BURMESE PYTHON
DISTRIBUTION: Indonesia, Thailand, Burma, China and Vietnam.
SIZE: Females up to 25 feet, average 13-15 feet, males 8-12 feet.
TEMPERMENT: Babies often strike and bite, but with frequent handling, tame down quite readily. Large adults should only be handled with two or more people present.
HARDINESS: Extremely hardy when properly set up and maintained.
SEXING: Should be probe sexed.
FOOD: Nutrient fed mice, rats, rabbits and chickens.
HOUSING: Babies can be housed in a 15 gallon vivarium. These snakes grow fast. Adults require large custom built enclosures. Newspaper, pine shavings, aspen bedding or orchid bark can be used as substrate. Landscape sparingly with rocks, driftwood, and securely anchored branches.
WATER: Provide a large heavy crock of fresh water at all times. Clean daily.
TEMPERATURE/HUMIDITY: Day 82-95 degrees F (28-39 degrees C) gradient.
Night 75-80
degrees F (24-27 degrees C). Moderate humidity.
LIGHTING: Fluorescent full spectrum / U.V. bulbs are not essential, but are helpful for long term maintenance.
HEATING: Under tank heaters will provide surface heat. An incandescent bulb in a reflector, situated over the same area as the under tank heater, will provide gradient heat. Red or black light bulbs, or an infrared ceramic heater, are recommended for supplemental night heat. Use a thermometer.
GENERAL NOTES: African Rock Pythons (Python sebae)
and Reticulated Pythons
(Python reticulatus) can be maintained the same as Burmese Pythons.