediculous feeding responce once food is present. 2 days ago we were feeding it a rabbit, and it literally slammed this rabbit THROUGH the plexiglass door of his enclosure (he snapped the plexiglass itself into two pieces and cut himself up pretty badly) its normal for him to slam his food against the wall in his first attack, shortly followed by constriction (all food is presented F/T).

Is there any way of getting the snake to "slow down" when it comes to feeding, he has only been exposed to f/t food since he got it at aprox 5 ft long. (im assuming that after years of abuse from the snake, the door probably had minor cracks in it, but we cant see any offhand)

If you require any aditional information im sure that i can get it for you.

[infernalis]

http://www.thamfriends.com/mat.jpg

[TeaNinja]

wow lol, that's crazy. i hope the snake is alright and i hope the cage is easily fixed/replaced.

[presspirate]

Hello, and Welcome Aboard! I'm not an expert in snake psychology, but I'd have to believe that in regards to a snakes feeding response, it is what it is. I have snakes that slam and constrict f/t prey, and I have snakes that will take it gently from my hand. The only thing I can suggest is maybe having one person distract it from one end of it's cage while the other person slips the prey item in the other end. I'm sorry I can't be of more help, but in my opinion.....how does a 16 foot Burmese python eat? Any way it wants to.......

Good luck!

[whoaxmary]

Whoa. Sounds a little intense.
"How does a 16 ft Burm Python eat? Anyways it wants to..."
Lol - that's for sure. ;/ I just wouldn't want to be inbetween snake and food when that pray drive kicks in. Sorry I don't have any advice to give you! Kind of just invaded your board out of my ouwn curiosity.

[Jendee]

I hope that snake gets a vet visit, cuts on a snake take a very long time to heal in which case it is an open wound for quite some time and will need treatment to keep from getting infected. Some snakes are really aggressive when striking, and you want them to be it keeps their muscles strong and in tune doing what they should doing naturally in the wild. I would try to aim the strike away from the glass though maybe towards the back of the cage ;)

Welcome to the forum!!!

[jonwhittington]

I have an 19 foot retic and a male and a female albino burmese python. I have been force feeding the two albinos for the past 3 to 4 years.They have gotten use to this and so have i.I could be wrong but i think its an art when feeding a snake. Thank You Deadly Weapon

[Jendee]

I have an 19 foot retic and a male and a female albino burmese python. I have been force feeding the two albinos for the past 3 to 4 years.They have gotten use to this and so have i.I could be wrong but i think its an art when feeding a snake. Thank You Deadly Weapon

sooo.....what do you mean by force feeding??

[derekcm87]

I have an 19 foot retic and a male and a female albino burmese python. I have been force feeding the two albinos for the past 3 to 4 years.They have gotten use to this and so have i.I could be wrong but i think its an art when feeding a snake. Thank You Deadly Weapon


Have you taken the two burms to the vet to learn what could be causing them not to eat on their own?

[stephanbakir]

We took the burm to the vet and none of the cuts are deep, there are a few long shallow ones, kind of scared us a little though.
Regarding the cage we can repair it easilly.

[marvelfreak]

Hello and welcome! you could see about a acrylic door or temper glass. Acrylic looks like Plexiglass but is 100% strong. Just get the measurement you need and you can order it from any glass shop.

[stephanbakir]

Sounds good, after this we really dont plan on using plexiglass with any of our larger snakes.

[bighog85]

I have an 19 foot retic and a male and a female albino burmese python. I have been force feeding the two albinos for the past 3 to 4 years.They have gotten use to this and so have i.I could be wrong but i think its an art when feeding a snake. Thank You Deadly Weapon

Wow, really? You are just force feeding these snakes without a reason as to why they don't eat on their own? Feeding a snake is not an art in any way. All it requires is getting the animal food in the safest way possible for both the snake and yourself. You must have some very sick snakes because a four year old burm is going to be a good sized animal unless it is terribly malnourished. Any healthy burm of that age would NEVER let you force feed it time after time and would probably be to big and strong for you to do that on your own, again unless it is very unhealthy. You need to get your animals to a good reptile vet instead of just cramming food down their throats.

Sorry to the OP for jacking the thread, but that needed to be addressed.

