Getting a half dwarf burm.

[A. gigas]

We put the deposit on him! Gonna get him shipped in after spring break I believe. So, now to the point of this thread, and the reason it's not in the media lounge.

I'm looking for any last minute advice. Primarily:

-What would be a good substrate? I will be putting him on news paper for the first week or two, but I would very much like to put him on something more natural looking. I have been considering eco earth, repti bark, and I would prefer something else, but I have been considering aspen shavings as well. Which of these would work best, and are there any others that might be better?

-I will be keeping him in a 40 gallon breeder for now, (he is currently a little over 3 feet) and plan to buy another 3 foot Boamaster cage for him. Will this be okay for his entire life? If not, would a Boamaster 4 foot be good? I have my 6 foot carpet python in a Boamaster 3 foot cage at the moment, and he has plenty of space, but I'm wondering whether the thickness of the Burm would make him require a larger cage than 3'x2'?

Any other advice is appreciated.

EDIT: Yes, I will be sure to hook train him, I already do so with Darwin, my carpet python.
Also, some pics!

 

[Lepisosteus platyrhincus]

Hook train? as in to handle it?? Have you ever tried to lift a large heavy snake with a hook? It is hard as hell. Good technique can help but its a burm..... No matter what its not gonna help.


Or do you mean hook train it in some other way??

 

[A. gigas]

Hook train? as in to handle it?? Have you ever tried to lift a large heavy snake with a hook? It is hard as hell. Good technique can help but its a burm..... No matter what its not gonna help.


Or do you mean hook train it in some other way??

1) In general, hook training would mean tapping it with a hook to let it know it's being taken out and not fed, as opposed to just grabbing it.

2) Someone didn't read the "half dwarf" part.. He'll get to around 5-6 feet.

 

[Yellow_Perch]

nice color to it..

 

[brooklynboy521]

1) In general, hook training would mean tapping it with a hook to let it know it's being taken out and not fed, as opposed to just grabbing it.

2) Someone didn't read the "half dwarf" part.. He'll get to around 5-6 feet.

Dont underestimate the snake. Half dwarf doesn't mean anything. Treat it like a burm should be treated. A normal male burm would reach around 12'-15'. I would say a half dwarf burm would reach a maximum length of 8'-9'. My advice to you is Respect it, it's a burm. And as far as substrate goes I would say eco earth. Good Luck. Make sure to post many pics when you do get him

 

[A. gigas]

nice color to it..

Agreed he's probable het granite, poss. het albino.

 

[ermgravy]

a half dwarf burm is a burm mate sorry to say. vendors and money hungry and sorry but that is not worth a higher price tag if it comes with one. the het % will count for some ting on price if he is high but still a burm.

 

[A. gigas]

Dont underestimate the snake. Half dwarf doesn't mean anything. Treat it like a burm should be treated. A normal male burm would reach around 12'-15'. I would say a half dwarf burm would reach a maximum length of 8'-9'. My advice to you is Respect it, it's a burm. And as far as substrate goes I would say eco earth. Good Luck. Make sure to post many pics when you do get him

I will (all of that.) Don't think I'm underestimating it, It'll still be able to do quite a lot of damage..

Half dwarfs get more or less (and I'm counting on the "more"..) 8 foot for females, and 6 foot for males. This little guy is a male.

 

[A. gigas]

a half dwarf burm is a burm mate sorry to say. vendors and money hungry and sorry but that is not worth a higher price tag if it comes with one.

Trust me, if I could get a full sized burm, I would.. It's just that I'm only allowed a half dwarf.

As far as "a half dwarf burm is a burm" which, correct me if I'm wrong, sounds like you're saying it will get full size. It won't. This little guy is a year old and just over 3 feet, a full sized burm would be 5-6 feet by that time, unless it was severely underfed, which by the looks of him I'd say he isn't.

 

[Lepisosteus platyrhincus]

1) In general, hook training would mean tapping it with a hook to let it know it's being taken out and not fed, as opposed to just grabbing it.

2) Someone didn't read the "half dwarf" part.. He'll get to around 5-6 feet.

he is still gonna be fat and heavy.