Malaki; our new/old Burm [Archive] - sSNAKESs : Reptile Forum

Norm66

01-23-12, 08:20 PM

Meet Malaki, our latest acquisition. He's the 9 year old albino Burm I was asking about in the thread about 'stunted' Burms. We've officially adopted him and brought him home after spending about a week getting his tub 100% secure and "just-so" as far as conditions go. He just shed a week ago and ate right after so we'll give him a couple days to settle in and feed him Wednesday evening when we feed our others.

He was actually pretty cranky by his standards tonight giving a little hiss when he came out of his enclosure at our friend's and again when we took him out of the travel tub but showed absolutely no aggression. But we only had him out for a quickie photo op and straight into his tub. We'll get more and better pics down the road.

Here's Becky holding our new center-piece:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-27JxqvHAe1Y/Tx4TSS5S6RI/AAAAAAAAA5Y/IjVsxcRDRDo/s512/011.JPG
And here area couple of fairly close-ups. I really, really need a better camera...
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-quAKU_8S5CI/Tx4TDv3VOpI/AAAAAAAAA5M/_SZrGmtdgks/s512/013.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-V4RwiRXY13M/Tx4TCYTnc9I/AAAAAAAAA5E/epXV0R3DWns/s512/014.JPG

KORBIN5895

01-23-12, 08:23 PM

Ohhhh. I like it!

CK SandBoas

01-23-12, 08:24 PM

He is a beauty! :)

Trent

01-23-12, 08:38 PM

Love the burms..very nice!!

red ink

01-23-12, 08:45 PM

Very pretty... A wildlife park here has an albino burm and their even more stunning in the flesh.

DragonsEye

01-23-12, 08:52 PM

He's a beauty!

alessia55

01-23-12, 08:53 PM

Wow, congrats! I cant wait to see more pics of this gorgeous snake over time :yes:

BarelyBreathing

01-23-12, 09:09 PM

He's pretty.

Rogue628

01-23-12, 09:15 PM

Stunted or not (I never read the complete thread... my bad:o ) he's very beautiful. He's kept his colors well and doesn't look washed out like some albino burms do after they get bigger/age.

Out of the snakes I've kept, burms are my favorite. I try to not show any partiality to them (don't need any getting jealous :p ) but so far, burms are by far my favorite (BP's next). There's nothing I can say I dislike about mine, even though I do get frustrated with my problem eater because she won't switch to rats. I love their attitudes...even their grumpiness when in shed...the way they feel, that tilt of their head, and how generally lazy they are lol. I love the fact I can take mine out and they'll pretty much stay where ever I put them. They challenge me with their size but intrigue me with their gentleness. I love watching mine grow. :)

Good luck with him and enjoy him! :D

Becky Goings

01-23-12, 10:04 PM

When he hissed as I was getting him out of his enclosure at our friend's house, he did it before I touched him with the snake stick, and again when I touched him with it. As soon as I got my hand on him he settled down and came out of the cage easily for me. I love love love this guy, he's like a puppy dog. I'm very grateful to have him.

KORBIN5895

01-23-12, 10:12 PM

I am very happy for you two.

Norm66

01-24-12, 06:13 AM

Thanks everybody. I checked on him this morning and all was well. No hissing, just curiosity like he always shows around people.

Rogue, I was actually surprised when I saw the pics because I didn't think he had that much yellow in him. I think it's the difference in lighting between our house and our friend's reptile room.

Due to a misunderstanding we bought 2x rats for him instead of the 3x he's eating. We only bought six so I figure he'll be OK for a month or so on them. Maybe he'll be able to eat two. We'll see what kind of lump one leaves and then decide.

As soon as we get our W-2s we're going to get our taxes together and when the refund comes we're ordering a boaphile cage w/ RHP for Malaki as the tub is not the most convenient thing what with the straps and all. LOL. If he outgrows it fine, we'll move my boa Mario into it and get him a new one. We actually have a contingency plan for a really big cage should he ever grow to need it, but honestly I don't see that happening.

Caylan

01-24-12, 06:55 AM

Not sure how big 2x or 3x rats are, but he looks like he could take a 1.5-2 pound rabbit to be honest. 2 rats would be no problem at all. He's a really good looking burm, lots of yellow still and a very nice neck pattern. Best of luck with him, I'll bet he surprises you with the size he may get. I'm not talking 20 feet, but a good 50 pound snake might not out of the question... Caylan.S.

Rogue628

01-24-12, 06:59 AM

I agree. If you can get him to switch to rabbits, you should see a growth improvement. Maybe not to average size of a male burm, but you can still get him to a nice size. :) Plus it may be cheaper in the long run to switch him.

Good luck!

Gungirl

01-24-12, 07:02 AM

He is beautiful! congrats on the adoption you two..

