Common Name: Ball Python or Royal Python
Scientific name: Python regius
Native to: Central and Western Africa
Size: Adult ball pythons average three to five feet in legth
Life span: Ball pythons can live 20 - 30 years in captivity. One specimen lived for 47 years at the Philadelphia Zoo.
General appearance: Ball pythons are named for their defense behavior of rolling into a tight ball with their head in the middle. Like all other pythons, ball pythons have spurs at their vents. There are many different color morphs and patterns available today in captive bred specimens. The "standard" ball python has large chocolate brown markings with lighter medium-brown spots interspersed between the darker spots. The belly is generally off-white or a pale gray.
Enclosure: Remember that all snakes are escape artists and when designing an enclosure it is of the utmost importance that whatever enclosure is used is made as escape-proof as possible. An adult ball python can be kept is a 20 gallon long sized aquarium with a screen top, or a reasonable sized custom made enclosure (36 x 12 inches).
Temperature: Daytime temperatures should be maintained at 80° - 85° F with a basking temperature of 90° - 95° F. Nighttime temperatures should be 75° - 80° F.
Heat/Light: Heat can be provided by a spotlight on one end of the enclosure or by an undertank heat pad. Make sure to monitor temperatures and use a thermostat to prevent overheating. When providing heat, do NOT use hot rocks. Ball Pythons do not need special UV light and regular ambient room light is usually enough to provide a regular photoperiod.
Substrate: Newspaper and papertowels make excellent substrate even though they are not very attractive. They are easy to clean and excellent to use when acclimating new ball pythons to their enclosure. Wood shavings can also be used, though cedar should never be used and some pine can also cause health problems as well. Aspen shavings are usually an excellent choice if using wood shavings. If keeping the snake on wood shavings, care should be taken when feeding the snake to avoid shavings becoming lodged in the snake's mouth.
Environment: Ball Pythons do not need much cage furniture but will appreciate a few hiding spots. Commercially avaliable hides will work fine, but so will cardboard boxes and overturned plant pot bases. Other than a few hides the only other thing needed is a small bowl of fresh, clean water.
Diet: Hatchlings can be started off feeding on hopper mice. Juveniles and adults can gradually take larger sized prey of mice or young rats. Young snakes can be fed 1 - 2 times a week, while older snakes will do fine on one appropriate sized rodent a week. Thawed frozen rodents are the easiest and safest way to feed snakes. A supply can be kept in your freezer and there are no problems from live mice biting your snake.
It is important to note that ball pythons are notorious for not eating on a regular schedule. This is especially true of wild caught specimens. Whenever possible try to obtain captive bred snakes that have already feeding to minimize problems eating. If your new ball python does not eat immediately it is important to not panic. Ball pythons have been known to go months without eating and there are records of ball pythons of not eating for 22 months. Often a variety of foods may need to be offered in order to get the snake to eat and often many will only eat live food. If you are experience difficulty getting your ball python to eat you may need to consult several more in-depth texts on the subject. One excellent resource is The Ball Python Manual (see references below).
Maintenance: Fresh water should be offered daily. If using newsprint then clean as needed. Wood shavings should be spot cleaned as needed. Periodically, the enclosure should be disinfected. A 5% bleach solution makes an excellent disinfectant. Be sure to rinse the enclosure thoroughly after disinfecting. As always, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after handling your ball python or any cage accessories.
Other references or recommended reading:
The Ball Python Manual By Philippe De Vosjoli, Tracy Barker, Roger Klingenberg, David Barker - Bowtie Press (2003)
Ball Pythons in Captivity By Kevin McCurley - E. C. O. Herpetological Publishing & Distribution (2006)
The Complete Ball Python By Kevin McCurley - E. C. O. Herpetological Publishing & Distribution (2005)
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