Ball Python Caresheet

Caresheet provided by Jason (ReptileMan27) and used with his permission.

By far, one of the most clear and concise caresheet on ball pythons I have ever found. Thank you, Jason!

Ball Python Care

Common Name: Ball Python, or also called royal python

Scientific Name: Python regius

Range: Western and Central Africa

Lifespan: 20-30 years

Adult Size: 3-5ft, 6ft is possible but pretty rare.

Introduction: Ball pythons get their name because when scared their defense is to roll up into a ball to protect their head which is the most fragile part. Ball pythons are also called Royal pythons because of their colors are royal colors. Ball pythons remain one of the most popular pet reptiles out their today because of their small size compared to other pythons, and their generally docile disposition. They also come in a variety of different morphs but very expensive.

Temperature/Humidity: Provide a thermal gradient by placing an under tank heater and or other heat source on one side of the cage, this allows your snake to thermoregulate. The daytime temps on the warm side should be 85-90 degrees and the cool side should be 75-80 degrees. The temps can drop a little at night and the warm side can drop to 75 degrees and the cool side to 69-70 degrees. The humidity should be kept 50-60%. The best ways to keep the humidity up is to provide a large water dish,a substrate that holds the humidity well,and misting. The only time the humidity is really important is during a shed, so heavy misting is a good idea during a shed. If your snake is having problems shedding,which is most likely a sign that your humidity is to low, a humid hide can be added to help with shedding. A humidity box can be very easily made out of a plastic rubbermaind container large enough for your snake to get into, just cut a big enough hole in the side for your snake to go threw. Once the box is done and ready, add either damp paper towels or spahgnum moss.

Lighting: Ball pythons are nocturnal and UVB is not necesarry but can be used if you want. Under tank heaters work the best for ball pythons in my opion but nocturnal bulbs, regular house hold bulbs, or cermic heat emitters work to.

Housing/Substrate: Ball pythons are not aboreal and spend most of their time on the ground, so a cage with lenght and width is best for housing ball pythons. Babies can be housed in 10-20 gallon tanks with a secure screen cover with cover locks on it because ball pythons have strong heads and are escape artists. Adults can be housed in a 30 gallon breeder tank or larger. Some people prefer to house their snakes is rubbermaid containers which is also fine for housing ball pythons, for sizes, just go with ones roughly the same size or bigger as the reccomened tank sizes. Make sure it has a good locking cover also because they will escape if it doesent. Their are number of different things that can be used for a substrate, the best in my opinion are newspaper,repti-bark,cypress mulch,or aspen shavings.

Food/Feeding: Ball pythons are constrictors like other larger python species. In captivity ball pythons are fed rats and mice. Rats are the best thing to feed them because they are better for the snake and eventually it will have to switch to rats anyway, so better to start on rats. Baby ball pythons can easily take rat pups work your way up from their. Adults will eat medium to small large rats. Ball pythons should be fed every 7-10 days. If your away or whatever and you cant feed your snake then no harm will come to the snake, they can easily go quite awhile without a meal if they have to. Ball pythons have been known to be fussy eaters and its not uncommon for one to stop eating for a period of time, if that happens then just wait and try again a week or so later, sometimes they may not eat for months and if that happens then dont worry to much unless it appears to be lossing weight. In most cases its fine though, just make sure they have water avaliable at all times. Make sure to get a captive bred baby that is started on eating frozen/thawed rodents and that should prevent most eating problems. Some people prefer to feed their snakes in a seprate container to limit the risk of your snake thinking your hand coming in the cage is feeding time and preventing a bite. Some people say it doesent matter, so it really is personal preference but if you use a loose substrate, especially bark or mulch, make sure to atleast put newspaper down over the substrate to prevent the snake from ingesting some which can be deadly.

Handling/Disposition: Ball pythons are generally very docile and shy snakes. Babies may be a little nippy but should calm down with age and gentle handling. Ball pythons are very head shy, which means if your hand or something comes near their head it will get spooked and pull its head back, so try to avoid doing that to make it feel comfortable. When handling a snake, make sure to support all part of its body, dont leave half of its body hanging in the air. Allow the snake to wrap around your hand or arm, they are doing that to feel secure so they dont fall, even though it maybe very tight dont worry, they are not trying to hurt you.

Conclusion: Ball pythons make great pet snakes for both novice and experienced keepers. If you love pythons but like most, cant care for burm,retic or other giant python that are not appriopriate pets for most then a ball python is the perfect pet snake for you.