my baby burm prob?

ReptileX · 02-24-03, 10:14 PM

I got my burm about 3 months ago and and i would say hes about 3.5 to 4 months old...I was wondering if burms his age are all nippy...i would say 3 out of 4 times i pick him up he bites me will he get less of an attitude as he gets bigger or does the attitude grow with his body? and a more concerning question which may answer my first, one of his/her eye is bigger than the other, not like a bubble or anything but it looks like there is pushing on it from the inside....its not a lot bigger but noticable..any ideas or hits as to what i should do about it??

Matt_K · 02-24-03, 10:22 PM

about your burms attitude. I have two burms here that are about the same age as yours and they are both nippy. Do not worry, they WILL grow out of it. Just spend the time, and handle him despite. It will go away, as for the eye, im not to sure what that may be, maybe you could get a picture of the problem and post it for us to see??

BurmBaroness · 02-24-03, 10:27 PM

I would recommend a trip to the vet for the eye. I have 4 burms here, who have not been nippy at all, and only one that's hissy. I think it just depends on the snake. The only way to calm it down is to handle it. If it bites you and you put it up, then it has won. And it will know that if it bites you, it will get put back where it wants to be. When handling the burm, do not return it to the cage until it is calm, and not hissing, biting. That should help.

ReptileX · 02-24-03, 10:27 PM

thanks, i'll try to get a pic, might be a open moth pic though

garethuk1 · 02-25-03, 07:42 AM

i had a burm that keeped biting but if u wear a pair gloves and just pick him up without hessitating he will be ok they know when u are scared because u send of a faramone which thay can smell but if u stay calm it will be ok it worked for me

ReptiZone · 02-26-03, 02:46 AM

you know how I feal about gloves reptile X if you need gloves you should not have the animal, but when I think about it that is how I started. It is only a baby burm your a big man you can deal with it trust me.

Just wanted to put my 2 cents in spend it where you want.

Chondro Python

Linds · 02-26-03, 07:52 AM

I agree with chondro python in that gloves aren't they way. Firstly, they are dangerous to the snake. In an attempt to protect yourself, you are putting the snake at risk of getting snagged in the glove and losing/breaking a tooth(teeth), wrenching its jaw, etc. A broken tooth can lead to infections such as mouthrot.

Secondly, even if the above wasn't a concern, it wouldn't be acclimating the snake to handling much better since your snakie wouldn't be able to feel the heat, smell the skin, etc of your hand.
Just persist with daily, patient, gentle handling (except allow 48+ hours for digestion after each meal, no handling) and your burm should outgrow this nippy stage. I find baby burms to be very nippy, and they don't outgrow it on their own like some snakes seem to. It's important to nip this habit in the bud, a big "nippy" burm is not a pleasant thing!

bbkaren · 02-27-03, 09:46 PM

As for the eye thing, I read about some sort of snake disorder (called pop-eye I think?) that causes the eye to push out, maybe the vet should be called--

As for the nippy-ness, handling a lot should help. We've had ours over 3 months and he's just now starting to calm down. He's not a biter but would hiss like he wanted to kill ya if you went into his cage.

ReptileX · 02-27-03, 09:52 PM

I guy that i know said it might just be a bad shed like maybe it was stuck to his eye and when he started to take the shed off it pulled his eye...could that be a possibility?and thanx for the info guys and gals!

snakemann87 · 02-28-03, 09:07 PM

i would be patient, try and get something and tap him to let him know you arent food. As for my burm, who is 5 months SUNDAY, he is fine, I have yet to be bitten by him, so I guess im lucky.

norman · 02-28-03, 09:26 PM

?
tap it?

snakemann87 · 03-01-03, 03:28 PM

as in, maybe a piece of rolled paper towel or something and just touch him or "tap" on the head with it, or the body, just to let him know you arent food.

BurmBaroness · 03-01-03, 06:53 PM

I would think that "tapping" could be misconstrued as a threat. When a snake has retained eyecaps from a shed, the LAST thing you should be doing is PULLING it, for the very fact that you could damage or destroy the snake's eye, especially if multiple retained eyecaps are present. You need to get the snake to a vet ASAP.

ReptiZone · 03-01-03, 06:58 PM

I know where you live man and the vets are crap but there is no harm in trying

Burmies · 03-02-03, 01:39 PM

My female burm, which is almost a year and a half, stopped hissing and snappingh at me when she got about 4-5 feet, but even then she still struggled to get away. Now I have no problem at all holding her and she is about 8-9 feet.

Burmies