Burmese Python — Care Sheet & Morphs

Husbandry requirements

Burmese Python — origin: South and Southeast Asia (eastern India, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, southern China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and some Indonesian islands). Humid forests, grasslands, marshes and areas near water..

Terrarium temperature gradient

Night min22 °C

Cool side24–27 °C

Warm side29–32 °C

Basking spot32–34 °C

A thermal gradient is essential. Hot spot/basking area at 32-34 °C, preferably provided by a heat panel or a guarded spot bulb (never a heat rock, risk of burns). A night-time drop down to ~22 °C is tolerated. Every heating element must be controlled by a thermostat.

Enclosure (adult)

300 × 120 × 90 cm

A very large, robust and fully secured custom-built terrarium/enclosure (lockable closure). A purpose-built enclosure or a dedicated room is almost always necessary in adulthood.

Minimum dimensions for an adult; ideally the length should be at least equal to that of the snake and the width about half. Provide sturdy hides at both ends of the thermal gradient and a large water container. Juveniles can be kept in a smaller, secure space, enlarged gradually.

Humidity

50–70 %

Maintain 50-70%; raise toward 70-80% during shedding periods to avoid incomplete sheds (dysecdysis). Good ventilation remains essential to prevent respiratory infections.

Substrate

Cypress mulchCoconut fibreAspen shavingsNewspaper / paper towel (hygienic)Reptile mat

Choose a substrate that moderately retains humidity and is easy to clean. Avoid cedar/pine shavings (toxic oils) and fine, dusty substrates. Remove droppings immediately; disinfect regularly for this snake, which produces a lot of waste.

UVB

Optional

Not strictly mandatory, but low-intensity UVB lighting (UV index ~2-3, forest/temperate type) and a regular day/night cycle are beneficial for well-being and metabolism. Provide a shaded area to allow avoidance.

Water source

Always available

A large clean water container, wide enough to let the snake partially submerge (bathing and aid to shedding). Change the water frequently; disinfect regularly as the animal often defecates in it.

Origin

Pythonidae

South and Southeast Asia (eastern India, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, southern China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and some Indonesian islands). Humid forests, grasslands, marshes and areas near water.

Feeding & health

Diet

Carnivore (whole-prey eater) — Rodents and lagomorphs of appropriate size: mice and rats for juveniles, then large rats, guinea pigs and rabbits for adults. Thawed prey recommended.

Feed a juvenile every 7-10 days, an adult every 2-3 weeks or even less often. Obesity is common: do not overfeed. Prey should not exceed about 1.5 times the widest part of the body. Take care when feeding a large specimen (powerful feeding response).

Breeding

Oviparous

Clutch 12–40 eggs/young. Clutch usually of 12 to 40 eggs, with exceptional clutches exceeding 50-100 eggs in large females. The female coils her body around the clutch and actively incubates it (thermogenesis through muscular contractions). Incubation of about 55-70 days at around 30-31 °C. Reproduction is usually preceded by a winter temperature drop.

Health watch points

Respiratory infections (often linked to an environment that is too cold or too humid/poorly ventilated)
Obesity and hepatic steatosis linked to overfeeding
Incomplete sheds (dysecdysis) due to lack of humidity
External parasites (mites) and internal parasites, common in wild-caught animals
Stomatitis (mouth rot) and dermatitis/scale rot; susceptibility to Inclusion Body Disease (IBD)

Morphs & genetics

Registry of 9 documented genes for Burmese Python.

Albino (T−) t- albinoRec
Patternless (green) greenRec
GraniteRec
Labyrinth labyRec
Hypomelanistic hypoInc.d
Caramel (Ultramel T+) ultramel caramelRec
Caramel (Gulf Coast T+) gulf coast caramelRec
Caramel (Waterview/WEI T+) waterview caramelRec
Piebald piedRec

Pairing calculator

Pick each parent's genotype — clutch probabilities update live. Free, no sign-up.

🧬

Burmese Python × Burmese Python

Probabilities per gene (independent loci).

Expected clutchSelect at least one gene on a parent.

