Burmese Python - Captivity

Captivity

Burmese Pythons are often sold as pets, and are made popular by their attractive colour and apparently easy-going nature. However, these animals have a rapid growth rate, and will often exceed 2.1 meters (7 feet) in length in a year if cared for and fed properly. By age 4, they will have reached their adult size, though they continue growing very slowly throughout their lives, which may exceed 20 years.

Although this species has a reputation for docility, they are very powerful animals, capable of inflicting severe bites or even killing a keeper by constriction. They also consume large amounts of food, and due to their size, require large, often custom-built, secure enclosures, which can be very expensive. As a result some are released to the wild by irresponsible pet owners. For this reason, some jurisdictions (including Florida) have placed restrictions on the keeping of Burmese Pythons as pets.

A secondary problem with feeding Burmese pythons is that many owners believe if a snake acts hungry, that it should be fed. As Burmese pythons are opportunistic feeders, they will eat almost any time food is offered, and often act hungry even when they have recently eaten. This often leads to overfeeding, and obesity-related problems are common in captive Burmese pythons.