Norm66

01-24-12, 07:36 AM

Thanks for the input. I think Shannon tried offering him rabbits a few times with no luck is why he is still on rats. We'll do some research before the next expo (where we buy our feeders) and find out what's up.

I hope he does grow some more. It would make us feel good. LOL.

Caylan

01-24-12, 08:20 AM

Try giving him a rat, and just after he's done swallowing the tail, offer him the rabbit. He should take it just from being in feed mode. You could try enforcing this behaviour with the rats you have now, by doubling up, then he will be used to it for when you offer him the rabbit. I think he'll still grow some more, especially on rabbits. Caylan.s.

KORBIN5895

01-24-12, 09:36 AM

So out of curiosity why would one rabbit make him grow faster than two rats? A xxxl rat is between 475-600+ g from rodent pro. They cost two dollars each. A 454-794g rabbit (1-1.75 pounds) costs five dollars each. So the rats are a more economical choice. Don't rats have a higher fat content which would make it grow faster? Since he isn't huge two xxl rats seems like a good choice to me and if he never gets huge he could just be bumped to two xxxl rats which would still be cheaper than a rabbit.

Rogue628

01-24-12, 11:05 AM

Norm66

01-24-12, 11:10 AM

OK, the old breeders thing makes perfect sense to me. I'll give it a shot. But we're going to use up our 6 rats we bought first because nothing else we have will be ready for them for at least a year.

MoreliAddict

01-24-12, 11:58 AM

is Malaki upset that he won't be allowed to leave West Virginia??

also have you posted pics of your jungle carpet? http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd364/CBLsDad/SpotSmileySmall.png

Norm66

01-24-12, 12:14 PM

is Malaki upset that he won't be allowed to leave West Virginia??

also have you posted pics of your jungle carpet? http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd364/CBLsDad/SpotSmileySmall.png

LOL, only if he gets sick. There aren't any herp vets here as far as I know. It's our job to keep him from getting sick.

And yes, I've got a thread in morelia forum for Jerome. He's a problem child non-eater so far so I haven't taken any pics of him as he's being left alone as much as possible until he starts eating.

KORBIN5895

01-24-12, 01:12 PM

Better nutrients. xxxl/jumbo rats are typically old breeders who have more fat then muscle to them...or that's what I understand. You want to feed them something more healthy, not fattening.

Norm, try what was suggested. It couldn't hurt.

According to rp you are correct! Anything over XL is a retired breeder and may have a higher body fat content. Here I stand corrected but I learned something important today.

Becky Goings

01-24-12, 03:37 PM

Norm missed the conversation where we discovered he really is on xxl rats, but I think he'll be ready to move up to the xxxl rats soon. I'm also a bit squeamish about feeding rabbits (I used to take care of a neighbor's pet rabbit when he was on the road, so it's hard for me to think about them as food). But, if it's what's best for my Malaki, I'll deal with it. I just want a little more time to resign myself to it. lol We aren't going to powerfeed, we just want him healthy. He is in way better condition than when our friend rescued him. I'm excited to have him home, and can't wait to feed him tomorrow!

youngster

01-24-12, 04:56 PM

Awesome burm guys, also, sweet name!!

Rogue628

01-25-12, 12:23 AM

According to rp you are correct! Anything over XL is a retired breeder and may have a higher body fat content. Here I stand corrected but I learned something important today.

I couldn't remember if it started with XL or bigger. Once mine need to be moved up to large rats, I'm going to start looking for rabbits. I do have 2 dumerils that I'm moving to large this week. I have a breeder I need to locate to see if they can stay on large rats for the rest of their lives or if they're going to require a larger food source. If so, I'll be attempting to switch them to rabbits in a couple of months.

Becky, when I first started keeping snakes, I had a hard time feeding mice. I thought they were so cute :D It took a while but I can now distinguish in my mind "pets" vs "food". I can have pet rodents. My son had pet mice when he was younger. Those are to never be given as a food source...and probably the reason why I cannot look in the pet section of craigslist for feeders for my animals. I only feed mice/rats/and later rabbits that are bred and fed as a source of good food for my animals. Hopefully soon you can come to terms between them in your mind as well :)

Norm66

01-25-12, 05:58 AM

Oh Becky will get over the bunny thing quick enough if that's what Malaki needs. Did I mention she's in love with him? LOL. Seriously, I've seen brand-new mothers with less love in their faces than when Becky's holding Malaki. ;)

presspirate

01-25-12, 02:14 PM

Nice looking Burm. Your wife looks like she's holding a baby. :D I just recently got mine to take a rabbit. The trick I used was thawing the rabbit in a bag of used rat bedding. Worked like a charm!:yes:

Hope this helps. Good Luck!

millertime89

01-25-12, 03:33 PM

Malaki looks awesome, his color and pattern just pop so nicely.
You may be able to keep him on rats now, but if he grows like he should, pretty soon it'll be more economical to switch to one or two larger rabbits than 3 or 4 even 3xl rats.

