Dwarf Burm

DavethePython · 07-31-12, 10:29 AM

Can anyone tell me the average size of a Dwarf Burm ? My albino Burm is in the 9 foot range give or take . I was told he was about 9 years old . This size is quite small for a 9 year old Burmese . He is about equal in size to most 2 year old Burms I have seen . Also is there any distinguishing way to identify a Dwarf Burm ? I will try to get some good pics up when I get home to my computer. Thanks .

moshirimon · 07-31-12, 10:39 AM

Are dwarf burms even proven to be real? If so i'm pretty sure dwarf burms are from the Sulawesi island. they range at around 6-8 foot. You could have a really big dwarf, or just an underfed normal.

Norm66 · 07-31-12, 12:17 PM

I don't think he's a dwarf, but my 10 year old Burm is just a bit over 7'. He was fed a mouse a month for the first 9 years of his life though.

Necrias · 07-31-12, 12:51 PM

Dwarf burms stay around 4-7 foot, and have a much more "broken" pattern similar to a het granite. There are NO dwarf morphs, but this year there should be plenty of half-dwarf morphs on the market. I spoke with Tom Reagan, and his biggest HD female is only 9'; females are usually 7-8' and males 5-6' and more slender like a carpet python.

Full-blooded dwarfs a tough to find because they are very difficult to breed, but apparently the half-dwarfs do great in captivity.

Also, my 2010 male is only a hair over 6', he was fed very little the first year of his life, so is still catching up. That said, many breeders get their males to breeding size, then put them on a "maintenance" diet (probably a jumbo rat every 4-8 weeks) so they don't grow much more. If they don't get switched to rabbits, males can stay quite small compared to females.

DavethePython · 07-31-12, 05:01 PM

Ok that all makes sense then . I acquired this snake as a rescue and while I do not know his whole history I do know he was grossly mistreated . He spend the last 6 months of his life before rescue in a Rubbermaid bin on a shelf with no heat light or basic needs of life . He was near dead when he was found . It has been several months since his rescue and he is doing much better . He is on jumbo or super jumbo rats every second week or so now and as soon as my feed supplier gets rabbits in he will be on those . So it woul appear he was just really mistreated . Pisses me off even more .

DavethePython · 08-01-12, 11:50 AM

Thank you all for the information . Once again very informative and lots of help. As I promised here are some pictures of his soak last night. Had a bad shed , think I will consider an auto humidifier for him . Very hard to keep the humidity levels right for his enclosure .

Necrias · 08-02-12, 09:45 AM

Good looking male you got there, he looks to be getting back to a healthy weight and in good hands. He will likely not grow to the size some males attain, but that just means smaller food bill for you lol. Glad this story ended well!

**millertime89** · 08-02-12, 01:08 PM

Dwarf Burms are a real thing, Jacobs 2009 classified them as Python Bivittatus Progschai only been imported for 7 or 8 years or so, so the likelihood of yours being a dwarf is almost nill. They do come from the island Sulawesi. Bob Clark was one of the first to get them. Size is usually males under 6 and females under 7, my girl is 5 and right around the 6 foot mark. Most breeding aged dwarf females now are still either wild caught or captive hatched (mine is CH) and yes, can be difficult to get to breed, but the early CBB males are getting easier and CBB females should be breeding this season if they weren't pushed the last season or two. The 1/2 dwarfs do indeed do really well and morphs in those are starting to become pretty common, if hard to acquire due to the Lacey Act listing. There is now a dwarf morph, but we'll never see it stateside due to the Lacey Act, its a T+ albino that's being called Caramel last I heard.

He looks great btw. Glad to hear he's with someone who not only knows how to treat them, but can and will treat him right. Something else to remember is he's a he, and males tend to stay smaller. Not typically THAT small, but it could contribute a bit.

Wildside · 08-02-12, 01:18 PM

There are people out there who will try to regulate the size of their burms with almost sickening feeding practices.

**millertime89** · 08-02-12, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wildside

There are people out there who will try to regulate the size of their burms with almost sickening feeding practices.

all the giants, not just Burms.

Wildside · 08-02-12, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by millertime89

all the giants, not just Burms.

yes

DavethePython · 08-03-12, 09:49 PM

Thanks again for the input . Very interesting read on the Dwarf Burm . Yes I am happy with his feeding habits . He never hesitates for feeding time . Can't wait to get a ready supply of rabbits . Want to get him on a better nutrition source as soon as I can . I have been working with him as time permits . He likes the attention and is very inquisitive. If you could read a snakes face I would say he is happy . Although true to his Burmese roots he has a tendancy to hiss and puff up a lot but it is all for show .

**Aaron_S** · 08-03-12, 10:41 PM

Next time he has a bad shed just toss him in a really massive pillow case that's been dampened with warm water. He'll do most of the work inside there.

Becky Goings · 08-05-12, 11:29 AM

Hmmmm. Good idea Aaron! I'm thinking for bigger ones you could sew a twin sheet in half length-wise. Our boaphiles actually are very good about keeping humidity up, so we rarely have issues, but it's always good to know what to do!

**Aaron_S** · 08-05-12, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Becky Goings

Hmmmm. Good idea Aaron!

The only kind I have...

Anyway, yeah it'll work better than a soak.