For you giant owners....

I was looking in my local paper today, and saw a 8' Burm for sale w/ cage for $100. So I called, and the lady told me that he just started eating good this year due to his prev owner feeding him frozen chicken legs, and that he wasn't nippy or aggressive, and that when you held him, he'd constrict a little too hard. I liked that she was honest, but something told me that she wasn't telling the whole truth. Anyways, my question is, for his size is that a good price? I wouldn't consider getting him due to a 3 year old daughter, but I know someone who wants a Burm....

Heck yeah, that's an awesome price, especially if it includes the cage. That alone could set you back a LOT, normally...especially if it's really appropriate for a snake that size. You'd want to really check those details to be sure. Make sure that $100 isn't going for a sick animal in a 15 gal cracked tank or something otherwise worthless like that.

But just as important, or more so, is to make sure that if you recommend this deal to someone that they are VERY experienced in keeping giant snakes. This one is liable to have all sorts of issues involved, including being a problem eater, having parasitse, being poorly socialized and/or aggressive...all that while starting out at a fairly hefty size...and he's only going to get a lot bigger very quickly. It wouldn't give a first-time burm owner a chance to learn how to handle the snake before he got truly dangerous.

If your friend is new to snake keeping, guide him away from giants altogether. If he's experienced enough to move up to giants, he should start with a baby, IMO. This snake is not for a first-timer.

Just my .02.

That's what I tried to tell him. To go with a BP 1st. He had a roommate a few years ago that had Burms, and he thinks that he'll be able to handle it. We are going to have a look at it on Sunday. I'll keep on trying to talk him down in size. She has a BCI for sale also, 75 bucks no cage.

If he is set on getting a "large" snake, I'd try and persuade him to get a BCI....they don't get 1/2 of big as Burms and are much easier to house and care for. I find the reasons that people want a big snake as their first snake are generally all the wrong ones.

Yeah....but try and convince THEM that their reasons are all the wrong ones. It's the people with the wrong reasons who are usually the most unreasonable about them. I've yet to see an immature person disuaded from buying one of these once they get their minds set. :(

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Originally Posted by DavidBeard

If he is set on getting a "large" snake, I'd try and persuade him to get a BCI....they don't get 1/2 of big as Burms and are much easier to house and care for. I find the reasons that people want a big snake as their first snake are generally all the wrong ones.

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That would be the cool factor! :roll: My rule of thumb is, if you can't care for it for 30 odd years, dont get it!