Need help. Very aggressive burmese python

[Trippinwithsnakes]

This question is for pitbullady i have a golden child tiger reticulated python who is around 8 to 9 foot i got him from a friend of mine who got him from a reptile pet shop who they got from the original owner the reptile shop was terrified of him my friend has had him for a short time but didnt handle him much after he got a full weight bite from him sending him to the hospital to get staples and stiches i have had him three days and he is the most aggressive retic i have ever come across i read the advice you gave for the guy with the burm my question is what is the best and safest way to tame him down he was most definitely miss treated as far as i know he has no mites me and my friend clean cages very regularly his temps and humidity have been good my biggest concern is i dont have anyone to assist me all the time and at this size a bite is dangerous enough to cause hospitalization i plan on getting some welding gloves to stop his teeth from going into my flesh but he is throwing full weight strikes i will not get rid of him i will keep him forever he has been passed around and mistreated enough he is a twice proven breeder and i do plan on breeding him next year maybe 2 years what can i safely do to tame him down all my retics,burms,carpets,and boas i have raised from babies he is the first sub adult retic i have gotten and was abused no less i just wanna tame him down as much as he can be without being seriously injured any advice helps thanks

 

[shining]

This question is for pitbullady i have a golden child tiger reticulated python who is around 8 to 9 foot i got him from a friend of mine who got him from a reptile pet shop who they got from the original owner the reptile shop was terrified of him my friend has had him for a short time but didnt handle him much after he got a full weight bite from him sending him to the hospital to get staples and stiches i have had him three days and he is the most aggressive retic i have ever come across i read the advice you gave for the guy with the burm my question is what is the best and safest way to tame him down he was most definitely miss treated as far as i know he has no mites me and my friend clean cages very regularly his temps and humidity have been good my biggest concern is i dont have anyone to assist me all the time and at this size a bite is dangerous enough to cause hospitalization i plan on getting some welding gloves to stop his teeth from going into my flesh but he is throwing full weight strikes i will not get rid of him i will keep him forever he has been passed around and mistreated enough he is a twice proven breeder and i do plan on breeding him next year maybe 2 years what can i safely do to tame him down all my retics,burms,carpets,and boas i have raised from babies he is the first sub adult retic i have gotten and was abused no less i just wanna tame him down as much as he can be without being seriously injured any advice helps thanks

That is the longest sentence ever.

Why not make your own thread for this? It'll get more attention than a random grave digging comment on a 4 year old thread.

 

[Galapoheros]

Kind of an old thread but my experience is that the disposition is genetic or has stuck for some reason.

 

[The Snark]

Lower the temperature below 60 F. You can go down to 45 F. See how it acts after 24 hours. It's very easy to regulate their temperament by the temperature.

Nobody would dare to go in this enclosure during the middle of the day during the hot season.

That would be masochism bordering on suicidal.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Nobody would dare to go in this enclosure during the middle of the day during the hot season.

That would be masochism bordering on suicidal.

I would, without problems. They aren't O.hannah, but lovely playful overgrown nerds :-s

 

[Blackout14]

Hook training is your freind and no I'm not talking about trying to pick the snake up with it. With large burms retics and what have you first thing in the cage should be a long hook. Touch the snake with it first. Then I would use it to rub along its side for a second maybe just touch his head so they knew it wasn't food and they knew they weren't getting fed. Then I almost never had a problem going into a cage after one and I had 2 over 15ft at one point. Part of it is confidence like was stated if they know they can scare you off then they win but if you go in steady and not cautiously after some hook training most of the time it's no problem. But you will always have that one that you can never fully trust. As for your freind getting stitches sounds like he tried to rip her off him and tore skin. 2 tricks to getting em off you. One is grab directly behind the jaws and squeeze Farley hard. Not enough to crush it but harder then you think they are pretty strong and flexible and they will most of the time let go. Keep a bottle of cheep booze handy like whisky or gin and if grabbing them behind the jaws fails this will almost always work dribble a bit into their mouth and they will let go. I only ever had one that would not let go I had someone else with me and ended up sitting on the floor for ten minutes till she decided I wasn't edible but I would never go into their cages without doing above have a bottle of whisky nearby and a big knife for a worst case scenario when they get bigger. At 8 ft she's gonna hurt but it ain't gonna kill you get in their and get er done. My first passion for a very long time was large reptiles before ts before I had my daughter and diddnt want her to get eaten haha

 

[Blackout14]

Lower the temperature below 60 F. You can go down to 45 F. See how it acts after 24 hours. It's very easy to regulate their temperament by the temperature.

