Ball Python

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General

Copyright Ralph Davis Reptiles

Ball Pythons are one of the most popular pet snakes. Varying colors and patterns, docile nature and its small size, when compared with other pythons, make this a very desirable pet. The name “ball” comes from the defensive nature of the snake. When it feels threatened the Ball Python will coil into a ball with it’s head protected in the middle. The Europeans refer to this snake as the Royal Python. This comes from it’s species name “regius”. Ball Pythons reach sexual maturity in 3 years.

Enclosure

The Enclosure should be no shorter than 2/3 the snake’s body length. Baby Ball Pythons can live in a 20-gallon long aquarium up to a year. Pythons are notorious escape artists! You can greatly reduce the risk of escape by purchasing aquarium locks and placing them one on each end. Provide plenty of ventilation and a secure hiding place. There are many natural and unnatural looking hide boxes but when purchasing one look for one that is easy to clean. Occasionally Ball Pythons like to climb, so provide them with sturdy climbing branches. It is good to place one climbing branch under the heat lamp so the snake can bask.

Substrate

There are many good substrates for ball pythons including newspaper, cypress mulch, shredded aspen, coconut husk, fir bark, rabbit pellets, and reptile carpet. DO NOT use cedar shavings! It’s oils are TOXIC to reptiles.

Heating & Humidity

Daytime temperatures 85 – 88°f. Do not let nighttime temperatures drop below 78°f. Keeping the humidity steady in the cage at around 30%-50% is good, but you will need to increase the humidity when the snake begins to shed. Reptiles need to be able to regulate their body temperature, so a temperature range is needed. Make one end of the cage warmer than the other to allow this regulation. There are many good ways of heating the enclosure including, any kind of reptile heat bulb found at your local pet store, a ceramic heat bulb, under-tank heat pads, and heat tape. Just be sure that the temperature stays in the right range and any of these will work. Some times it is good to use an under tank heater with another heater to get a good temperature. For easy control, use a rheostat in conjunction which will balance out one or more heat sources to the desired temp. In-cage rock heaters are not recommended because they tend to get to hot and can burn your pet. Always use at least one thermometer in your reptile enclosures although two is optimal; one on the cool side and one on the warm side.

Lighting

UVB is not a necessity with nocturnal ball pythons, but not harmful. If desired, use a 2.0 fluorescent 8 – 12 hours a day. The UVA this bulb provides is beneficial to the psychological well-being of diurnal (day time) reptiles. All reptiles and amphibians need a photo period (light cycle). A plug-in timer (for your lights only; do not use a timer for your heating devices) works well to develop a regular photo period of 8 – 10 hours of lighting 14 – 16 hours of dark. Reptiles and amphibians cannot see the red spectrum of light, so a large wattage red bulb is ideal for nighttime viewing and heat.

Food & Water

Ball Pythons are very shy eaters. You may find it takes your new pet a while to adjust to it’s new surroundings. Ball Pythons accept food best at night. Feed multiple Ball Pythons in separate containers. Baby Ball Pythons should be offered pinky to fuzzy mice once a week. Increase the size of the food as the snake grows. Once the snake starts eating weaned mice or rats, be sure you offer the food pre-killed. If the snake gets a bad strike on the rodent, the rodent may be able to turn its body in order to bite the snake. Severe damage to the snake or even death may occur. Keeping a supply of dead rodents in the freezer will ensure a steady supply of food in case obtaining them becomes a problem. Be sure to thaw rodents at room temperature before feeding them to your snake. Do not use the microwave! Liquids inside the rodent may become extremely hot and cause severe burns to your snake even if part of the rodent is still frozen. Do not attempt to pick up any snake with the scent of other animal on your hands or clothing. This may entice the snake to strike in hunger. It is not necessary but recommended to feed your snake in a separate container from its enclosure. This helps so that the snake doesn’t associate a hand in its cage with food and mistake your hand for a mouse. Provide a sturdy water bowl that the snake can get in and out of easily. Glazed ceramic dog bowls work great the are easy to clean and hard for the snake to flip over and spill. Make sure the water is always fresh and clean and replace it often. Use water that contains no chlorine because it is harmful to reptiles. City tap water contains chlorine so it is best to use a commercial filtered water.

Note: Your should use these care guides in conjunction with a book or other reliable source or  reptile and amphibian information to provide the best possible care for your pet..