Unfortunately, captive Burms have access to food on a far more regular basis than your average wild-caught Burm. In the wild a Burm might go months between meals: in captivity some owners will "power-feed" their Burms weekly or even bi-weekly. This results in explosive growth -- but is also extremely unhealthy for the snake. As with humans, obesity in snakes strains the heart, circulatory system, liver and other organs and can lead to a shortened lifespan. Conversely, some owners withhold food or provide undersized prey items to stunt their Burms. This can be successful for a few months, but will soon lead to a sick, cranky Burm who is more likely to bite and more prone to respiratory and other infections.

From the start, most baby Burms can take small rats. A weekly feeding schedule is good for the first year or so: at the end of that time your baby will likely be anywhere from 6 to 10 feet long. After that you can start feeding biweekly: full-grown adults may only eat once every three or four weeks. (Like other cold-blooded animals, snakes have very slow metabolisms. Because they need not expend energy on body heat, their food requirements are considerably lower than those of a comparably sized mammal). Prey items which leave a noticeable but not overly large bulge are generally best: an adult Burm may eat anything from large rabbits to turkeys, small pigs and kid goats. Lakshmi, who weighs approximately 85 pounds, eats 2-3 colossal rats (which weigh over a pound each) and one adult guinea pig (which typically weighs 1.75-2.25 pounds) every two weeks.