Nobody would dare to go in this enclosure during the middle of the day during the hot season.

That would be masochism bordering on suicidal.

They are all burms and little ones at that they don't gang up on you I would go in there no problem

 

[The Snark]

They are all burms and little ones at that they don't gang up on you I would go in there no problem

I have spent quite a bit of time in there within striking distance of several. Caution, move slowly, having someone else in there with me, no problem. The only real prob that arises is when they are heated up and start moving around. When just lazing about like picture on a rare occasion one may try a nip if you get too close. The problems exacerbate when they are hot and feeling feisty, ranging about, curiously poking their nose into everything. Then it's nip city.
There are 3 or 4 in there that are a pain in the tukus. That one right near my head seems to nip for fun and several, usually down on the ground, will fire at you on general principles. Never could figure that.

 

[Blackout14]

I have spent quite a bit of time in there within striking distance of several. Caution, move slowly, having someone else in there with me, no problem. The only real prob that arises is when they are heated up and start moving around. When just lazing about like picture on a rare occasion one may try a nip if you get too close. The problems exacerbate when they are hot and feeling feisty, ranging about, curiously poking their nose into everything. Then it's nip city.
There are 3 or 4 in there that are a pain in the tukus. That one right near my head seems to nip for fun and several, usually down on the ground, will fire at you on general principles. Never could figure that.

Definatly feistier when they are warm my point was those guys are small enough they woukdnt scare me in the least to go in when they are warned up minus a few bites lol. But yes when they are cooler generally things are calmer haha. We're do you live that enclosure is pretty awesome for burms to be able to be outside

 

[The Snark]

Hey. No offense meant here. Not meaning to be acerbic at all and not aimed at you, @Blackout14 . I just came back from a bike ride to cool off and calm down.

Okay, the place is one of the snake farms of N. Thailand. Right now they have about 1200 snakes, about 1/3 of which are venomous and 1/4 of which are viewable by the public. The snakes all live in the natural climate if not environment. No synthetic environment and climate terrariums.

The aggressive python. This is one way to bring in the tourist $$$. I dislike it myself. When they do shows to demonstrate bite happy snakes, the pythons are always the stars. The Ptyas are more bite happy but far too fast to contain. And of course, nobody there, snake pros all, demonstrate with venomous snakes. They aren't stupid.
They take a few pythons and put them in dark canvas sacks in the sun until their body temperature is up around 100F. Then put a snake out in the ring in the amphitheater. Warmed up like that, pythons act identical to western rattlesnakes. Get near the head and nip city. Period, paragraph, always. And the tourists all try to get a picture of it in the middle of a bite. The handlers actually much prefer the far more docile and predictable Kaouthais. The pythons don't telegraph. It's always, when is that next wham coming?.

