problem with albino burm

[pbjtime8908]

my problem is that ive got the chance to...i guess rescue is the rite word...this 10 foot albino burmese from this couple i just met. i went over there to get a critter cage for my bp and i was looking at the cage and glanced at wat was behind it and saw this big cage that looked pretty much empty. well its not, over in the back corner is this super thin, super emaciated albino burm. it had no substrate other then a page of torn of newspaper, and the quart or so sized water bowl that looked like it hadnt had any water in it in weeks.

so i asked them wat was up with it and the guy was telling me how it hadnt actually eaten anything in like 3 months which i sorta know as being kinda normal for a snake. but he then started telling me that it had only eaten a couple times since the start of last winter. now last winter here in iowa was one of the worst we've had in years and they kept him in the basement which gets no heat other then the two lights and a space heater on top of the cage.

then his fiance was saying how theyd like to get rid of him before he dies and i ask how much. they say 175 for him, the homemade cage, which actually was a pretty decent one, the lights and bowl. i thought about it and offered to give them 75 bux next payday and if i can manage to get him back to a semi regular eating habit and he starts to show promise of living past 3 months, that ill give them the other 100. they said that would probably work which i thought was awesome.

but as we were talking a little more i started to think that i only have a limited knowledge of caring for burms let alone a sickly one like this. but i knew i could find out how by asking lots of questions here at bp.net and other forums so i started to feel better about that. then i realized that my landlord mite have a problem with a 10 foot snake here even though she knows that i have a bp.

so wat i need from everyone here is some help on how to go about this. i literally felt sick to my stomach when i saw the condition this snake was in and wanted to take him outta there pronto but theres problems with that. so plz give me some advice on how i should handle this and give this burm a fighting chance. i know he can be a beautiful snake and i want him happy and outta such conditions.

thnx in advance.

[Mohegan]

There are so many things that concern me about this post.

First of all, this does not belong in the boa forums. The fact that you don't even know Burmese pythons are...pythons, no boas, concerns me.

It also really bothers me that you would take in an animal you know nothing about without doing any research first. Honestly, this is almost as bad as the people who were neglecting the animal in the first place. Please don't get me wrong, I do not mean to be so criticizing, but trying to "rescue" animals even with the best intention can actually be one of the worst things for the animal. You should have tried to locate a reptile rescue (there are many of these throughout the U.S.) to save it. In fact, this is still an option available to you.

Are you prepared to take care of a snake that can reach 20 feet or more? Do you have the money for an enclosure to house such a behemoth, and the diet it needs? Are you okay with cleaning up mind-bogglingly large poops from such a snake? Do you have or plan on having small children or other animals that might harm the snake/visa-versa?

All that being said, if you are still dedicated to caring for this animal for the rest of its life. you should probably ask more specific questions, no one is going to write you up an entire care sheet - you can find plenty of those by searching google!

[pbjtime8908]

sorry for putting this in the boa section. i had just gotten home from their place and was in a hurry to leave but wanted to get some opinions. i know a lot of wat your saying is true and thats the reason i asked. i know that i dont have the experience or knowledge yet but if i was to get him it wouldnt be for at least a couple weeks if not a month and i would never go into a situation like this totally unprepared. and honestly i dont expect that i actually will get him but i just dont wanna see it living like that so i asked for some ideas.

to address all your points in short- yes i know that burms are pythons and not boas and as said before it was a mistake. i know my very limited knowledge is just as dangerous for the snake but i am more then willing to learn as much as i need to in order to help this animal. if contacting a reptile rescue will actually help the snake then i will do that. i am unsure about a 20 foot snake as i have never actually been near one in real life but again i will learn as much as i need to. in my understanding it takes them awhile to reach full growth and saving for an enclosure is a responsibility i am willing to take on. poop is poop, doesnt matter the animal lol. children and pets are a . and as i now have the rest of the night to actually research the situation, that is wat i will be doing.

i dont find any of this criticizing as it is actually helpful and has given me more to think about and i will listen to anything else you or anyone else tells me.

[Amon Ra Reptiles]

I say go for it. Someone who doesn't know anything about Burms but is willing to learn as he goes beats someone who just doesn't care any day. You say that he shouldn't take it in until he knows more about them but what if while he's learning this animal dies. You can learn the basics of caring for a Burm in about two hours of online reading. The details can be learned over time as he's actually helping this snake back to health. As far as whether or not he's prepared to take care of a 20 foot animal I think that's over reacting a little too. The animal is 10 foot and has a long time before it reaches that size and in the meantime he can find a permanent home for it if he feels it will be beyond his abilities. To say hold off because you don't know how to keep it is absurd. Meanwhile he's reading and the animal is suffering. Bottom line...GET THE SNAKE OUT OF THERE, worry about the details later. Why do we always come down on people who try to help? I understand that good intentions can get us into trouble sometimes but again I think the animals care should take precedence here don't you?

To the OP, there is a lot of great info online, also check out Burm junkies forum and monster snakes forums and if you have any questions about something specific post them here or pm me and I'll do what I can to help. Heck you can email me too at Scott@amonrareptiles.com

Have fun and good luck!

[pbjtime8908]

thnx for the tips. ill be reading a lot and make a decision on where exactly he'll go to later and but he definitely wont be there too much longer. i did already find burm junkies but monster snakes is a new one so thnx

[Amon Ra Reptiles]

Oh and as for a reptile rescue, good luck with that. I would be surprised if you find one at all and if you do I would be willing to bet that they are full of Burms already. It's hard enough to find a home for a healthy one let alone one in poor condition. You may be this animals only hope I'm sayin go for it.

[Mohegan]

I never once suggested he not rescue it (: Also, for the record, Burmese pythons can reach 10 feet in their first 16 months of life, and will be full grown (16-20') by around age 4. Sounds like this guy has 2 or 3 years left before it's gigantic. It isn't overreacting, I've seen lots of disasters resulting from well-meaning people.

OP - thank you for not taking it personally and really taking everything into consideration. That speaks worlds. I am happy you're willing to devote yourself to this animal, and hopefully you can make it work. If you have any specific questions that you cannot find answers to by searching/browsing, I don't mind answering or helping in any way I can. I wish you the best of luck.

[pbjtime8908]

these ppl said that its been about 2-2 1/2 years since they bought him from a pet store and he was already about 6 foot by then so im thinking he has never been fed right.

[Amon Ra Reptiles]

Well just because a Burm CAN reach 10' in 16 months doesn't mean they will. I have owned a lot of Burms over the years and I can tell you first hand that ten foot in sixteen months is almost unheard of, it's just as unlikely that the animal reach 20' at all. It's possible but 20' is the exception not the rule. These are huge animals yes but everyone always exaggerates the size as well the requirements they have. Not to mention if this animal is that chronically underfed it will likely not ever reach anywhere near those sizes.

[Mohegan]

Hence why I said "CAN reach 10 feet", not WILL, and stated full grown length as 16-20'. I am not saying in any way shape or form that this snake will be that big, simply that it can be, and anyone who plans to keep them needs to keep their size in mind. Facts remain that most people do not know how to/cannot care for snakes of this size. I keep Burms, too, for the record.

Yes, it does sound like this animal has had a terrible diet throughout it's life. I'd start out a bit on the light side when you begin feeding just to ease the snake into a regular, healthy feeding schedule. (: