Cage sizing with Burms is one of those areas where everybody seems to have their own opinion. On the one hand there will be people telling you that you will need to give up a whole room, on the other hand there will be people telling you that 8x4 will do, others will quote a formula like 2 sq ft for every foot of snake etc... The thing to remember with giants is that depth is as important as length, if not more so. Their bulk is such that even when they coil up they will cover a 3ftx3ft area with ease. Personally I would recommend against giving up an entire room, simply because that in my experience they are territorial and entering the territory of a large and powerful predator is asking for trouble. Much better to have the more controlled environment of a glass fronted cage where you can clearly observe the animals location and behaviour before exposing yourself to the animal.
If you were to ask me, I would say that for an average male (13-15ft or so) something along the lines of a 10x3 or 8x4 would be enough, providing that regular excercise is allowed by handling or should I say supervised freedom of the herp room/house as handling them at that size is both tiring (they're HEAVY!) and difficult (they're REALLY HEAVY!
).
It's also worth noting, before you get the animal, that you WILL require at least one assistant during cleaning/handling/feeding procedures. This must be somebody who feels comfortable around the animal, preferably another experienced herper, but at the very least a friend/family member who is willing to be as committed to it's welfare as you are and who isn't afraid of the animal. Feeding time is particularly dangerous as it requires you to expose yourself to the animal while in the presence of food and, as any Burm owner will tell you, once they smell food they are not for fooling around!
The first thing you should do though is to contact somebody in your area that keeps giant snakes and go and help with the handling, feeding and cleaning etc... This will give you some idea of what you're about to let yourself in for and it's vitally important that you understand this BEFORE you purchase the animal. If you don't know anybody close enough to visit then talk to experienced giant keepers about their procedures and husbandry methods and financial outlay. Cost is one of the aspects of reptile husbandry that often goes overlooked, particularly in the case of the more specialised species.
I have no idea what your level of experience is, so if I'm preaching to the converted forgive me
Paul