Becky Goings

01-25-12, 04:13 PM

Kyle, from what we can find online, he's not going to get much bigger (maybe in girth) because he's already 9 years old. He was severely underfed for all but the last 9 months or so, when Shannon rescued him. He also had been not handled at all after he was about 2 years old, until Shannon got him. He is such a sweet guy it's amazing, with all he's lived through. I'll get over the rabbit thing once we've had him and fed him a few times, I'm sure. Norm is right, I really do love the guy. :) <3

jaleely

01-25-12, 07:22 PM

Cool, and congrats! Let us know how the feeding goes!!

Norm66

01-25-12, 08:03 PM

Well, the feeding actually went really well. When I popped the top of the tub he immediately got the smell of rat and started coming out. I actually had to grab about 2' behind his head and put him back into the tub but when I showed him the rat I swear I saw a glint in his eye and a smirk on his lips. He took it without hesitation and spent about 5 minutes getting it down. Then he came looking for more. LOL.

I quickly obliged him and he repeated his earlier performance. This time took a little longer to get it down because at first he tried eating it shoulder first which was never going to work. Eventually he sucked it down and has a nice size lump to show for his trouble.

Obviously we're really pleased. I have some pics to post but I'm working overtime this week and I'm really tired. I'll try and get them posted tomorrow sometime.

Swany

01-25-12, 08:06 PM

That's great Norm, long may it continue ;-)

I upped Princess to two fluffs last night, she gobbled them one after the other no problem.

Norm66

01-25-12, 08:14 PM

Thanks. :)

It's remarkable th size of prey these guys can take.

Swany

01-25-12, 08:22 PM

Yeah it's pretty amazing when you look at them and then their food item you wonder how they manage :-)

millertime89

01-26-12, 02:37 AM

Norm66

01-26-12, 06:40 AM

be careful during feeding time. You might be surprised how quickly they can whip around and grab a hand when in feed mode. I would suggest having the rats ready for him the moment you open his enclosure.

Becky, I followed the happenings of Malaki in the other thread, but to my knowledge this severe of a case of underfeeding has never happened before. I think it will be very interesting to see how he grows under a proper feeding regiment.

Kyle, I agree. Call it a rookie mistake. We're still working out the details of dealing with a big guy. It was easy at his former home as it was set up and Shannon had a procedure that worked but we're not quite there yet. Next time will be safer.

What I forgot to say last night was that he wanted another one after the 2nd. He came right out of the tub at me looking for more. Kind of dangerous actually but cute too.

Rogue628

01-26-12, 06:47 AM

Mine do that. They'll look for food as long as they're in feed mode. Once they realize they're not getting anymore, they settle down lol.

Caylan

01-26-12, 07:02 AM

Which is perfect timing for getting that rabbit switch in, I'm telling yuh. Congrats on the successful feeding. Malaki is a really cool snake, and lucky to be in your care. I still see a mini giant in this ones future too... Caylan.S.

Norm66

01-26-12, 07:08 AM

I kind of hope he does get big. It would be a little sad if he didn't, but we just want to make him happy so it doesn't matter really.

I'm getting rabbits at the next expo (Feb 4) so we'll definitely give it a go.

Nismo89

01-26-12, 10:30 PM

Thats a nice new pick up I love the giants especially albinos but am not ready for one yet. On a side note I saw on the first page you were thinking about getting a boaphile for this guy. Thats not the best idea they aren't made with strong enough material to handle a retic IIRC. I actually talked to Jeff (the boaphile) a few months back when I was thinking about ordering a few cages and I don't remember the exact weight limits on what he sells was but it wasn't much more than the weight of a full grown boa. I'd suggest just giving him a call (it's the easiest way to get ahold of him) and see what he says about it before you spend all that money.

millertime89

01-27-12, 02:17 AM

yes, boaphiles aren't the most popular in the retic community. Sentec is extremely popular but pretty pricey. Join Retic Keepers and Retic Nation on facebook (if you have one) and join the corresponding forum to read up on what they keepers of the big guys love. I've also seen mention of visions, boa masters, and neodeshas.

edit: basically anything that is solid PVC

Norm66

01-27-12, 06:14 AM

Thanks for the info guys. I'm not locked into boaphiles actually I just meant them as a generic term for PVC cages. Bad habit I know. Like calling all tissues Kleenex.

Of course you guys are talking about full-size retics and I'm talking about a smallish Burm that at 9 years old isn't as big as most boas. I had in mind starting him out in a 4x2 cage and moving him up if/when he needed it. Then I'd have a 4x2 for my boa or a future snake. I'll look into cages here in the next couple weeks.

Again, thanks.