Now the rant. ALL the containments have one or two, and in the case of the heftier pythons, three draw bolts on the doors. And each door has a padlock as well. The bolts to keep the snakes in, the padlocks to keep the 'I would go in there' crowd out. All day, every day, they troop through and make the lives of everyone who works there a living hell.
-The Siamensis pit and the small Kaouthai pit, both 2 meters deep. Both had to have heavy 1/4 inch mesh screens over the top of the entire enclosure to deal with the 'I would go in there' crowd. Some jerkoff jumped into the Siamensis pit, squatted down and threw gravel at the snakes. The tourist police gave everyone unholy hell and demanded stiff fines (kickbacks). The GREAT WORD OF THE LAND: THOU SHALT NOT GIVE THAILAND A BAD RAP AND FRIGHTEN THE TOURISTS!!!!!
***The tourism bureau is so powerful that it ordered the department of irrigation to open all the canal waterways so the new years festival would have unlimited water to bucket at people. Right in the middle of a drought with the rice farmers denied water rights.***
-Some clown was caught trying to pry open the cage to The Old Man's hangout. A 19+foot Hannah with a royally rank attitude. Fortunately the door was also screwed shut. Nobody ever goes in there with all work done with long poles through trap doors in the ceiling. The 'I would go in there' of course should be allowed in. ??
-The entire place is swept spotlessly clean twice a day. No rocks, gravel or even loose dirt for the tourists to throw at the animals.
-All cages got remeshed to 1/4 inch piano wire thanks to the 'I would go in there' trying to stick their fingers in.

Walking off, shaking my head.

 

[Tigrosa]

You need yourself a hook.

Also, let me give you some advice: when reaching for a defensive snake, don't hesitate. It's when you hesitate - and end up either dangling your hands in the enclosure, or having to reach in multiple times - that bites occur. Reach towards the animal with confidence. Be slo,w, but steady. Don't ever come at the snake from its face or above its head. If you can, lift the snake's tail up with one hand, and slide your other hand under the center of the snake's body and lift that end up, too. Your goal is to be the substrate under the snake. Allow it to move freely, don't let it drop, and don't come at it from the face end.

You very well may take a few bites in the process. The best thing to do - and it's tough, believe me, I know - is to not yank your hand away from the snake if it bites you! It's unlikely to latch on, far more likely to give you a glancing blow than a serious chomp. It may hurt, but it's just pin-pricks. If you pull away, you may end up with a laceration and even a few teeth in there... which is bad for you, and worse for the snake.

It's also probably best to avoid handling the snake towards the end of a feeding cycle, when it's hungry. Some large boids can get a little food-happy. That's another major way snake bites occur!

Luckily, you've got a small Burm to start with. You'll get more comfortable with it over time, and you'll be used to working with it by the time it gets really big. It'll also have time to get used to you. It may never be tame, and it may hate you forever, but it wont be quite so foul.

 

[Blackout14]

Hey. No offense meant here. Not meaning to be acerbic at all and not aimed at you, @Blackout14 . I just came back from a bike ride to cool off and calm down.

Okay, the place is one of the snake farms of N. Thailand. Right now they have about 1200 snakes, about 1/3 of which are venomous and 1/4 of which are viewable by the public. The snakes all live in the natural climate if not environment. No synthetic environment and climate terrariums.

The aggressive python. This is one way to bring in the tourist $$$. I dislike it myself. When they do shows to demonstrate bite happy snakes, the pythons are always the stars. The Ptyas are more bite happy but far too fast to contain. And of course, nobody there, snake pros all, demonstrate with venomous snakes. They aren't stupid.
They take a few pythons and put them in dark canvas sacks in the sun until their body temperature is up around 100F. Then put a snake out in the ring in the amphitheater. Warmed up like that, pythons act identical to western rattlesnakes. Get near the head and nip city. Period, paragraph, always. And the tourists all try to get a picture of it in the middle of a bite. The handlers actually much prefer the far more docile and predictable Kaouthais. The pythons don't telegraph. It's always, when is that next wham coming?.

