Burmese pythons, like many other snakes that are made as pets these days, can be bred in captivity and have been bred in captivity for quite some time now. There are many groups and suppliers these days all over the United States and Canada the breed Burmese pythons in order to supply pet stores or sell the hatchlings directly themselves.Burmese pythons reach sexual maturity somewhere between eighteen months to four years of age. The size of a sexually mature Burmese python should be between 6 feet to 9 feet for the males, and 9 feet or more for the females. The females do grow larger than the males of the species in this case. In captivity, the breeding season most commonly starts at around November and ends at March of the following year. At around this time, breeders stop feeding their snakes. The Burmese pythons kept for captive breeding should be well established and in excellent condition before they perform for courtship and actual breeding. The breeding of Burmese pythons may be induced, which is done by reducing daytime photoperiod to 8-10 hours and dropping the temperature during nighttime to somewhere in the mid 70s. At this point, the male should be introduced into the female’s cage. Some breeders mist the animals with water, which is also said to help induce breeding activity.
According to many breeders of Burmese pythons, its females usually shed at around 14 to 20 days or more after ovulation. The eggs of the Burmese python are typically laid about 30 days after they shed post ovulation. The average number of eggs laid by female Burmese pythons is somewhere between 20 to more than 80 eggs. Be extra careful in handling the female Burmese pythons at this time, as they can be extra sensitive of human contact and can be very protective with their eggs. The shedding also makes their skins extremely sensitive to touch, and may react to sudden movements or contact, even those initiated by their own handlers. Remember, these Burmese pythons are still pretty wild animals, and are not cats or dogs.
The eggs of the Burmese python should be incubated at an optimum temperature range of 88F to 90F. Always keep the eggs under close watch, and keep the incubator free of sharp objects and other items to avoid puncturing the soft, leathery shells of the Burmese python eggs. Under these optimal conditions, the Burmese python eggs should hatch within 55 to 70 days.