Norm66

01-27-12, 12:09 PM

Feeding pics as promised...just a day later than promised. :)

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-zRp-tiTO7pk/TyCvKIDQbUI/AAAAAAAAA7g/-ccvnGzhy6A/s480/Untitled.jpg
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-snl90ICVdq0/TyCvMNERoDI/AAAAAAAAA7w/kE26N9xZsmI/s480/Untitled.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-AzsndsP1RAQ/TyCvP8fZ3FI/AAAAAAAAA8I/IO4t9fjZmwI/s480/Untitled.jpg
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-pmaIoJMqoR0/TyCvST8uXXI/AAAAAAAAA8Y/1uQctvNTpcQ/s640/Untitled.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-_daCRnQGJ8Q/TyCvUOs8hVI/AAAAAAAAA8g/wpUqmKRnrn0/s640/Untitled.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-gF1x_-ZpKQc/TyCvY8w9KaI/AAAAAAAAA84/MIvRjEK1LKk/s480/Untitled.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6Tfz5p89laU/TyCvpufoVpI/AAAAAAAAA9Q/RGho2QjwDJE/s640/Untitled.jpg

Norm66

01-27-12, 12:09 PM

And finally, this is right before he came after me looking for another rat.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-OYupq4XOnXg/TyCv2ZFP9RI/AAAAAAAAA-o/YftP4s7-vbE/s480/Untitled.jpg

Swany

01-27-12, 12:17 PM

Nice pics Norm. Thats one good looking snake ;-)

Norm66

01-27-12, 12:29 PM

Thanks. We love him.

millertime89

01-27-12, 01:45 PM

He looks great, and you might be surprised how strong he is, you'll need something pretty sturdy.

exwizard

01-27-12, 03:27 PM

Love the burms..very nice!!

I agree, and this one is especially bright.

Ivan_The_Titan

01-28-12, 01:16 PM

Great story behind this guy, good on you taking him in. He's held his colour as well as Ivan! All the other albino burms we see this age, are very faded in colour. Hoepfully he'll switch over to rabbits fairly easily for you. Good luck.

Rogue628

01-28-12, 02:06 PM

And finally, this is right before he came after me looking for another rat.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-OYupq4XOnXg/TyCv2ZFP9RI/AAAAAAAAA-o/YftP4s7-vbE/s480/Untitled.jpg

lol I love when mine look up at me like that, as if saying "More?" :D

Norm66

01-28-12, 03:46 PM

lol I love when mine look up at me like that, as if saying "More?" :D

Yep, that was exactly the message he was putting across. 2 1/2 days later though he still has a slight bulge (I think anyway) so I think it was enough. Do big snakes take longer to digest than smaller ones? I know it's temperature dependant but the temps are solidly at 80 & 90 respectively. And every time I've checked on him he's been on a different side.

I had him out to check on him (first time since feeding) just now and he placed himself in the front of my big aquarium. Oddly, the fish weren't as scared of
Malaki as they have to the smaller snakes when they've been in front of the tank.

So, since the tank is 6' long and the stand is about 3" longer on each side I can reliably say he's in the neighborhood of 6'-6" long.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-gw-M72fnhOk/TyRpf16gv_I/AAAAAAAAA_E/XgONG1ubPl8/s720/Malaki%2520027.JPG

Just guessing, I didn't have a tape measure handy. Next time...

Here's a question maybe you all can help me with. We've been wondering if these faint pink marks on his face are natural or if he's been rubbing. To me I would say they're natural pink because if he'd been rubbing the front of his face would be red as well but new baby, new concerns. Also they haven't changed (worse or better) since we brought him home. We never noticed them before we brought him home but then we never noticed how bright his yellow was before either. They start just behind his nostrils and run back just over and end behind his eyes. Here are a couple of close-ups:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-HSwd97akZk8/TyRp1lUHVHI/AAAAAAAAA_M/FZLrNO8_4IQ/s720/Malaki%2520030.JPG

And a slightly more top view:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BR2NKVTsUpw/TyRp3Vep1WI/AAAAAAAAA_U/AWZ0XaOfry4/s720/Malaki%2520031.JPG

millertime89

01-28-12, 05:21 PM

the pink is known as blushing, its nothing to worry about man.

Ivan_The_Titan

01-28-12, 05:36 PM

All the cool 'Bino Burms have red eyebrows...
http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q531/Ivanthetitan/DSCF1478.jpg

millertime89

01-28-12, 05:40 PM

aye, its a desirable trait.

alessia55

01-28-12, 06:52 PM

Malaki looks great, Norm :yes: The faint pink marks is blushing, nothing to worry about.
Also, that's an awesome fish tank you have!!

Norm66

01-28-12, 07:19 PM

Thanks everybody. I thought so, but reassurance is always good with a new pet. :)

Thanks Alessia! That was my spring & summer project.

