Burmese Babysitter?

Samba · 06-14-04, 01:50 PM

Hi all! I am going out of town to Las Vegas on Wednesday and I have tormented myself over what to do with my burm, Bandula. I have never left him alone before but I figured my best course of action would be to lock him up in my bathroom, and feed him before I leave. I was also going to fill the tub with some water for soaking and drinking in addition to filling his water bowl. Any ideas? I am also thinking of getting someone to check in on him while I'm gone to make sure he's fine. I've cleared all soaps, detergents and the like from my bathroom, so does this sound ok with everyone? Thanks in advance for your ideas and feedback!

marisa · 06-14-04, 01:56 PM

Why not just leave him in his normal enclosure??

Marisa

Big_V · 06-14-04, 02:03 PM

Id say leave him in his enclosure too. If the temps are stable and everything the whole time why not. If it isnt able to get out now it most likely wont get out when your away.

Samba · 06-14-04, 02:22 PM

Well, the thing is, since Bandula can't run the room anymore (peeking out of the windows) he has been moved to a temporary enclosure (100 gallon tank) that is really too small for him. I let him out whenever possible for as long as possible while I'm around, but I don't want him to go a whole week without being able to get out and stretch. I figured I have a fairly generous-sized bathroom he can be in until I come home, and I have some reservations about having anyone coming over and caring for him (for several reasons). That's my only question... he should be fine, right? =)

leoncurrie · 06-14-04, 02:27 PM

How big is your burm?

Leon

lostwithin · 06-14-04, 02:27 PM

Unless you know somebody who really knows what there doing I wouldn’t have people come check on him. As for the bathroom if you can get the right temps, and make sure everything’s all sealed up, (windows ,toilets, ect) too prevent him getting out. It should be fine. If I were in your scenario I would simply give him a nice meal and let him sit in his normal enclosure for a week. If it’s only a week he should be fine, then you don’t have too worry about him. and if he’s cages up you could even have somebody come take a look at him without having too worry about them not closing the bathroom door or him getting away on them.

Good luck,
Devon

Samba · 06-14-04, 02:35 PM

Thanks, Guys. Bandula is about 14 feet long and has a very docile temperment, yet I still wouldn't want to ask anyone to handle him, even my experienced family members. I just don't want him to be all cramped up inside his tank while I'm away for a week... I figure if I tape down the toilet bowl and shut the door he'll be fine, I'll leave his human heat pad in there on the lowest setting, just in case. He spends a lot of time in the bathroom anyways... Thanks for you ideas, guys. Maybe I do just worry too much LOL =)

likeal0stchild · 06-25-04, 06:14 PM

Good luck with the bathroom idea but i dunno I have seen some scary cases of exposed heaing pads on snakes.......a frined had a ball python begin to eat.....his heating pad
c ya

HeatherRose · 06-26-04, 03:01 AM

There's no such thing as worrying too much

Maybe you could put a blanket or towel over the heating pad to prevent it from being exposed and a possible danger to your burmese. If you're stille worried, maybe it's best to just leave the snake in the enclosure. Its only a week after all. Perhaps someone could just look in on him once and a while?

Heather.

ReptiZone · 06-26-04, 10:27 AM

My personal Oppinion would be to cancel the trip to vagas and build that animal a better cage so it dosent need to be out all the time. I am sure that is not good on the animal stress wise.
8 X 3 X 3 would be a decent cage to set up and if you feal that is not big enught just go bigger man My burm comes out once a week if that.

I might have miss understode you compleatly but I understand that that python is a free roaming animal 80% of the time and a word of advice that is not a good thing unless you home is like 82*F all the time.

Free roaming Burm = Dead keeper = Dead Snake+Bad Reputation
you might want to keep that in mind it may not be today may not be tomarow but one of these days the snake will smell somthing funny on you and bang everything you7 may have worked so hard to have is gone as fast as a snake can strike. then we will have your obituaries posted up as a reminder not to leave large snakes free roaming. But as I said I may have miss understoud you.

But I still say if you have to choos betwean a 100 Galon and your bathroom Cancel the trip and build a better cage so you will have no wories put timers on your heat units and all the good stuff then when it comes time to have fun you will have no wories cause the cage is self effitient.

The ReptiZone
Marc Doiron

weinerboy12 · 06-26-04, 05:07 PM

I think you're exaggerating a bit there Teptizone.. Sure a free roaming 14' burm could constrict and kill you.. But then again.. It could try to eat you one day when you decide take it out of its enclosure..

ReptiZone · 06-27-04, 11:12 AM

Trust Me I am not exagerating take a look o the net how many ppl are killed by there "Nice" Burmese ppl need to take precautions around here with thows animals and I feal a Bathroom is fare from taking the appropriat actions.

It only takes one miss hape and all the hard work we herpers did in the past 10-15 years is flushed straight down the to the porcelan good.

MAn My baby is only 9 feet and she could take down a dog probebly myself if she tried hard enugh. Yet she never ever bit me. Does that meen I can start to be care less. I dont think so.

weinerboy12
you are right Sambas burm can easaly take him/her down in a heart beat. Any time he/she takes it out that is why you never do so unprepared, be with at least another person is posible more.

But what I am trying to say is why put a 14' burm in a bathroom for X amount of day and then pop it back in a 100 Gallon tank come on would you not get pissed off if you were the snake.
But as I said B4 this is purely My oppiniondo Samba will do what he/she wants it is realy none of my buisnes.

P.S this is My baby Angel think she aint verry big but man she will knock you over for a joke on feeding day.

Samba · 06-30-04, 01:41 PM

OK, Let me make sure you understand a few things before you jump to conclusions here, ReptiZone. How did you get the idea that my burm is free-roaming 80% of the time? He does have an enclosure, which I have admitted is too small, that he is in while I'm not around. Even when he is out of his cage, under my supervision, he is not free-roaming. He is absolutely restricted to the bedroom and bathroom. I am in the process of constructing a larger enclosure for him at this moment.

Secondly, don't caution me as if I am an inexperienced keeper. A simple question to this forum has lead you to believe I don't know what I'm doing. I know my animals and treat them by the book. I rescued this snake many years ago; it's not like we don't interact regularly, each time with careful preparation. I am always careful not to have the scents of my other pets on me while handling my snake. I do have basic common knowledge of my pet; I did my research before I got him. I know that he is a liability.

I don't worry much about him striking at me; as I believe that's a keeper's carelessness, not a snake's unpredictability. I have never been struck by this, or any other snake I have owned, so I guess that's testimony not only to my skills and methods; but also to Bandula's well socialized and docile nature, despite the fact that several terrible things happened to him before he came to live with me.

The next time you feel the need to critcize a person, make sure it's constructive. I feel you have done nothing but prove to me that you will judge a person's knowledge and technique based only on one question. I wish I had that amazing power of yours.

Cruciform · 06-30-04, 02:38 PM

If you knew what you were doing and treating them by the book, then why do you have the burm in too small an enclosure? If you don't have the space for a proper enclosure, why do you have the snake?

And why would you consider keeping it in a bathroom for a week?

Before you get all offended you might want to consider the contradictions within your own posts.

weinerboy12 · 06-30-04, 04:05 PM

well in sambas defence .. "I am in the process of constructing a larger enclosure for him at this moment." so I'm guessing she does have the space for a proper enclosure.. also she said that she got the snake many years ago so the enclosure she has now probably was fine not toooo long ago seeing that snakes grow and dont start off at 14' heh