Is this normal?

[captin_crash]

I started off with ball pythons about a year ago then the addiction grew and I got into boa's but now that itch is back for somehing bigger and I was wondering what would be the next step be from a boa? I am looking at Burmese pythons but I have no expireience with a fully grown one so I am bit nervous about taking that step. Any recomendations?

[fredsmith]

The next step "up" to something bigger would be the burms...
If it's any consolation, they're small when they hatch...

[Urucone]

I have my own 3 burms and they are a little intemidating but, you can train your snakes to not mistake your hand for food
I have a broom stick that i tap my snake with so that she knows it's me and I'm going to pick her up, so my advice is to train them on that way from baby
My dad always told me either go big or go home, so go big and get yourself one, or don't and don't mention them again

Just remember you need space, space and space and the bigger the cage the more expensive it is to keep the cage at the right temp.

-Moved- Wes

[insaniac]

Fredsmith is right,

They do start out pretty manageable.

If you don't like them that small, just search the net, you'll be sure to find a lot of 1m - 2m ones that people don't have space for anymore.

The best thing to do with a snake that gets this big in my book, is to start of by feeding it out of it's cage.

That way it will get acustomed to you picking it up often and not begin to feel that it's cage is it's territory and start protecting it...

[hammies]

In my opinion, get a Retic.
They are more hardy than the Burms which are very prone to RI.
From what I have observed from other people keeping burms, none of them survived past the 4th or 5th year.
Maybe the people I know are all idiots, and did not care for their burms properly.
Just a thought

[mgiddings]

yeah retics are awsome and I heard they are more calm but thats just me. If I were you I would speak to burmbuddy as he know a lot

[Burmbuddy]

Thanks man.
It depends on what you like really. (I know that is a cr@p answer).
Retics def do not deserve that cr@p rep they had some time ago, but they are more advanced IMO.
I keep both species and the retics are much more of a mental game.
I believe that retics are much smarter than burms and they learn faster (it takes about twice the time to tap train a burm.), but in the same sense they have that veloceraptor thing going.
Both can be troublesome (as in psycho insane) when babies (Burms actually more so IMO). But again both calm down quickly.
Look basically if you can keep the one you will manage just fine with the other.
Burms are more prone to RI and need much higher overall temps. (Burms are on 33 hot and 28 cold the whole time, retics are on 32 hot and 24 cold and spend 80% of their time on cold side-never had RI in any one of the retics). Retics heal faster and can recover from almost anything if they are feeding.
Both take up time and are a commitment you cannot just get rid of in the junkmail.
Try and get to someone who has adults of both species and see what you will be staring at in 2 years time.
If you are in CT you are welcome to swing by me, just drop me a pm and we can arrange.
Cheers DAN
PS-If you do decide on a retic plan on BIG caging soon… ( both my first retics male and female hit 3 m at 12 months)

[Burmbuddy]

O yes, a few other things you should consider.
How old are you? (cr@p Q, but if you are 12 it changes things)
How stable are your living arrangements? (chances of moving to a res/flat with no space in next 20 years)
How does your family/wife/GF feel about this? (Again, you unfortunately must considers others as my wife can attest that this is a family endeavour-she is my backup if anything goes wrong)
Will you have the financial means to take care of this animal in the future (Normal Burm=R 1000 (if you get it from a proper breeder…), caging=R 1500-R 2000 for a proper cage from juvie to med adult, food=R 20-R 50 a week (PER ANIMAL), electricity, vets bills..etc etc…
Not trying to put you off, but this is a great hobby and once the cool factor has run off you are stuck with this animal and it with you (unless you want to pawn it off in the junkmail…). It is a lot more fun if you have the top things in place.
Cheers
DAN

[Cornelius]

How old is your boa? and how big? I would go with burmbuddy on this one if you answer no to one of the questions then stay away from the big boys. i personally would not keep them as i can not answer a yes to all the above questions. And to back up this just check in the junkmail etc for the amount of them for sale.

