need help with 10ft burmese python

i purchased a 10ft female albino burmese python about 4 days ago. she was very tame when i went to get her. very docile. i have had large snakes all of my life. but they have been boas. she is the first large python i have had. i fully understand the responsibility of owning a snake that may reach lengths of 16-20ft long. i have done all my research and i am just seeking a little bit of help. any advice would be appreciated.

she was docile for the first 3 days. then today i went to handle her, and she began hissing. i called her bluff and continued stroking her sides before i went to grab her. she hissed even louder when i wrapped my hands around her, and then she flexed her body as if to strike and quickly jerked her head away. i said okay and left her alone. i went back 3 hours later to attempt to take her out again, and she acted in the same manner.

i have owned large constrictors for as long as i can remember. anywhere from between 6-10ft. but she is the only one that has displayed this kind of aggression/defensiveness toward me. and i am fully aware and expecting to be bit at some point. but i would much prefer to avoid it if i can. and i would like to know how some of you might handle this situation. geeorkerd@yahoo.com look forward to hearing from someone soon. thank you. sorry if i might've posted in the wrong place.

Nice looking snake,is she in her cage when she acts like this? Maybe once you get her out of the cage she will be OK,I have seen this work with Burms and retics.

Leave her alone a few days and try again. Sometimes they just don't want to be bothered. She may be ok once she is out. When did she eat last? Also dont expect to get bit, especially by a 10 ft burm. Just take your time with her and she will settle back in for you.

I gree give her a couple of days and try again. Are you feeding her in her cage? I would suggest feeding her in something else. sometimes burms can be hissy in their tank but calm down when you get them out.

moving this to the discussion forums

I've never seen a burm that DIDN'T hiss.

If you want to see if she wants to come out, get her head out of the cage and about 2ft of her out as well. she'll come out on her own if she wants too, if she doesn't then she'll just crawl back in. otherwise just take the hissing into consideration, but watch body language too and take her out.

p.s. thanks April!

Originally Posted by abcs_exotics

Are you feeding her in her cage? I would suggest feeding her in something else.

I forgot I wanted to add a comment on this, I personally would not recommend feeding a large constrictor outside of their cage or in a seperate feeding container. Simply because burms and retics have such strong feeding responses and can stay in feed mode for a long time, there's a good chance of an accident happening when moving them back into the tank. I don't keep burms but basing this on stories I've heard/read. Maybe try hook training so she knows when you open the cage if it's going to be food or your hand coming in?


P.S.S.

Originally Posted by Utta

p.s. thanks April!

as The Tick would say: No applause necessary, just doing my job.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFpGtSwCPBs
(ok so the quote is actually at 8:48 in part 2 but the opening is the best)

no worries. burms and rocks hiss. thats what they do best. give her a week to ten days to settle in. new surrounding, new person, etc, is reason enough to be a little cranky, plus add on they hiss, thats just what they do, she will be fine.
assuming she was hook trained, keep it up, if not, hook train her once she settles in. i would offer a smaller meal than normal for the first couple, just from the stress, we dont wanna even have a slightest chance of regurge or anything.

good luck. she will be fine

id like to thank you all for your replies. it means a lot to me. you have been very helpful!! turns out, you were all right. she just hisses. she has yet to strike at me. she will hiss and tighten up her body. but she does NOT like the hook.. i am not sure why? she will tighten her body around the hook, as if tightening around pray. she breathes very heavily when i touch her with the hook. what i have found to work, and feel free to let me know if this is dangerous, as right now.. it isnt. but may when she gets bigger? i grab one of my tshirts and i just lightly put it on top of her head, and then i stroke her sides for about 30 seconds. when i feel she has calmed down, i take it off her then grab her and take her out of the cage. and she is perfect. (i put it on her with tongs just to be safe). as of right now, i am only feeding her colossal rats. she is used to eating medium/large rabbits, but i dont agree with live feedings. (cannot find a f/t rabbit anywhere) it is cruel to the prey and cruel to the snake. and i live in germany.. so i am unsure where to find a rodent shipper that will ship apo/fpo overseas... since i cant give her medium rabbits, i give her 2 colossal rats. and she seems fine with that. she is used to eating live, but she was easy and gentle switching to f/t. she did not even strike the rat. i held the rat above her head with xxl feeding tongs, and she looked at it, opened her mouth slowly and basically just took it as gently as she could. it was pretty amazing. she is a great snake. and again, i want to thank all of you for your help. i was nervous at first, but after reading all your responses, i did what yall said and she was fine oh, also wanted to add that i feed her in her cage. i have learned from my boas, that when they get about 5ft+, it is much easier in their cages. as april is correct from my experience. my boas would stay in feed mode for a long time after they were done eating.. so safer for me and less stressful for the snakes to feed large constrictors in the cages.. so that is where i feed her. id rather get territorial strikes than a feeding strike.

Melissa, did you ask original owner where he got his rabbits from? Find a local breeder that has meat rabbits for public. Shouldn't be too difficult to find one. If you do find one let them know it's for your burmese and ask if you can get ones that are stew quality and should be cheaper. Ask what quantities would be cheaper to buy and prepare freezer space.