Burmese Python

[Jay]

I'm looking into getting a burm I love the way normals get, also granites. Just looking for some tips and pictures from people on here who keep them.

[stephanbakir]

Besides the basics, they don't have overly crazy feeding responses but I def wouldn't advise hand feeding them, even as babies. They are very susceptible to RI's so keep that in mind.
They will climb if given the option, even as adults as long as they aren't overweight.

[Jay]

Well I would NEVER hand feed any snake. I'm just have not decided sd retic or burm?

[Aaran]

Retic all the way !

[stephanbakir]

SDs are MUCH more active with a stronger feeding response, grow smaller and slower but make fantastic pets if you are ready for them. They also come in many more color combinations.

[Lankyrob]

I know i am biased and all that but how could you not choose something with a face like this?

[stephanbakir]

I couldn't :P

[Jay]

For some reason I hate there face. And Stephan I really like the "natural colors" I'm not a fan of morphs.

[TeaNinja]

Originally Posted by jay0133

For some reason I hate there face. And Stephan I really like the "natural colors" I'm not a fan of morphs.

i had to laugh lol.

[Will0W783]

Lol, you hate reticulated pythons' faces? They do have a naturally fierce-looking expression, but something about those orange eyes just gets to me- I LOVE them. But to each their own. Retics also get a good bit longer than Burmese pythons, and if not carefully raised, retics can be aggressive. They are also more intelligent and alert than Burms, so they tend to be a bit more unpredictable. The average male retic will get 14-16 feet long, while the average female is more like 18-20. I have heard of retics weighing several hundred pounds. Retics also have insane feeding responses- they are known to fly several feet out of their cages when the door is opened, and will ravenously devour anything in their paths if they are in feed mode.

For male Burmese pythons, expect a 12-15 foot snake, with females getting a bit longer: 14-16 from the averages I've tabulated from my research. Burms are much heavier in their body structure, so a healthy Burm will weigh more than a retic of the same length. For example, a 15-foot female I know owned by a friend weighs 98 pounds and is healthy and firm. Burms are very lazy snakes- they love water and will spend a fair amount of time in their dishes if given the opportunity. They are far less active than a retic, and are generally more docile. Burms tend to be good eaters, but have a less violent feeding response than retics...my Burm will come to the front of his cage and strike his food, but he doesn't fly out...too much effort for him, lol. However, any retic (dwarf or not) that I've had has struck out of the cage and nailed anythign and everything in front of it. Feeding a hungry retic requires a good degree of planning and precision.
I personally would recommend a Burmese python as a first giant, over a retic. That is, of course, unless you went with a dwarf species of retic, in which case you could end up with a much smaller snake.

[Jay]

Thanks for the info can you share some pictures of your burm?

[stephanbakir]

What I meant jay. Because you did say a while back that you like normals. There are lots of different SD locales, 3 i believe? Each with their own twist on the normal look.

[lpbldg18]

Go big or go home!

[Aaron_S]

I believe in keeping what is legal within the bylaws of your city.

I know in Canada there's a lot of large reptile bylaws so maybe the SD retic is way to go.

[Jay]

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

I believe in keeping what is legal within the bylaws of your city.

I know in Canada there's a lot of large reptile bylaws so maybe the SD retic is way to go.

My bylaws are out of whack. Aaron what species do you keep?