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  1. #1
    Registered User Newtot's Avatar
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    Burmese python taming tips

    So my lil guy has had 2 meals with me and seems fairly settled. I dont think he was ever handled though. He is psyco lol. Hes 2.5ft and full of attitude. Tips on taming? Hes the total opposite of my boa. I know its because hes afraid. I did my first handling session but ill be honest i wore gloves, just garden gloves. He strikes and hisses at anything that moves. I used a hook because he is even hard to pick up. Im sure he will out grow this but i want to make sure he is a well adjusted pet and is tame. Thanks guys

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  2. #2
    BPnet Veteran Toad37's Avatar
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    Re: Burmese python taming tips

    That's just a baby burm thing. Adult burmese pythons lay clutches of 30-40 eggs because the survival rate for the babies in the wild isn't that high, that's why they lay so many. So in the wild they're incredibly defensive because everything wants to eat them! Give him time to get to know you and keep building trust. Eventually he'll be puppy dog tame. Good luck!

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  4. #3
    BPnet Veteran nikkubus's Avatar
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    Short handling sessions and over time he will settle down. What time of day you try and handle might also make it easier. I'd try in the day time mostly at first if that's at all practical. Timing it with feeding cycles as well, you don't want him really hungry, but you don't want him in the early stage of digesting either.
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  5. #4
    Registered User Newtot's Avatar
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    Re: Burmese python taming tips

    Quote Originally Posted by nikkubus View Post
    Short handling sessions and over time he will settle down. What time of day you try and handle might also make it easier. I'd try in the day time mostly at first if that's at all practical. Timing it with feeding cycles as well, you don't want him really hungry, but you don't want him in the early stage of digesting either.
    I handled him in the evening because loud noises scare him. He struck at my face while i was holding him before because he didnt like my talking lol. So i handled him after my kids were in bed. I fed him friday an adult large mouse. But when i opened the lid to handle him he shot out of his hide. Hes never done that, seemed to be looking for food still. So i booped him with the snake hook and then hooked him and picked him up.

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  6. #5
    BPnet Veteran nikkubus's Avatar
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    Wow that seems pretty severe. Just have to be patient, eventually he will realize you aren't going to harm him but it could take a while. You definitely want things calm and quiet vs kids running around making loud noises while you are handling him so I'd stick to night time. With a burm, it's completely normal to still have a feeding response after eating a couple days ago but it should be easy enough to shut it down with a gentle tap of the hook if he isn't completely empty.
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  7. #6
    Registered User Newtot's Avatar
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    Re: Burmese python taming tips

    Quote Originally Posted by nikkubus View Post
    Wow that seems pretty severe. Just have to be patient, eventually he will realize you aren't going to harm him but it could take a while. You definitely want things calm and quiet vs kids running around making loud noises while you are handling him so I'd stick to night time. With a burm, it's completely normal to still have a feeding response after eating a couple days ago but it should be easy enough to shut it down with a gentle tap of the hook if he isn't completely empty.
    Thank you. He is a bit psycho lol

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  8. #7
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    Re: Burmese python taming tips

    Quote Originally Posted by Newtot View Post
    I handled him in the evening because loud noises scare him. He struck at my face while i was holding him before because he didnt like my talking lol. So i handled him after my kids were in bed. I fed him friday an adult large mouse. But when i opened the lid to handle him he shot out of his hide. Hes never done that, seemed to be looking for food still. So i booped him with the snake hook and then hooked him and picked him up.
    Snakes really don't hear very well whether the noise is loud or not. If he struck at your face while you were talking, it's likely because your mouth was open and he thought Godzilla (you) were about to take a bite out of him.

    I took in juvi burm a few years back that was extremely defensive because of physical abuse. She did the baby-nipping thing at her prior owner and the owner, instead of laughing off the nip and being gentle with the baby, would grab it by the tail, hold it at arm's length, and bounce it up and down so the burm couldn't climb up her own body to the owner's hand while the owner used her other hand to spot clean or change water in the tank. This did not end well for the owner when the snake got too big for that to be effective. It took months before she could be touched without her turning on you, and she was fast and hit hard with her bites by the time we got her.

    As a defense mechanism many snake species like to climb, and baby burms are among them. One of the easiest ways to get your baby burm to settle is to hold it over your head. Just make sure it's far enough away from things like ceiling fans, cabinets, tall furniture, curtain rods, etc. that it doesn't try to move from your hand.

    If you can manage to get the snake into a bag, another trick is to put the bag on your lap and sit quietly while you read, work on your computer, fool with your phone, watch tv, etc. This teaches the snake to associate your scent with being in a warm and secure place.

    Finally, watch the lighting in the room and where your shadow falls. I've noticed my burm, retics, and boas are a lot more likely to strike out when I am strongly backlit, especially if I have on a black shirt. I changed up the lighting in my reptile room a while back so it has multiple diffused lights and a lot of the striking out stopped immediately.
    Last edited by bcr229; 02-08-2021 at 11:56 AM.

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  10. #8
    BPnet Veteran nikkubus's Avatar
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    Re: Burmese python taming tips

    Quote Originally Posted by bcr229 View Post
    Snakes really don't hear very well whether the noise is loud or not. If he struck at your face while you were talking, it's likely because your mouth was open and he thought Godzilla (you) were about to take a bite out of him.
    They don't hear well, and I think you are right about the mouth thing, but a lot of the things that cause noise also cause a lot of vibration, so I still think kids running around with him out is a bad idea till he gets more comfortable.
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  11. #9
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    Besides vibrations or sudden motions around him, I'd also avoid walking past a mirror while holding him. I once had a nervous snake panic & bite me when I did that, not even thinking about it. He apparently felt suddenly threatened by the images in the mirror that appeared to him to be moving (?) but he went for me instead of the mirror, lol. Snakes...
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

  12. #10
    Registered User Newtot's Avatar
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    Re: Burmese python taming tips

    Quote Originally Posted by Bogertophis View Post
    Besides vibrations or sudden motions around him, I'd also avoid walking past a mirror while holding him. I once had a nervous snake panic & bite me when I did that, not even thinking about it. He apparently felt suddenly threatened by the images in the mirror that appeared to him to be moving (?) but he went for me instead of the mirror, lol. Snakes...
    Lol last night went a little better. He started to calm down a bit but did strike when my brother walked by lol

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