Norm66

02-02-12, 07:40 PM

We were buying some Save the Burm bracelets and he wanted his picture taken. Most of him is on the front of my aquarium behind me.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-MaM7v6DtAF8/Tys58PdiQII/AAAAAAAABAI/ce_grD7rEbM/s480/Untitled.jpg

My friend Chris watching a hockey game with Malaki instead of the usual Sadie (cat) in his lap:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QtnDgJ9McvM/TyrH113RvqI/AAAAAAAAA_4/_05RqahJ8VU/s480/Untitled.jpg

alessia55

02-02-12, 07:41 PM

aw Malaki looks like he's got such a sweet disposition :)

Norm66

02-02-12, 07:43 PM

He does, but tonight he's playing Mr. Squirmy-Burm. I'm waiting for Becky to get home to help me get him back in his tub. I can do it, but it's a lot easier with two.

exwizard

02-02-12, 07:45 PM

Imagine that ;)

Norm66

02-02-12, 07:50 PM

Imagine that ;)

lol yea. He's fine if you're standing up but if you're sitting down he's all over the place. The keyboard for instance.... I can't wait til it's 80 outside and we can take him outside for some real exercise.

CK SandBoas

02-03-12, 07:59 AM

Malaki just looks like a complete sweetie:)

BurmeseGuy

02-03-12, 11:23 PM

Nice looking Burm...I love them all...regular, albino, green, granite just awesome seeing them with good owners...

Norm66

02-07-12, 12:03 PM

We're going to try a rabbit tonight. Actually we bought 4 small rabbits to go with the 4 small rats we already have (they're about the same weight) so we're going to start with a rat and see if he'll take the rabbit. I have a feeling he will, he's a good boy. :)

Caylan

02-07-12, 12:13 PM

Awesome!@ Have a rat on hand ready to go, then chuck that rabbit in again just after incase he doesn;t eat it right away, but a good chance he will eat no problem! Good luck Norm!!! Caylan.S.

Norm66

02-07-12, 12:27 PM

Awesome!@ Have a rat on hand ready to go, then chuck that rabbit in again just after incase he doesn;t eat it right away, but a good chance he will eat no problem! Good luck Norm!!! Caylan.S.

You know, I had planned to lead with the rat to 'get him in the mood' so to speak. But now thinking about it maybe I should lead with the rabbit like you say. Then have the rat which I know he will eat and I can do the old 'sneak the bunny in as the rat goes down' trick as a backup plan.

Hmmmm.... yea, that makes sense.

Thanks Caylan!

Caylan

02-07-12, 01:42 PM

No problem!! My tricks aren't secrets hehe. Let me know how he does asap lol. Caylan.S.

Norm66

02-07-12, 07:12 PM

No problems. Started with the small rabbit with a XXL rat. No hesitation, no problems. Woohoo!

Rogue628

02-07-12, 11:23 PM

Woot! Congrats on an easy switch! Now if I can only get my problem burm to do the same!

Norm66

02-08-12, 06:14 AM

Woot! Congrats on an easy switch! Now if I can only get my problem burm to do the same!

Caylan will help you, he's been all kinds of helpful since we got Malaki. :)

Norm66

02-08-12, 07:40 AM

Feeding pics:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gBdyDrB_aPw/TzJ5tQvf63I/AAAAAAAABEY/EZsSo8IO9Fk/s480/Untitled.jpg
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ZXvtRZ4fbbI/TzJ5uGLTksI/AAAAAAAABEg/iCB8-ta9cWY/s480/Untitled.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D0RXM1IGC4w/TzJ5u_rVV4I/AAAAAAAABEo/aX5AVbxHzT0/s480/Untitled.jpg
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-3r5iCEYCJ0w/TzJ5v3PEAPI/AAAAAAAABEw/Qn-WwhCwoIU/s480/Untitled.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-R5OrFWrB4QM/TzJ5wi6EPRI/AAAAAAAABE4/D-luvJfTTDI/s480/Untitled.jpg

In the one picture you can see some aspen shavings on the bunny. I picked them off and I swear Malaki gave me a "look". LOL. It takes forever to thaw without immersing it in water so I squeeze off as much as I can into the sink before feeding. It seems to keep the worst of the aspen from sticking to the prey. And most of what does stick seems to get knocked off by his mouth as he swallows so I'm not really worried about it.

Jenn_06

02-08-12, 08:06 AM

yay congrats on the switch, maybe if i show Isis (my retic) a pic of your brum eating a rabbit she might switch LOL, been feeding this girl XXXL rats she will not take a rabbit for me :(

Norm66

02-08-12, 08:12 AM

Good luck! Malaki had refused rabbits before we had him so I wasn't sure if he'd take it or not. My plan (actually Caylan's) last night was if he refused the rabbit to feed him the rat and when the rat was almost gone stick the rabbit's head in his mouth. Then hope that eating it that way would make him realize it was food.

Might be something to think about for your retic. Kind of a dirty trick but it's better for them in the long run.

Jenn_06

02-08-12, 08:20 AM

i tried the rat first then the rabbit but never stuck the rabbit in her mouth before she was done with the rat, might need to try that when i can find small rabbits again i have med rabbits but think it might be too big for her.

millertime89

02-08-12, 10:36 PM

I love the way his eye looks in the 4th shot.