[presspirate]

Read some of his other posts. I wonder about this one.

[Damion930]

I've seen him on another forum I belive he has some form of disability has trouble conveying his meaning and has some very off practices when it comes to the large snakes he keeps I belive he means well but not sure he should be keeping what he keeps unless he has knowledgeable help

[jonwhittington]

Say Big Hog, i have been to a vet and was told that they were very healthy. Sometimes snakes stop growing for no reason,or grow slow.Then again some take off like a battleship.Yes you can calm a snake down with enough handling.

[Lankyrob]

The question you havent answered tho is why you are forcefeeding your snakes? How often you are you doing it?

[Jenn_06]

so you force feeding to get them bigger?

[jonwhittington]

Say guys and gals, I do not force feed them to make them grow faster.In general people feed there snakes more than they should.Ifeed mine every 10 to14 days. Between the 2 of them i feed them 2 to 4 pounds of chicken gizzards. Maybe i will send a video if i get some request to do so.

[marvelfreak]

Say guys and gals, I do not force feed them to make them grow faster.In general people feed there snakes more than they should.Ifeed mine every 10 to14 days. Between the 2 of them i feed them 2 to 4 pounds of chicken gizzards. Maybe i will send a video if i get some request to do so.
Yeah i like to see a video.

[Lankyrob]

Why gizzards and not whole prey items? And you still havent explained why you force feed?

[jonwhittington]

Lankyrob, I was giving Bonnie and Clyde a bath one day and had to go downstaires. They got out,when i came back 4 of my cats had them cornered.The next day they were in a state of shock and could barely move. Because of their condition the vet and 4 or 5 other breeders said i should put them down.I can not repeat what i told them all. 4 weeks went by,they got better but Bonnie only had part of her tongue.I feel pretty guilty about this situation even 3 years later it bothers me.

[jonwhittington]

Lankyrob,I can go into it further in details if you like but there is not much room here to say much. I have been to the vet 2 times since even though they said they would of put them down. Now they said Bonnie and Clyde should be dead ,how did you keep them alive?Today i try to joke about it and say I am a doctor without a license.

[Corni_snake]

hi stephanbakir WOW! O.O how big is your burms, silly question. but i bet that made you jump when he/she slammed the prey into the pre-glass (cant spell but you know what im on about).

[jonwhittington]

Stephanbakir, that must have messed with with you,did you happen to catch it on one of the cameras in the house?

[jonwhittington]

It was a very bad situation, even today i still think about what had happened. What if i did not have my cats? Both of them are very healthy from my point and others,but they dont eat on their own. Since i have owned them every time i open their cages they crawl right up to me like they are going to bite me and they raise their heads. Then i rub them under there chins for 5 minutes or so and they love it. Has any body else had experience with snakes who like being rubbed?

[Will0W783]

Between the 2 of them i feed them 2 to 4 pounds of chicken gizzards

Jon, I have to say I am concerned about chicken gizzards as a whole diet- snakes need to get the calcium for their bones from their prey. They need a whole organism to absorb all the nutrients that are required for their health. while I commend you on nursing them and giving them the fullest life possible after their accident, I think that it would be better for their health if you could get them onto whole prey items, or at least an entire rat cut up into bits if needed. I do not think gizzards will give them the calcium they need. Just my $0.02.

[jonwhittington]

Kimberly Urban, I baby my pets to the max.Ispend more money on them than on myself.If iam doing something that makes them uncomfortable then if at all possible i change it. Thank You for the information, i will check into that and get back to you. Deadly Weapon

[bighog85]

I just don't know what to say here. This seems like a bad dream or something. Jon, someone here mentioned that you are disabled. Is that true?

[jonwhittington]

Say BigHog, that is true and at times it seems like a night mare.I can only stay awake 5 to 6 hours a day, and sometimes less.But i am wide awake as long as I take naps during the day.If i try to stay awake 10 to 12 hours a day,within a few weeks or so I start to fall asleep where ever I am at.At least I have a heads up and know where when and how. I have plenty of time for my pets because thats all I do . Pets, eat, and sleep.It could be worse and I could be blind, have no arms and the list could go on.So as long as I accept the things I cannot change and change the things I can,I am OK

[Lankyrob]

Being disabled myself i do wonder what relevance disability has to the discussion?