Now the rant. ALL the containments have one or two, and in the case of the heftier pythons, three draw bolts on the doors. And each door has a padlock as well. The bolts to keep the snakes in, the padlocks to keep the 'I would go in there' crowd out. All day, every day, they troop through and make the lives of everyone who works there a living hell.
-The Siamensis pit and the small Kaouthai pit, both 2 meters deep. Both had to have heavy 1/4 inch mesh screens over the top of the entire enclosure to deal with the 'I would go in there' crowd. Some jerkoff jumped into the Siamensis pit, squatted down and threw gravel at the snakes. The tourist police gave everyone unholy hell and demanded stiff fines (kickbacks). The GREAT WORD OF THE LAND: THOU SHALT NOT GIVE THAILAND A BAD RAP AND FRIGHTEN THE TOURISTS!!!!!
***The tourism bureau is so powerful that it ordered the department of irrigation to open all the canal waterways so the new years festival would have unlimited water to bucket at people. Right in the middle of a drought with the rice farmers denied water rights.***
-Some clown was caught trying to pry open the cage to The Old Man's hangout. A 19+foot Hannah with a royally rank attitude. Fortunately the door was also screwed shut. Nobody ever goes in there with all work done with long poles through trap doors in the ceiling. The 'I would go in there' of course should be allowed in. ??
-The entire place is swept spotlessly clean twice a day. No rocks, gravel or even loose dirt for the tourists to throw at the animals.
-All cages got remeshed to 1/4 inch piano wire thanks to the 'I would go in there' trying to stick their fingers in.

Walking off, shaking my head.

Not offense taken. I hate places like that their is a reptile ranch not farm from my house that does similar things to get a rise out of people and it drives me nuts. I made a classic internet mistake. You do not know who I am just as much as I do not know you . When I say I would not be afraid to go in their I don't mean it a big macho guy saying I am not afraid. I mean it as a guy who has a degree in herpitoligy was one of the youngest certified venomous animal handlers in my state have worked at multiple zoos worked with animal control and been tagged by hundred of large pythons bias and anacondas while either dealing with or breeding. I have never been tagged by a venous mouse snake in all my time handling. So when you posted know one in their right mind would go in their when they are warm me stating I would was not meant in the that way that you and I both hate. The people that have no idea going I can do that! Just that I have a much better knowledge and understanding of how these snakes operate at higher temps from body language how far they can strike how they react and how to get them to do what I need to do. No feeling hurt but I know we're you are comming from I hate those people as well and could see how you would think that's how I was comming off when I wasn't.

 

[Blackout14]

Lotta spelling errors in that post. Combination of no coffee yet and my cell phone is never a good thing

 

[14pokies]

Lower the temperature below 60 F. You can go down to 45 F. See how it acts after 24 hours. It's very easy to regulate their temperament by the temperature.


Nobody would dare to go in this enclosure during the middle of the day during the hot season.

That would be masochism bordering on suicidal.

I would.. Barefoot and smiling...

 

[14pokies]

Lotta spelling errors in that post. Combination of no coffee yet and my cell phone is never a good thing

Hey man... How is your retic once he is out of the cage? Still crazy?

Sorry man quoted the wrong post.. My question was for Trippinwithsnakes...

 

[Blackout14]

Hey man... How is your retic once he is out of the cage? Still crazy?

I no longer have any large snakes they were sold off or donated to my local zoo when I started having a family. I am working on finishing my detached garage into a workshop/ reptile/t room and may decide to get more. I had 3 in my collection biggest was 14 ft and she calmed down after she got about 6 ft or so. But I never would fully trust her. My Burmese pythons I could run their head do whatever I wanted and not ever worry about it. I have dealt with many other though mine other people's zoos and retics definatly have more of a temper but are more beautiful . All of my snakes were better out of the cage since I diddnt want them associating opening the cage with food and diddnt have a big enough cage to move them too to eat I developed a different plan.

1 I would open the cage and use the hook to touch them and let them know I wasn't food. Once I could touch them or rub them without the jumping I would go in and grab them

2 once out of the cage depending on the snake if it was a calm one I would toss it on the floor of not into a big Rubbermaid and would place the food frozen rat rabbit ect into their encloser after cleaning changing water ect

3 go wash your hands!!

4 I would gently place the snake back into the cage were after a few minutes they would find the food and start eating.

This trained them to know that if they calm down it will be over quickly and also to know that if they wanted to be fed they would have to let
Me get them out. One time I got tagged this way by a super
Nice snake and it was simply because I was in a rush and did not wash my hands after tossing the rat in I whent to put her in the cage she came up
And locked into my bicep but immediatly realized she made a mistake. This worked well for my personal snakes for many years snakes are able to be somewhat trained to do what you need of them

 

[The Snark]

I diddnt want them associating opening the cage with food

Really good idea. So simple and so easily overlooked. Giving food is your #1 training method so the animals head for the door the moment you open it, ready to bite/strike etc.