Caylan

02-09-12, 12:07 AM

As that tail is going down, carefully get that rabbits head near his mouth. I held the rabbit behind the shoulders, you may want to use tongs. Problem is they still can bite you and this stage so be very careful. I would suggest the use of tongs. The idea is the rat tail is still in the mouth then the rabbit goes in. My technique at least. The rat will continue to go down the throat due to the throat movements and it should constrict or just start swallowing the rabbit. Just getting him to try it in his mouth is usually all it takes. He may drop it, leave for a while see if he eats later in the night. Oh yeah, also feed at night hehe. Very different response day versus night. Midnight is my feeding time at home, and no one really misses a meal. Lights out when you leave too. Sometimes a freshkilled rabbit will work better for switching as well... It's amazing what they can fit in their mouthes, I'm sure your rabbits are fine size wise. Make sure they get really warm/hot before you offer it, and even drier rabbits get a better response sometimes. Hair drier for this works awesome. warms and dries, mmm yummy. Best of luck, Caylan.S.

Norm66

02-22-12, 06:14 AM

Here's a quickie feeding video. I just edited some clips together rather than taping the whole thing. It's not the greatest quality, I spent about 5 minutes on it and it was done entirely on my phone.

<object style="height: 390px; width: 640px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2R8_bgUcCls?version=3&feature=player_detailpage"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2R8_bgUcCls?version=3&feature=player_detailpage" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="360"></object>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R8_bgUcCls&feature=player_detailpage

OK, apparently I don't know the trick to embedding youtube videos. Sorry. I'll try and figure it out.

Norm66

02-22-12, 06:45 AM

I figured it out then the site went dark for a few minutes. When I got it back my editing window was up. Sorry. :)

2R8_bgUcCls&feature=player_detailpage

Skits

02-22-12, 09:28 PM

Gorgeous burm! He's a quick eater too! Unless mine just eat slow. :P

Caylan

02-22-12, 09:38 PM

Great video Norm! That last few seconds when he's looking around but still has a tail hanging out... that's the time to switch hehe. Not that you have to worry about that lol. You're going to love the weight he starts putting on now! Caylan.S.

millertime89

02-22-12, 11:23 PM

great video Norm, but he could easily be taking more than just that one 2xl rat.

Norm66

02-23-12, 06:03 AM

Thanks folks.

Kyle, he had just finished eating a small rabbit, you can kind of see the lump on his upside down belly in the one shot in the video. We're transitioning to rabbits only but we had 4 XXL rats left to use up first.

Skits, after getting the rabbit down it seems like he's stretched out a bit and the more slender rat goes down really quickly.

Caylan, yea, he starts looking for more before the tail is down, LOL. He's a good boy, he likes his bunnies. We have two more rabbit and bunny feedings before we switch over to all bunnies all the time. :)

millertime89

02-23-12, 12:58 PM

Good deal Norm, that would explain why he looks like he could take much larger food.

Norm66

03-20-12, 10:32 AM

Malaki just had his first shed with us. Six days from turning blue he gave us a perfect, though in 3 pieces, shed and looks just beautiful. He was a total grump for those 6 days too. Normally he starts climbing out of his tub on his own as soon as the lid comes up but when he was in shed he just sat there, looked up and hissed lightly. LOL. We checked on him a couple times a day but only had him out once during that time when his paper needed changed. I'm going to get a hotel 'Do Not Disturb' sign for his tub when he's in shed next time. ;)

Of course right after his shed he was back to his normal self climbing out and hanging out. It was warm enough yesterday he spent about 2 hours on the couch while I cleaned his tub and did aquarium maintenance.

alessia55

03-20-12, 10:33 AM

Any new pics of now happy-again new skin Malaki? :p

Lankyrob

03-20-12, 10:46 AM

You cant post that he has shed without providing pics Norm!! Thats sacrilege! You should know better!!!

Swany

03-20-12, 10:56 AM

Word Rob !

Norm you know the rules :-)

Norm66

03-20-12, 11:03 AM

Any new pics of now happy-again new skin Malaki? :p

I don't know where my mind was. I plead temporary insanity.

Here's a before pic the night we had him out to clean...
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-NgO8bDbJsOk/T2FJ8lMQENI/AAAAAAAABI4/CnWDaF5JI_E/s576/Untitled.jpg

And here's a couple post-shed pics. We'll get some more tonight as it's finally warm enough to take him outside. I'm very excited about that. LOL

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Gl7cE8L0c-Y/T2ddvrMaE4I/AAAAAAAABJk/hH9M_aUJ1gY/s576/Untitled.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jcBj7NopXTM/T2deEi-BVjI/AAAAAAAABJ0/pkMeZQtHygE/s576/Untitled.jpg

LOL, you can see Max spends his nights on the couch where Malaki is right there by the hairs.