[Jendee]

Lankyrob, I was giving Bonnie and Clyde a bath one day and had to go downstaires. They got out,when i came back 4 of my cats had them cornered.The next day they were in a state of shock and could barely move. Because of their condition the vet and 4 or 5 other breeders said i should put them down.I can not repeat what i told them all. 4 weeks went by,they got better but Bonnie only had part of her tongue.I feel pretty guilty about this situation even 3 years later it bothers me.

you said in another thread that the burm ate your cats...
AT 19 feet they should be eating large guinea pigs, whole guinea pigs..like someone else stated they need the proteins from bones ect. They should be eating once a month.
But didnt you say you fed them every 3-4 days in another thread sometimes up to 6 prey items at a time??? I think maybe if you stopped force feeding didnt feed them for 2 months or so theyd get there own hunger back and would be ready to eat themselves.

[Isaac's Ark]

Do what you will with the information I give you here I did have a similar problem with a 14 foot burm with intense feeding response. It took me 3 hours and a slice of pizza to figure this one out. I had not eaten all day worked my whole room and ordered pizza when it arrived I darn near inhaled the first slice I was so hungry. Then it hit me the dang animal was hitting the last serious growth spurt that these giants go threw. Even-tho the may not add serious length to their overall size their girth is another story. I would encourage you to weigh you animal now and feed a little heavier so when the next feeding comes around they will not want to inhale their food. Do keep in mind a good solid strike is still needed as previously stated in order to promote healthy muscle structure. In 6 months hit the scale again it is a great eye opener. I find once people see their giants hit 14,16,18 feet they tend to switch to a maintenance diet this has to be one of the most dangerous practices that is not very well addressed in the hobby of giant keeping these are animals that 20+ feet is not uncommon and you guessed it 14,16 &18 feet is when these animals can take down crazy large prey. This would enable them to have the boost required for the last serious stages of its life. Once they hit 20+ feet time for a maintenance diet and weight records. When the energy requirements needed for the growth spurt subsides it is time to make sure you don't create an obese animal that holds a whole new world of problems.

Now this may very well be an isolated event that led to my success but definitely some worth while information. Try it if it works we may be on to something.

[Damion930]

No real relevance to this thread I only brought it up so ppl woul understand why somtimes its hard to understand jon but he's doing the best he can to convey his meaning some stuff just seems to get mixed up somtimes

[jonwhittington]

Jen,sometimes people do not or can not understand me.Anyways Petunia is my retic and is 19 feet long.I never had a problem with her except when she ate my two cats. I do not blame her at all. She is a snake and my two cats were very pretty.Oh I had one other problem with her one day a few years ago I put two huge ducks in the bathtub and was gettin the water ready.I did not wash myself after I put the ducks in the tub,it was my fault. Petunia thought I was another bigger duck and put her mouth on my arm and put her body around me so quick.Ihad to think very quick so I got some mouth wash and put it in and on and around her mouth.She got away from me as quick as she got on me.They do not like mouthwash.

[jonwhittington]

Say guys and gals, somebody once told me, If your going to buy a snake then be prepared to be bitten or do not buy one. DEADLY WEAPON

[jonwhittington]

you said in another thread that the burm ate your cats...
AT 19 feet they should be eating large guinea pigs, whole guinea pigs..like someone else stated they need the proteins from bones ect. They should be eating once a month.
But didnt you say you fed them every 3-4 days in another thread sometimes up to 6 prey items at a time??? I think maybe if you stopped force feeding didnt feed them for 2 months or so theyd get there own hunger back and would be ready to eat themselves.
Jendee,my retic is 19 foot and my albino Burmese are 9 to 10 foot long. I might have written it wrong, I am sorry and by the way arnty guinea pigs cost alot?That was aretic they found on the other side of this planet. They fed it 6 full grown dogs every month they say. My words etc are getting bad need to take a nap. DEADLY WEAPON

[Corni_snake]

Say guys and gals, somebody once told me, If your going to buy a snake then be prepared to be bitten or do not buy one. DEADLY WEAPON

