Will a Male Burm be smaller than a Female Burm?

[jakesnake]

Hi again, I have seen some pics on this forum of some giant Burms. Not big,GIANT! Now I have heard that a male Burm will be a bit smaller than a female Burm. I have a female Burm. She is about 4 feet long right now. She is a sweetheart. She has never even tried to bite me or anyone else. So now Im at a crossraods here. I knew full well how big this Burm would get before I bought it. I didn't know she was female though, until later. It seems the general opinion is that a Male will top out at 15 feet and 150-200 pounds. It seems a female is just getting warmed up at that size. While they are both huge snakes,the weight is the difference. Should I just get a Male instead of my female? Are they both so big as to not matter? I'am trying to do the right thing for the animal and myself for the long run. How many years does it take for them to get 18 feet and 300 pounds? Im curious here. As I said I want to do the right thing.Im being honest with myself, about having my doubts about keeping a snake that will get so massive. I may seem foolish to some here, but hindsight is 20/20 as they say. So any advice any of you can give me would help me out. Thanks
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[morti]

A female burm will achieve massive sizes within 5 years if she is fed properly, well cared for, and isn't powerfed. You have a very limited number of options here...

You could try to give this animal to an experienced reptile keeper that has the facilities to care for this giant snake... Your best bet would be to try now when the animal is still young enough that she is easily movable.

OR you could bite the bullet and accept the fact that your animal is going to be huge and start working on getting a proper enclosure for it now. Remember, as an adult these animals will need to feed on either Huge rabbits or small pigs.

Good luck!
-Morti.
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[SnakePool]

Sounds to me like you should have done your research a little better at the beginning. I say grin and bear it, why trade out a female for a male? All your going to do is abandon one for the other and there are enough burms out there without homes or are being abandoned as we type. If size was an issue then you should have bought a ball python. Sorry this sounds like I'm badgering you but I am just stating the truth. It takes a while to reach adult length, they reach 10ft in the first 2 yrs then slow down a bit. You'll have plenty of time to make room.

Good Luck!
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[Ravnos]

A big snake is a big snake, females do have a greater potential for size but I've seen some pretty #$%^&#$%^&#$%^&#$%^& big males too. If you're not ready for a burm, you're not ready for one. Seems silly to me to want to swap out one for the other, when you're still looking at 15' - or more. I say the same thing to people wanting to buy dwarf retics. The potential for, what most people would consider an unmanagable size is still there, you're just gambling.

I'm sure everyone on these forums agrees, you can't do enough research before buying a pet - theres always something you learn the hard way, but finding out your pet is going to be over 100lbs is a serious oversight. =)

Rav

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[Ritchie]

hey man....
you are just thinking big....that's all

When I first got princess....I think she was around 13 feet? .
She was the biggest thing I ever saw.
I was scared of her.....Lori probably saw my fear...She probably just did not say anything so that my "manhood" will stay intact.
I took her home.....held her everyday....(to get over the fear of her size)
and now.....I think she is tiny. I guess I have gotten used to it.
Even when she gets bigger....I will still think she was tiny.

I remeber getting a three foot, real thick ball python...a looong looong time ago..
it was the hugest thing I ever saw...but I got used to it.

What I am trying to say is....as long as you can love and provide for the snake...then go ahead and give it a good try.... if not.....then cross the bridge when you get to it.

I really think you will get used to her.......You are not used to big sizes yet....that is why you are thinking 15 is big.

Actually I think 13 is big....then I remember princess is probably bigger than that....so then I change my mind...



Hey Lori how big was princess when you measured her...do you remember?
I do not have a tape measure big enough..... Was it 13 feet?
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[Ritchie]

here is my favorite snake
her name is princess... female.
not big enough
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[Reticu-Lady]

