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any of you guys keep snakes? i had a phat @$$ red tail boa a few years back, and i was thinking of getting another snake. i really want an albino burmese python(what sweet colors for a serpant!!). i only had my boa for about a year and a half, in which it grew to about 7 feet, and outgrew its living quarters, and i had to sell it. i don't think i want another boa because of the way they wrap around anything that holds them(they are tree dwellers). i like to handle pythons much more than boas. and i also like the vicious way pythons attack their food. any suggestions on a good pick? (i have the space to keep a 12-15 ft. snake now)

Hmmmm -- I never really thought about it before , what is the difference in the way boas and pythons kill their prey? I know boas squeeze the bejesus out of the poor suckers, but what is the "vicious way" that pythons attack? How big would a python grow? ("space for a 12-15 foot snake" ---- Hide the kids!)

Thanks HS666
taz

I like lizards better than snakes myself.

I'd like a nice spotted gecko that eats mice and barks.

You have to really watch it with Pyhons man... their sense of smell is so acute hat they have been known to occasionally attack their owners mistaking them for food.... ESPECIALLY burmese pythons.

Did a search on pythons, thought this paragraph re-inforced what I was saying:

Large boids should not be allowed to free-roam. They can unpredictably attack anyone in the household or escape by pushing out a window or screen with relative ease. Anyone considering the acquisition of such an animal should have the space and funds to house it adequately and safely without resorting to allowing it free roaming privileges. Such snakes should not be handled before or after feeding for several days and then only if there are no olfactory stimuli to provoke a feeding attack. In addition such animals should not be handled unless two or more people are present capable of removing the snake should it attempt an attack. Many jurisdictions prohibit the keeping of such animals without proper permits or licenses. Doing so is not only a legal violation, it is a breech of the public safety -- your own, other members of your family and that of your neighbors and friends.

It's also very hard to get rid of a 15+ ft python:

http://www.anapsid.org/burm.html


You sure you wouldn't rather have a boa?

most snakes will attack after being fed, up to many days after. trust me, my former boa, "raptor" hit my hand and wrapped around my arm in a split second on more than one occasion. it draws blood INSTANTLY, even though they don't have fangs, they've got rows of RAZOR SHARP teeth. it always realized that i wasn't a rat almost immediatly(as most snakes do), and uncoiled, then let go of the bite. but that didn't take away from the pain though BTW, raptor is now 16 ft, 112 lbs. he now eats whole rabbits and chickens.

I know boas squeeze the bejesus out of the poor suckers, but what is the "vicious way" that pythons attack?

both are constrictors, meaning they squeeze thier prey. but pythons will grab their prey and slam it to the sides of the cage, most of the time leaving a bloody mess on the glass before squeezing the bejesus out of it. boas usually bite, then immediatly constrict, without the blood and gore.

How big would a python grow?

a full grown burmese can get to about 22 ft, and 180-200 lbs. but the albinos usually don't grow quite that big...around 18-20 ft, and 160 lbs. the reticulated pythons are monsters(i don't want one of these because of this reason)....30-32 ft, up to 300 lbs.

i'm still looking at different types of serpants, but i definantly want an albino. the albino burmese is bright yellow and white, with RED eyes.....evil looking basatrds today i hit up a local pet store that had an albino tree boa, that has basically the same colors, but would not grow to anywhere near the size of the python. this may be my best option.

I like lizards better than snakes myself.

my nephew has a savvanah monitor that eats rats, its about 3 ft in length. thats one mean lizard, you gotta handle it with thick gloves.

HS666 said...

but pythons will grab their prey and slam it to the sides of the cage, most of the time leaving a bloody mess on the glass before squeezing the bejesus out of it.

Well -- that sounds like a cage I'd LOVE to clean daily --- NOT!

Curious -- why would a snake attack AFTER being fed? I would have thought they'd be more passive, as are a lot of animals after eating a large meal.

Thanks
taz

Curious -- why would a snake attack AFTER being fed?

snakes aren't fed daily, usually they are fed bi-weekly or even monthly. they go by smell to find food, because the don't have good eyesight. sometimes the smell of prey can "linger". once they detect a smell of food, they go into an "alert" mode, looking for any sudden movement(such as prey trying to run away). they aren't really trying to "attack" out of aggresion, but merely at the thought of another meal. in my other post i stated that the boa i had "attacked" me on more than one occassion, which is true(and was totally my fault each time), but, as soon as it realized i wasn't food, it immediatly un-coiled and let go. most snakes don't attack out of aggresion, very rarley do you find a case where that is true. snakes have the natural instinct to try to get away from what it recognizes as danger rather than attack. although, some snakes are just plain MEAN. you can usually tell these snakes from the others even in the pet stores. i've never had a snake attack me out of "aggresion", and i've handeled hundreds. snakes attacking and biting, is a BIG misconception. and most of the fear comes from the venomous snakes that will fight for their territory, constrictors don't have any reason to bite, other than to catch food. thats not to say they won't(even dogs attack for no reason sometimes), but over 99% of snake bites occur when the snake has no other options.

very cool insight HS...tks

no prob TH. 9 times out of 10, when people realize that most of the "hype" with snakes is false, they see them just like other animals. even my mom got over her fear and actually held my boa a couple times.
but don't take this the wrong way, if you see a wild snake, don't try to pick it up, get away from it without making any sudden movements snakes that are domesticated are totally different creatures from those in the wild. snakes that are used to being held don't mind it. wild snakes aren't.... they think if you are trying to touch them, you're trying to cause harm, and more than likely retaliate.

another fact: did you know snakes have "musk" glands? they work sort of like a skunk, before a snake will usually bite, they will spray this "musk" the deter any predators, and it kinda smells like a skunk. this allows the snake to flee without any confrantation usually.

I did know that.

I think snakes are cool. My uncle used to have a boa....it's the venemous ones that I don't prefer

Thanks for the lessons HS666!

taz

Texas Hog wrote:I did know that.

I think snakes are cool. My uncle used to have a boa....it's the venemous ones that I don't prefer

Better not come to australia then - we have 8 of the 10 most poisonous snakes in the world here