Very true, although if you don't want to get bitten just get a corn snake ^_^ I love snakes!. :/ I got to admit though since getting one I've kinda wanted to feel what it was like to get bitten by a snake XD I definitely won't provoke Shiro!!! :( that's mean! But if it did happen I know I would become less nervous to get a pthyon, :D

[jonwhittington]

Corni, Its like grabbing on to a rose bush really quickly.Sometimes it happens so fast that you dont feel it till you see blood.The worst is when that dont let go, then you better have mouthwash cause they do not like it.I would rather have it happen than having a dog, cat,or even a bird bite me.If you still want a snake to bite you then send me a private message or e- mail me. Thanks Deadly Weapon YOU REALLY DO NOT WANT A SNAKE TO BITE YOU

[Lankyrob]

Very true, although if you don't want to get bitten just get a corn snake ^_^ I love snakes!. :/ I got to admit though since getting one I've kinda wanted to feel what it was like to get bitten by a snake XD I definitely won't provoke Shiro!!! :( that's mean! But if it did happen I know I would become less nervous to get a pthyon, :D

Pop round my house, i have a "friendly" jcp that would love to show you what a bite feels like!!!

[jonwhittington]

Corni Snake, If you really want a snake or your snake to bite you here is what you can try. Do not feed your snake for 2 months,make sure your temps are up.In 2 months if you have not fed the snake get a rat and rub it on your hands and arms. Stick your hand in your tank and you will then know what it feels like to be bitten. DEADLY WEAPON A corn snake will even bite you ,but you need to be 18yrs or older to try this

[Corni_snake]

Corni Snake, If you really want a snake or your snake to bite you here is what you can try. Do not feed your snake for 2 months,make sure your temps are up.In 2 months if you have not fed the snake get a rat and rub it on your hands and arms. Stick your hand in your tank and you will then know what it feels like to be bitten. DEADLY WEAPON A corn snake will even bite you ,but you need to be 18yrs or older to try this

XD although creative idea..... i would'nt provoke or force this to happen.

[Corni_snake]

Pop round my house, i have a "friendly" jcp that would love to show you what a bite feels like!!!

HA XD they're fangs/teeth are pretty big _._ i think not....... thanks for the offer though lmao

[jonwhittington]

Say, just thought I would answer a question.I am sorry if anyone got mad,etc. DEADLY WEAPON

[infernalis]

Corni Snake, If you really want a snake or your snake to bite you here is what you can try. Do not feed your snake for 2 months,make sure your temps are up.In 2 months if you have not fed the snake get a rat and rub it on your hands and arms. Stick your hand in your tank and you will then know what it feels like to be bitten. DEADLY WEAPON A corn snake will even bite you ,but you need to be 18yrs or older to try this


Reach into a tank of garters when you smell like fish ;)

[jonwhittington]

Hey, 15 years ago I had 3 alligators that were 5 to 6 foot long,well how about it would you still stick your hand into their tank if you smelled like a fish ? Deadly Weapon

[TeaNinja]

LOL, i wouldn't stick my hand in their tank even if i Didn't smell like fish!

[infernalis]

Garters, Gators sound alike to me :rolleyes:

[jonwhittington]

Hey Hey, the garters may not bite you if you smell like a fish,but my alligators would have bitten right into you.Got an extrahand?????? Deadly Weapon

[stephanbakir]

who would have guessed that this topic would have gone in this direction lol

[Rolf Oldenburg]

Very true, although if you don't want to get bitten just get a corn snake ^_^ I love snakes!. :/ I got to admit though since getting one I've kinda wanted to feel what it was like to get bitten by a snake XD I definitely won't provoke Shiro!!! :( that's mean! But if it did happen I know I would become less nervous to get a pthyon, :D

I have 3 corn snakes, and i have been bitten by 2 of them, so not all corn snakes are cute guys or girls.
But me and my family have allways strange animals, we never have a "normal" animal, most of them get sick, or are resquet or how ever you spell that.
So maybe even have that problem with my snakes :P
What i wan't to make clear is:
Not every snake is the same, it doesn't matter what the size is, what kind of snake it is, male or female, it all doesn't matter, some are just a bitch and some are some cute animals.
Wen i wanted to get my first snake, i hold a baby cornsnakes in my hands, wen i wanted to stroke her, she just bit me.
Even babies bite :)