Proper Housing For a Burmese Python
The Minimum Housing Requirements for a Burmese Python

Once you understand the requirements, it becomes easier to build or buy a cage. One company that made really nice caging was Neodesha Plastics, they have been the standard of excellence among breeders and they built a 96" model that is unfortunatly out of production. There are many internet companies who are fairly new and should be checked out for references, I have no experience with them, but I do keep a list of retail cage vendors, let me know if you have experience with any of the folks on the list - I'd like to keep it current and useful.

If price is a concern, consider building (or having built) a cage out of wood. I have built many wooden enclosures and learned a lot from my mistakes; therefore I've included in this site, plans for a fully functional and good-looking cage.

Size:
Because Burmese are such large animals, it is important to provide them with a large enough enclosure. Too small an enclosure can lead to a stunted aggressive snake who is susceptible to a myriad of problems including diseases such as mouthrot and skin blister disease. Imagine yourself inside your snake's cage and imagine being limited to a place shorter than your body's length and you will probably decide it is nicer to provide them a large enough enclosure.

General Rule of Thumb for MINIMUM Floor Size:

Length + 2 x Depth = slightly greater than the total length of the snake's body

While this is especially crucial for growing pythons, it holds true for adults to some extent as well. This means that for an adult Burmese python 12 feet long, a cage measuring 8' x 2' is just barely enough room. Always offer your snake more over less, if the minimum size requirement is all you can provide your snake, then frequent exercise outside of the enclosure will be necessary to promote growth and well being.

Temperature:
Reptiles are cold-blooded, more accurately they are poikliothermic, which means whatever the temperature of their environment is, that's the temperature of their body. For a poikliotherm to be healthy, it must have proper body temperature, which means it must have the capability to find that temperature within its environment. A herp's body temperature requirements change according to complex physiology. For instance, a full stomach requires additional temperature to activate enzymes that aid in digestion. Therefore, a reptile's environment must supply a gradient of temperatures for the reptile to choose between. When we hold herps captive within cages, we restrict their innate ability to regulate their temperature. The herp becomes dependant on the keeper or whatever machines the keeper employs to regulate the temperature of the environment. The gist is, temperature is everything. If a cage malfunctions, providing too much or too little heat, that is a real emergency for the animal.

If you ask ten different breeders how they heat their cages, you might get ten different answers. I will tell you what I do, and if you like it use it, if you don't - find something else that works at least as well. The heat needs to be infrared (not emit any light), come from above, and be located on only one side of the cage. I have found the BEST way to offer this is to use a radiant heat panel installed on the ceiling of the cage. For a 96" enclosure you will need the heat panel to at least be 250 Watts, but this will vary with your lowest ambient air temp.

My Recommendation:

Panel:
Pro Products (www.pro-products.com) Radiant Heat Panel. You will find no others that compare to these. The $230 price tag is WELL WORTH IT, you will never have to worry about heating systems again!

Thermostat:
Biostat analog thermostat. These are easy to install and use, and @ $38 are a steal. Some argue proportional thermostats (work like a rheostats) are nicer, but I find the ProProducts panel retains heat during the off cycle - providing the same quality basking site while using less electricity, for a quarter of the initial price.

Humidity:
Burmese don't require exceptional humidity. I've found the best humidity levels are 20-40%, with occasional increases to around 60% to aid shedding. This slight humidity can be achieved in a dry climate by having very little ventilation and placing the water dish on the basking side of the cage. Misting the snake prior to a shed (eyes and body skin turn milky) will give them all the additional humidity they require. Care should be used so that the cage doesn't become too humid which will lead to mold, and a snake forced to occupy a very humid enclosure will likely develop skin and respiratory infections. However, there are times when the cage will become a saturated environment - Burmese excrete copious amounts of fluids when they defecate and this can sometimes happen hours before you have a chance to clean. Therefore, cages should be constructed, and the inside finish sealed, in a way that prevents any warping or expanding of the joints and surfaces due to excess standing moisture.

Location:
Ideally, your snake should be located in a large open room with plenty of uncluttered space in front of the cage to allow for maneuverability and proper handling of the animal once anytime it is out of the cage. Wide open space is safer for both you and your snake, but is also nice for letting them roam around the floor of the room a bit, without having to worry about them getting behind or under something hard to move or untangle them from.

Safety:
A safe cage is one that is impossible to escape from, has a snag free, smooth, easily cleanable inside surface, and is of bombproof construction with multiple locking mechanisms. I have seen an adult Burmese "punch" through ¼inch Plexiglas! As a general rule: if you or your college football player buddy can punch through it, so can your 150lb. python. Make or buy something VERY strong and put an extra locking mechanism on each door.