Anyway if you can and will keep them then go for the rectic.

[captin_crash]

I am 23.
I will be keeping the snake at work, I work with my dad and don't see that changing.
I don't know how old my boa is I bought him as a adult a few months ago he is a little bit bigger than 2m.

[sachak]

Get experience with a fully fully grown large adult Boa before you go for a snake that reaches +6m and weighs more than you can pick up!!

A fully grown large adult boa is an extremely powerful animal, if it decides to start squeezing you around your neck or arm or anything you will see how you start to panic.

I have handled a boa recently that's just over 3meters long and that thing was quite scary, they are not like pythons who basically hang over your shoulder etc, they instead grip onto you with some serious power that will make you think twice about getting something bigger.

I personally wont get a big snake like a retic or a burm because they reach lengths and weights that are unmanageable, if you are in JHB then goto Reptilians in Randburg and go ask if you can pick up there biggest burmese python and if you can pick that snake up and handle it properly then go for it, but I consider myself quite a strong guy and that one burm of theirs is just to much for me to handle, it actually belongs to one of the guys that work there, its not Reptilians own burm.

Please consider these things before you go out and buy one of natures Giant snakes.

[captin_crash]

Thanks Sachak I will go through to them this weekend.

[sachak]

No probs, the Burm I am talking about belongs to a young guy that has black hair, sorry I have forgotten his name, but he is usually there everyday.

A few weeks ago when we had that extreme cold front come in, The pythons in that shop all got RI's so I am not sure if the burm in question is still there, just ask about it and see if it is still there, because they might have taken them home to recover.

The fact that they get Respiratory infections so easily is what also bothers me about them.

[Burmbuddy]

I am 23.
I will be keeping the snake at work, I work with my dad and don't see that changing.
I don't know how old my boa is I bought him as a adult a few months ago he is a little bit bigger than 2m.

Hi man.
No problem then.
I don’t think you need to have kept an adult boa to be able to keep a retic.
Retics are much stronger than boas and basically that would be like preparing for Super 14 rugby by playing against primary kids.
Get the basics of python husbandry down.
Go and handle an adult and if you want one and have the time, cash, space to do it then do it.
Nothing will prepare you for keeping retics like actually keeping one… You learn how to keep retics from the first few months before it can kill you…
The retic is not going to ask your credentials before it bites you anyway.
This is not rocket science and you are doing the right thing by asking.
You have enough experience and a good base to get help if needed IMO.
No reason not to get either a burm or retic if you want one.
Once you get a retic you will never keep anything else IMO...
Cheers
DAN

[sachak]

I am 23.
Once you get a retic you will never keep anything else IMO...
Cheers
DAN

hmmm I don't think so lol, that's a bit of a hectic remark hey once you get a Suriname you wont want anything else IMO (Which I'm sure lots of other people will disagree with too haha)

it all depends on the person in question I think, and I still stand by what I said earler, go handle a fully grown burmese python first before you buy one, make sure that you are comfortable with a snake that size, you need to know what your getting yourself into before you just go and get something that grows that big.

I hate it when people buy a python before they know what they are getting themselves into and then try flog it off and write (Don't have the space to keep it anymore and has grown to big for me to look after) <---- I don't like those people.

also another thing is that when handling a snake of that size you need to have someone around to supervise as if that thing decides to start squeezing you, there will be very little you can do, there have been cases where people are handling there retic or burm around there neck and no one is around and the snake decides to death grip them and it kills the owner, in fact I saw this happen on tv about a month ago, and it wasn't even a big retic.

I am not saying that is common occurrence, but it has happened just like people who keep pit bulls and the dog turns on them one day for no reason, your dealing with an animal that can very easily kill you, and this is why I say, please go handle a big adult burm or retic and see how heavy and powerful they are before just going out and buying one.

I am not trying to argue with anyone here or step on anyone's toes, I'm just answering what the OP was asking.