Frequently asked questions

Answers to the most common questions about keeping the burmese python.

Is the Burmese python suitable for a beginner keeper?▾

No: its care is classified as advanced. It generally stays calm and curious, often docile in captivity, but it is a very large constrictor whose strength is real, and an adult requires the presence of at least two experienced people during handling. Wild-caught specimens are moreover more stressed and more prone to parasites: it is always better to start with a captive-bred animal.

What size can an adult Burmese python reach?▾

It is a heavyweight among snakes: adult total length ranges from 3 to 5.50 m, with females being distinctly larger than males and often exceeding 5 m; some exceptional specimens approach or exceed 5.70 m. Growth is very rapid during the first years, which must be anticipated from the very start of setup.

What terrarium should be provided for an adult?▾

An adult needs a custom-built, very large, sturdy and lockable enclosure — often a dedicated room becomes necessary. Minimum dimensions are around 300 x 120 x 90 cm, ideally with a length at least equal to that of the snake and a width about half of it. Provide sturdy hides at both ends of the thermal gradient and a large water tub; juveniles can start in a smaller space, enlarged gradually.

How should heating and temperature be set?▾

A thermal gradient is essential: cool side 24-27 °C, warm side 29-32 °C, with a hot spot/basking area at 32-34 °C. Preferably use a heat panel or a protected spotlight rather than a heat rock, a classic source of burns, and always control every element with a thermostat. A nighttime drop to about 22 °C is tolerated.

What humidity level and how to manage shedding?▾

Maintain a humidity of 50 to 70% daily, raising it toward 70-80% during shedding periods to prevent incomplete sheds (dysecdysis). Good ventilation remains essential alongside, otherwise respiratory infections loom.

Which substrate should be used?▾

Cypress mulch, coco fibre, aspen shavings, newspaper/paper towel or reptile mat work well, provided they retain moisture moderately and stay easy to clean. Avoid cedar or pine shavings, whose oils are toxic, and remove droppings without delay: this is an animal that produces a lot of waste.

What does the Burmese python eat and how often?▾

It feeds on thawed rodents and lagomorphs suited to its size: mice and rats for juveniles, then large rats, guinea pigs and rabbits in adulthood, not exceeding about 1.5 times the body width. A juvenile is fed every 7 to 10 days, an adult every 2 to 3 weeks or even less often: obesity is common in this species, so it is better to underfeed than to overfeed. Stay cautious at feeding time: the feeding reflex of a large specimen is powerful.

Is a water tub needed?▾

Yes, a large, clean water tub is necessary, wide enough for the snake to partially immerse itself — useful for bathing and to ease shedding. It gets dirty quickly because the animal often defecates in it: change the water frequently and disinfect regularly.

Is UVB lighting necessary?▾

It is not strictly mandatory, but a low-intensity UVB (UV index around 2-3, forest/temperate type) combined with a regular day/night cycle benefits its well-being and metabolism. Always provide a shaded area so it can retreat there if it wishes.

What is its longevity and what commitment does that represent?▾

Expect 20 to 25 years in captivity, with some individuals reaching 28 to 30 years in good conditions. Given its adult size and this longevity, acquiring a Burmese python is a commitment of several decades to anticipate before taking the plunge.

How does the Burmese python reproduce?▾

It is an egg-laying species: the female generally lays 12 to 40 eggs, exceptionally 50 to 100 in large females, after a winter temperature drop. She coils around the clutch and actively broods it by generating heat through muscular contractions; incubation lasts about 55 to 70 days at around 30-31 °C.

What health problems are the most common?▾

Respiratory infections often top the list, linked to an environment that is too cold, too humid or poorly ventilated, followed by obesity and fatty liver disease due to overfeeding, as well as incomplete sheds from a lack of humidity. Wild-caught animals are more prone to external and internal parasites, and the species remains susceptible to stomatitis as well as inclusion body disease (IBD).

Track your burmese python on ReptiNode

Create a free tracking log: weight, meals, sheds, health record, QR codes and breeding projects — with the built-in genetics calculator for over 200 species.

Create a free account