So you Want a Burmese Python?

But you've fallen in love with the little guy, and you want to have a go at keeping it. That's where I come in: I love Burmese Pythons and want to see that they receve the care they require and deserve. Thankfully, this isn't a particularly challenging task. Burms are the least demanding of the giant constrictors: they are generally far less nippy than African Rock Pythons or Anacondas and far less active than Reticulated Pythons. That being said, they are very large animals and have a few very large requirements. If you have the resources, you should have no problem keeping these gentle giants: if not, you may want to consider some other snakes.



Maybe you imprinted on Nastassja Kinski and the Serpent at an early age. Perhaps you saw the late Steve Irwin with one of these majestic beasts. Or maybe (deities help us) you were inspired by Kitty (a/k/a "Kong"), one of the biggest supporting actors on Snakes on a Plane. There are any number of reasons why you might become enchanted with giant constrictors... and if you've decided you want to keep a 15-foot snake in your home, you couldn't ask for a better pet than a Burmese Python.

	What's that? You were hoping for something a little... smaller? The nice folks at the pet store told you that sweet little baby Burm would never outgrow its 20-gallon tank if you stuck to a diet of mice. And he really was adorable, with that round face and those big googly eyes -- and that inquisitive way he crawled up to the front of the tank when you walked past was too much to resist. Surely this little bundle of scaly cuteness will never become a chicken-swallowing monster who outweighs you by fifty pounds. Alas, he very well might -- and if "he" happens to be female, she almost certainly will. If you are not ready to deal with that, do yourself and the snake a favor: rehome it. Doing so will be much easier now than when you have a 9 foot and growing daily snake. (And whatever you do, DON'T RELEASE IT INTO THE WILD! Not only is that as cruel as abandoning a cat or dog: it may be horribly damaging to your local ecosystem).

But you've fallen in love with the little guy, and you want to have a go at keeping it. That's where I come in: I love Burmese Pythons and want to see that they receve the care they require and deserve. Thankfully, this isn't a particularly challenging task. Burms are the least demanding of the giant constrictors: they are generally far less nippy than African Rock Pythons or Anacondas and far less active than Reticulated Pythons. That being said, they are very large animals and have a few very large requirements. If you have the resources, you should have no problem keeping these gentle giants: if not, you may want to consider some other snakes.



©2008 Kenaz Filan. All rights reserved
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