3 go wash your hands!!

Snerk snerk. Which can easily develop into a Lady Macbeth syndrome. Watch just about anyone who has worked in a hospital for a while. It's automatic; pass by a sink, wash your hands. Hand washing station is between each and every location you go to: basic infection control.
Years down the road and I still can't get near a sink without washing my hands.

 

[Blackout14]

Really good idea. So simple and so easily overlooked. Giving food is your #1 training method so the animals head for the door the moment you open it, ready to bite/strike etc.


Snerk snerk. Which can easily develop into a Lady Macbeth syndrome. Watch just about anyone who has worked in a hospital for a while. It's automatic; pass by a sink, wash your hands. Hand washing station is between each and every location you go to: basic infection control.
Years down the road and I still can't get near a sink without washing my hands.

Haha yep same here when I was handling big snakes I would wash like a surgeon all the way up to the elbow lol

 

[Trippinwithsnakes]

Hey man... How is your retic once he is out of the cage? Still crazy?

Sorry man quoted the wrong post.. My question was for Trippinwithsnakes...

He strikes at everything i have seen diamondback rattlesnakes calmer then him

 

[14pokies]

He strikes at everything i have seen diamondback rattlesnakes calmer then him

That's fine... I have had many like that... You can calm him down.. You just have to figure out what his trigger is...

The golden child gene originated from dwarf stock.. Dwarfs are generally more high strung than mainlands... The first few generations of mainlands took a lot of patience to get acclimated also...

It's going to take a lot of confidence on your part to get him calmed down...

I don't suppose there is any way you can post a short video of how he reacts to having his enclosure approached and opened? It would also be helpfull to see how he reacts to being touched and gently manipulated by a hook..

In general with defensive retics ( specially females on a clutch of eggs ) if you can keep them from getting locked into that classic S (aka I'm gonna light you up) position by gently pushing there head away from you with a roll of paper towels or a padded hook ( rap a few sheets of paper towels around the hook end and use a few raps of masking tape to keep it on).. Just gently keep pushing his head away and while he is distracted get your hand under him.. You can do this a few times and then just shut the door... It's all about establishing trust... After doing this a few times over a week try getting him half way out of the cage.. Keep going at a slow pace and see if he starts to calm down.. Obviously the end goal is to get him out of the enclosure without too much stress on either of you...

I have decades of large snake handling so I personaly would just keep the buisiness end at bay with paper towels and pull him out... I would do my best to keep him low to the floor and crawling through my hands letting the first 3rd of his body touch the floor If he is large enough( It's better to take one to the shins than the face and if he is low you have a better ability to dodge his strike).. The goal is (A) not getting staples in your face and (B) letting him crawl through your hands with out any restraint and(C) He will be more interested in looking for an escape route on the ground than trying to hit you the offender square on the money maker....Remeber though retics are semi arboreal when young and lean.. There is a good chance that he will want to climb towards your face... There are things that in that situation I can do to minimize a nasty bite to my hands while diverting him from my face but not knowing your experience and confidence level I personaly would advise taking the slow approach I first mentioned..

It could be purely cage defensive/ territorial behaviour... It's not uncommon for males to get wacky when they start maturing or during the breeding season...

If he is just defending his space it's as easy as getting him out... If he doesn't chill once he's out it's fear.. That can be difficult and dangerous to work through.. Remeber to always have a partner when you are working with him if he is large...

Let me know what you can do about a video his body language will tell me more in 30 seconds than you will ever be able to..If you don't want to post it on the boards you can p.m. it to me..

I'm usually pretty busy/distracted and I have terrible ADD so typing long replies like this and makeing my points intelligible is hard so if it will help I can phone you just p.m. me..

I really hope I can help you man.. I hate seeing people having such a difficult time with a species that has so much potential to be a great "pet".. Be safe man and hit me up with any questions...