Swany

03-20-12, 11:08 AM

We accept your plead Norm ;-) He's gorgeous as always.

alessia55

03-20-12, 11:16 AM

Gorgeous! Can't wait to see the pics of when he gets to roam outdoors a bit. I bet he'll love that :D I can't imagine having to check over a snake that huge for mites and whatnot upon returning indoors though... that'll be quite a chore!! :p

Norm66

03-20-12, 11:32 AM

Thanks. :)

Takes one to know one Swany. ;)

Alessia, I don't think mites will be an issue. From what I understand they're reptile specific and this early in the year it's unlikely there will be any in the grass since there haven't been many reptiles there yet. That said we'll still give him a good once over on the way in.

Lankyrob

03-20-12, 11:58 AM

You are now forgiven Norm, he is beautiful :)

Becky Goings

03-20-12, 01:03 PM

I'm just happy to have my sweet boy back. Mr. Grumpy Pants boy was no fun. :)

Rogue628

03-20-12, 03:49 PM

lol I know the feeling. One of my girls is very grumpy when in shed. She hasn't ever hissed but if you disturb her in shed, she quite literally comes out of her hide, holding her head a certain way that says "don't mess with me"...she can be intimidating lol

Love the pics of him. I still think he's one of the prettiest burms I've seen, even if he is a little on the small side. :)

Speaking of which, have you guys noticed a noticeable difference in his size since you've had him and he's eating more regularly?

Caylan

03-20-12, 04:15 PM

Malaki looks great!! Also, Mites originate in Africa. Shouldn't be any outside I wouldn't think. Ticks might still be possible though, I'm not sure.

Norm66

03-20-12, 08:06 PM

I believe the ticks are specific to reptiles too rather than the ones that get on people or dogs.

Yea, Malaki has grown quite a bit in the almost a year he's been eating regularly. Since we've had him he's grown slightly longer, maybe 3"-4" at most and a bit more in girth. He's been out of his tub pretty much every day since we've had him too which seems to be toning him up a bit as well. Tonight with the temperature right at 82 in our living room he watched the 2nd and 3rd periods of the hockey game with us on the couch. He rotated between Becky and me and sitting quietly. Very much a good boy.

Here's another pic I doctored a bit in Photoshop. Mostly I blurred out the dog hairs on the couch and cloned out one that was across his jaw (can you tell where?) but I also tried to bring his yellows out a bit more realistically rather than the somewhat washed out version in the original.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AjrluCSqb1k/T2jyRb7dFHI/AAAAAAAABKA/b-mffGRyKF0/s640/IMAGE_CA162120-1EA9-49A4-BA65-F6358B1D8A3F.JPG

Norm66

04-17-12, 05:37 AM

I have a question about feeding Malaki. We had been feeding him a XXL rat and a small rabbit (from Rodent Pro for a size reference) and this time I asked for medium rabbits, paid for my order and went about looking around the expo without looking at them. Now I'm wondering if we bought too big a prey item for Malaki.

The small rabbits are from 1-2 lbs and the mediums go from 2-4 and it's possible a few of the ones we got are on the high side of that range.

Here's a recent pic of him, it's only his head but there's blades of grass to give a size reference. He's a bit over 7' long now.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-SItP0AQ5DdQ/T4uIh2oroJI/AAAAAAAABM0/sirDLTzOSQU/s640/IMAGE_3ABC9A45-B609-49E8-BF3C-6949CFF9B52A.JPG

So best guess, can he take these 3-4lb rabbits or should I get something smaller.

shaunyboy

04-17-12, 05:44 AM

i don't keep burm's mate but i would offer him one of the mediums and see what he does

he will soon show you if he can take it

i'm betting it won't be a problem norm

he's looking good mate

cheers shaun

Caylan

04-17-12, 05:45 AM

You'd be amazed by how much they can stretch... the food lump will be there for a few days too :D

Norm66

04-17-12, 06:01 AM

Thanks fellas. Weight wise it looks like the XXXL rat + Small rabbit was a little over 3lbs at most while a medium rabbit would be 4 lbs at most. If he can't take it is there any chance of it just getting stuck? He had to work at the small rabbits but it wasn't a major struggle IMO.

edited to add: Becky thinks he weighs 12-15 lbs. I'm not really good at judging weights honestly but I think he's gotta be 15 minimum. What does a healthy 7' Burm usually weigh?

Norm66

04-17-12, 07:30 PM

Well he's eating it. It was just slightly bigger around than him. He hissed at it like he was mad or something before he struck like he knew it would be a challenge. LOL. Anyway he's got its head in and is working on it pretty good now so I think it'll be fine. Pics to follow tomorrow probably.

Rogue628

04-17-12, 09:40 PM

I wish I would have seen this earlier when you were asking. I was pretty sure he could take it.