Hey, I have one of those small male burms, I love him dearly, but... If you are uncomfortable with a female burm, than you will be uncomfortable with a male since there is no guarantee that he will stay smaller. I was told by the breeder that Murray would be bigger than he is. (thank God, he's not!) But what I have learned over the years, just because the parents are big/small/whatever doesn't mean the offspring will be. You need to remember they all have grandparents and great grandparents that also determine size, color, dispostion, etc.
If a snake with a size potential of 15+ ft makes you nervous, a boa may be a better choice. There are also other pythons with a smaller adult size that you might consider. Royals, Childrens, spotted, carpets, etc. There are a lot of really spectacular animals from which to choose.
Another factor regarding burms (of any adult size), you WILL need someone to help you handle an adult. That starts by the end of their first year, usually. Even 'little' Murray is an animal with an extreme danger potential. The first consideration with any of the giant serpents (burms,retics,rocks, some boas) is, do you have a responsible adult that will be there any time you need to interact with your snake. Even scooping the 'unexpected' poo out of a giant serpent's cage is a dangerous endeaver. The potential for serious injury and death is always present with any of these guys no matter how 'tame' or how often handled. Murray has been handled responsibly for 4 years now. I have recently been nailed by him, I now have tendon damage in my thumb. I was lucky, he could have killed me. Here's the scary part. I was alone for the most part when it happened. I could have easily been one of those stupid, irresponsible handlers that give burms (snakes in general) their bad reputation. I took him out to clean his cage, my husband was next door. I never even bothered to consider that the snake I have had since he was a week old,handled almost daily for 4 years - 4 whole years, would do that. No, he did not let go, he was really trying to 'kill' my arm. He missed my face by mere inches. Boy, was it a slap in the face, my 'baby' my 'dwarf' burm, is a potential killer. Please remember that. I love my Murray, everyone here knows that, but I was violently reminded that burms, no matter what adult size are worse than loaded guns. THey are animate objects, working on instincts. They are predators, wild animals kept in cages. If you have any doubts, place her with someone experienced now, and get a more manageable snake, there is no shame in knowing your limits, only in going beyond them.
Best of luck to you and your burm.
(I am not trying to lecture or be rude, I love my giants and always will, but your safety needs to be considered first. If you are not ready for a burm, do yourself, your snake and all snake keepers a favor and get something you can really enjoy, not be afraid of)
Welcome to RTB! Stay and join the fun and learn more than you could ever imagine.
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[Clairebear]

Ritchie
With the greatest respect, you're sure that's a 13 footer you're holding there?
If you're 6ft (and Ive no idea on that one) then the snake head should be touching the floor on one side and it's tail on the other. Princess looks to be slightly longer than you.
I'll agree she's a beautiful girlie however long she is [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]
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<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE> I was scared of her.....Lori probably saw my fear...She probably just did not say anything so that my &quot;manhood&quot; will stay intact.
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>

LOL..naw Ritchie.. You either hid it well or we were still having fun with Shadrach's wife &quot;curling up&quot; on her chair in the corner when she saw us take Princess out in her livingroom [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_razz.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_razz.gif[/img] NOW that was a site to see ! lmao She did handle it well though, most people would have ruuuuuuun outta there all-together hehe [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_razz.gif[/img]

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE> Hey Lori how big was princess when you measured her...do you remember?
I do not have a tape measure big enough..... Was it 13 feet?
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
Ritchie..Princess was a 9'er, weighing about 70lbs range. The 13'er was the other one we had on that trip. Don't worry Ritchie..we all understand that &quot;manly&quot; thing you guys got going on in relation to the size of your snakes HAHAHAHA [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_razz.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] I am sure though that to most people she did look like a huge 13'er or more even hehe princess is a sweetheart no doubt.wish my albino was like her in that respect UGH [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img]

Jake..Like the others have said...It's not a biggie once the snake reaches the 15' mark...If ya can deal with that, you should be able to deal with one larger than that also. I wouldn't look to trade the female for a male myself even. The adult size growth needs to be dealt with and handled correctly whether you have a male or a female burm.

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE> (I am not trying to lecture or be rude, I love my giants and always will, but your safety needs to be considered first. If you are not ready for a burm, do yourself, your snake and all snake keepers a favor and get something you can really enjoy, not be afraid of)
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>

I'd also agree with Justme here too. IF you are not ready to deal with the LARGE snakes then find a new home now for this one you have and get another snake that you are ready to keep in all aspects of it's longevity, including adult size. It's easier now when still young and the last thing any of us need is another HUGE burm to rescue down the road also. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]
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