About my snake being stunted; It is hard to swallow all the info that I've gotten from you all. I can either choose not to believe it and risk that you may be right and compromise the life of my snake, or I can accept that ignorantly harmed my snake by not feeding her enough and try to make up for it from now on.

The recommended amount to feed a burm is just so unclear. People have told me that I should feed Dubious more, but those people were all into power feeding burms. People actually feed their burms too much as if there were this competition to have the biggest snake. I know they are overweight because the snakes body feels really gushy and fatty. A healthy (not overweight) burm should feel firm like a muscle right?

Oh yea, about the frozen rats, thanks for the support. I did not know that it was possible to buy small quantities of frozen rodents, but I went to that link and I can get a bag with as little as 5 rats at a time. The only other thing I have to figure out before making the switch from live to frozen is, where do I keep frozen rats?? Not in the same freezer I keep my food! Do you have to buy a special freezer to keep the frozen rodents in?

I keep my frozen rodents in thier individually sealed bags in a sealed tupperware container labelled "Specimens" on it's own side of the freezer. Whether you know it or not there are germier things than rats among (and on and in) the food in your freezer anyway

I agree with Hippolyta.....if the rodents are frozen there are no "active" germs. The frozen chicken in your freezer is worse off than the rats.

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Ken
" The United States Marine Corps......sure we are a department of the Navy,,,,,,we're the MENS department "

Ssativa, I would recommend that you make your own assessment after soaking up all of your info. (You never know, if you do enough research about a subject, people may begin coming to you for answers!) I really don't think anything mentioned will be compromising the health of your snake. While there will always be risks when power feeding, if you just stick to a moderate feeding schedule, you'll be fine. Always question your sources (especially the owners who like to talk about the giant size of the their Burms). Nevertheless, knowledge is the answer. You may not ever find a perfect answer to things, but you can search enough to find an answer that is comfortable for you to accept and utilize.

When I haven't been content with what I have understood about a particular subject, I researched until I found an answer that I thought was a good one. If it sounded odd, then I researched it more, looking for similarities. When writing caresheets, I would look for 20 or more good references (depending on the obscurity of the subject) to make sure that I felt what I was going to share with others was as accurate as possible (I would also share it with colleagues who I felt to be esteemed in the particular area before sharing).

Since Burmese pythons are perhaps the most popular larger snake, I will tell you that these answers your search for are out there. Talk with burmese owners, look up caresheets on burms, find the consistencies, look for the differences, read about overfeeding in burms, for example. You'll begin to develop a sense for what is more factual and what is more opinion as you compare information. If nothing else, consult a reptile veterinarian to determine if the Burm is underweight or overweight. (and get the snake a fecal exam while you're there.)

I say this out of response to your level of commitment and concern for your Burm. And I do not see your concern of its weight to be life threatening at this time, but moreso, as a good opportunity to learn. Snakes are very hearty and tractable animals. You can make mistakes without severly harming them. And they (Burms) will acclimate to your caregiving. I'm very happy that you are so committed.

You never know? Maybe you'll learn all kinds of interesting and unpopluar info on Burms in your quest for answers that may promp someone to ask you to write a caresheet!?

The answers are out there.

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"Spread Reptile Awareness!"

"You know you have faith when you realize that thoughts are things; what you feel, you attract; and what you imagine, you become."
-Joseph Murphy, Phd

I was very squeamish at first about keeping mice in the freezer with our food...but they're in a plastic bag in a plastic container clearly labeled "Spectre's Dinner", and they don't bother me anymore. In fact, like others have just said, once it occurred to me that my chicken was probably germier than the mice, I even quit minding if, heaven forbid, a box of frozen vegetables brushed up against the plastic container of "Spectre's dinner".

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~Juliane~

Ok, Ssativa. Firstly, I have yet to see ANYONE reccomend power feeding to you from this site, and please allow me to tell you that it is not an option. All I am trying to tell you is that providing a snake with the nutrition that it needs to be able to grow is an important thing, and depending on the size of the meal, will tell you your frequency. A normal or slightly larger meal is probably a weekly thing. The larger you go, the further apart you can get.

Power feeding does 2 things in particular: 1) causes large amounts of physical size growth in both girth and length, and 2) reduces the lifespan of most animals. it is BAD.

A healthy burm that isnt fat will feel solid to the touch, and with a little force you should be able to feel ribs. It will have a clearly defineable neck, and the head will appear porportionate to its body. You will not be able to tell where the body ends and the tail begins, and the snake will have a smooth appearance with out any skin showing through the scales.

I think im the only person that has posted in this thread that has first hand experience with Burmese pythons. (I own two). I dont want "big" snakes, I want healthy snakes.

Paul

The burm I fostered was a victim of overfeeding, the owner "enjoyed" feeding her. She was 9' long and was over 100 pounds. She was very thick, out of proportion. Can you take her to a vet and get a professional opinion on her size. (sorry the pics aren't better)

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Answers are great. But I prefer questions!

Visit me at www.jaysreptiles.com

Yeah, it's a beautiful-looking snake, but definately small. F/T rats are the way to go. As an added bonus, you don't have to worry about them suffering! As a negative thing, however, thawing rats don't exactly smell the best. And if you should try to thaw one out in a toaster oven, it's worse.

I would go with feeding 1 medium/large rat every 6-8 days. That way, he won't get overly hungry and perhaps strike at you. A burm bite, even from a small burm, is nothing to laugh at.

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How many of us have ever thought seriously about eating a rat, just once, to see how it tastes?

Nobody?

Me neither.

The best way to thaw is to put them in a ziplock bag and float them in warm water. No smell, no mess.

__________________
Answers are great. But I prefer questions!

Visit me at www.jaysreptiles.com

I had to find that out the hard way. I can still smell them a bit through the bag, though.

__________________
How many of us have ever thought seriously about eating a rat, just once, to see how it tastes?

Nobody?

Me neither.