Are you feeding him weekly or bi weekly?

Caylan

04-17-12, 11:36 PM

Go Malaki Go!

Lankyrob

04-18-12, 04:46 AM

I have found when feeding larger prey the snake makes more effort to wrap it and give it a real good squeezing before eating it but they always seem to manage with no issue :)

Norm66

04-18-12, 05:30 AM

Rogue, bi-weekly.

Thanks again for the input everyone. He did seem to struggle with it a little bit, especially at the beginning. But in true Malaki fashion once it was down he was up out of the tub looking for more. I used a golf club to lift him back in (really need a hook) and seal him up.

Here pics. Excuse the state of his tub, the paper got wet from the rabbit plus he defecated and I tried to tear up as much of it as I could around him. I put some aspen in after he started eating so he wouldn't be on a bare floor. Gotta be careful though with him still in feed mode. LOL.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-kgd6PPFL-lw/T44nQl5hcbI/AAAAAAAABNA/AhChLnfwoc4/s512/IMAGE_00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000002305.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nIrn9gZYbok/T44nTVrrBgI/AAAAAAAABNI/MWNIsrrY_kI/s512/IMAGE_00000000-0000-0000-0000-00000000230A.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fFpNucoX9-c/T44nViRaQKI/AAAAAAAABNQ/DPHZl6J083Q/s512/IMAGE_00000000-0000-0000-0000-00000000230B.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-NwNj-9rUWko/T44nX3ycOqI/AAAAAAAABNY/bLalSow50Pg/s512/IMAGE_00000000-0000-0000-0000-00000000230C.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BWcbESaTahU/T44nc5NVFJI/AAAAAAAABNo/t65PQ0fOehg/s640/IMAGE_00000000-0000-0000-0000-00000000230E.JPG

I thought I had one of his lump but I must not have uploaded it. Oh well.

shaunyboy

04-18-12, 06:02 AM

great pictures norm

he took that no problem mate,he hardly looked stretched at all,as he took it down

you'll have him up in wieght in no time at that rate

cheers shaun

Norm66

04-18-12, 06:17 AM

Thanks Shaun. :) Between the regular feedings and the regular exercise he's starting to get into pretty good shape. We picked right up where our friend Shannon left off with his feeding but with her much larger collection she didn't have the time we do to have him out of his cage running around. I couldn't be happier about it.

millertime89

04-18-12, 12:27 PM

He really is a fantastic example of an albino burm. So glad he's getting the care he deserves.

Trollbie

04-18-12, 12:41 PM

Beautiful snakey!

Rogue628

04-18-12, 10:09 PM

He's looking really good, Norm! Maybe it's just me but he looks like he's grown a bit since you've gotten him and he looks a little shinier although that could be from the pics.

I'm truly interested in his growth progress since he's gotten some good humans to take care of him :D

Caylan

04-18-12, 10:25 PM

Looking good man, he could take 4 pounders if you let him lol. Don't you just love the blushing they get when strangling something?? Its like a diamond python!

Norm66

04-19-12, 06:00 AM

Thanks Rogue, he has definitely grown since we've gotten him. Both length, about 6" I'd say and a bit of girth. But what's really noticeable to me is how much he's firmed up. Not that he was flabby before but his body has gotten really firm and muscled. I credit his almost daily "walkabouts" on the couch with us or when it's warm enough outside. The only time he doesn't get out is feeding day and a few days after. I know snakes aren't supposed to be social but it really seems like he enjoys himself. And the reason he looks shiny is he just shed a perfect shed a couple weeks ago.

For comparison this pic is almost a year old when our friend Shannon first rescued him. At this point he was 9 years old, had dried shed all over him and had been fed a mouse a month at most his entire life.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iTSDV5jvFxs/T4_8FPvn2rI/AAAAAAAABOM/HhdByALsCZA/s640/Old%2520Malaki.jpg

And this pic is from the day we brought him home with us back in late January of this year. He'd been eating regularly for 6+ months at this point and you can already see a difference.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-27JxqvHAe1Y/Tx4TSS5S6RI/AAAAAAAAA5Y/IjVsxcRDRDo/s512/011.JPG

Caylan, yes! He gets pink when he's outside but he really gets red at feeding time and like I said this was the most fired up I've ever seen him with all the hissing and stuff. It was like he was saying "I'm built for this". LOL

Here's a pic of the lump 24 hours after feeding. It was funny, 99.9% of the time when the lid of the tub comes up he's right there to greet me and come out but this time for some reason he just sat there like he was sitting on eggs or something. ;)
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-aEcCKbo8CSM/T492-IDmcMI/AAAAAAAABN0/aXmWIYwPWnI/s512/IMAGE_77E8BB70-74BB-4426-AF5F-9559387B1462.JPG

Kingsnakechris

04-19-12, 10:36 AM

Very awesome! I love the colors on him!

Caylan

04-19-12, 06:01 PM