HomeKathy Shaw Reptiles
Captive bred Ball Pythons
Ball Python Care and Info
Name: Ball python
Scientific name: Python regius
AKA: "Royal python"
Description
Ball pythons are hearty snakes with a distinctive head & slender neck. Normal body coloration is black with yellow, gold, or brown markings. Each one has unique markings.
Wild-caught ball pythons are notorious for being difficult to
acclimate: these are the animals that give balls their reputation
for being terrible feeders. Wild-caught reptiles are likely
to have both internal parasites as well as ticks and mites.
Selecting a captive born ball, who is healthy and eating well is a must for making your first ball python experience a good one. A well cared for reptile will be parasite free and have no old shed sticking to it.
These are somewhat shy snakes that fare much better in captivity when acquired from a reliable Captive Bred source.
In Ghana, Africa the ball python trade is regulated by the government and attention is put into keeping a viable population of adults in the wild to create the next generations for future collection. Gravid females (pregnant) are collected allowed to lay their eggs and then returned to the wild by government officials; a percentage of the babies hatched are also being released back into the wild in Ghana. Treating these animals as a sustainable resource has possibly increased the local population, and may help to secure the future of these animals in the wild.
In other countries, however, ball pythons are collected with absolute disregard for the "overall picture" and impact on wild populations, and are sold as meat or living animals.
Adult Females average 3'- 5',
Adult Males average 2' - 3' adult size.
Mature females are typically distinctly larger than the males.
A 5+ foot ball python is considered large, although lengths of 6+ feet have been reported.
Care
Easy to care for, but keeper must have a general knowledge of snake husbandry. Captive bred, well started ball pythons make an excellent first snake for the beginning herpetoculturist.
Enclosure (cage)
Cage steup
That said, there are many different enclosures that work extremely well for ball pythons, including, but not limited to: plastic sweater boxes in melamine racks, Rubbermaid storage boxes with air holes drilled or burned into them, and any of the commercially available plastic-type reptile cages. Glass aquariums & tanks are adequate; keep in mind that the screen tops on such enclosures can make it very difficult to maintain humidity levels so you will need to cover at least half of the screen top. Juvenile ball pythons seem to do well in smaller enclosures that make them feel more secure; a small snake in a big cage can become overwhelmed & stressed. Fortunately adult ball pythons do not require exceptionally large or elaborate enclosures. A 36" x 18" x 12" enclosure (20-30 gallon aquarium) will more than comfortably house an adult ball python. Remember that ALL enclosures must allow for a proper thermal gradient that the snake can utilize, with a hot spot on one end and a cooler spot on the other. All heat sources must be outside of the cage to prevent burns.
Substrate/ Bedding
Newspaper is the cheapest & easiest with regards to cleaning & disinfecting: out with the old, in with the new. Cypress mulch is great for controlling humidity, but remember that too much humidity can be as detrimental (if not more) as too little. Using Mulch you can spot clean the cage by just scooping out the waste.
Never use any substrate containing cedar, as this is deadly to reptiles!
Temperatures & Heating
There are several ways to go about heating the enclosure: undercage heating pads, ceramic heat emitters, basking bulbs (both regular daytime & red "night" bulbs) are just a few. With heat emitters & bulbs it is necessary to really keep an eye on the humidity within the enclosure, especially if combined with a screen top, as both will dry the air quickly. Use thermostats, rheostats and/or timers to control your heat source. Do not use hot rocks with snakes as they often heat unevenly over too small of a surface area & can cause serious burns.
Providing proper humidity for ball pythons is important,
but as stated previously too much humidity can be as problematic
as too little. First off, let's establish "humidity" as the
amount of moisture in the air. To provide your snake with a
humidity level of 50% - 60%,
Use cypress mulch or a similar substrate that can be misted &
is mold-resistant. Cypress is good for this as it turns a tan
color when dry & a rich brown when wet, giving a visual
cue as to when it needs to be dampened again.
If you use newspaper you will need to mist more often and watch out for mold and mildew.
One of the biggest problems in captive ball pythons is respiratory distress caused by the combination of low ambient humidity, improper ambient temperatures, and a screen-top enclosure which basically allows the environment within the snake's cage to be affected by any external influences in the room in which the snake is kept. Keep in mind that if you have a screen top on the enclosure you will probably want to cover it most of the way with plastic, a towel or some other means of keeping moisture from escaping. This is also where having proper, reliable ambient temperatures (back to that thermometer!) is important, as warm air holds more moisture than cool air. You want the enclosure to be humid, not WET. A soggy cage can eventually lead to bacterial & fungal infections and even death.
WaterIf you see mites you will need to treat for them. I use Proven-o-mite. Read and follow all directions on the can!
It is normal for them to soak when they are getting ready to shed.
Feeding
Feed your ball python an appropriately sized rodent weekly. By "appropriately sized" I mean prey items that are no bigger around than the python at its largest point. Ball pythons can eat rats from the time they are young - starting off with rat pups or "crawlers" for younger snakes & moving up in size as the animal grows. Do not handle your snake for at least a day after feeding, as this can lead to regurgitation. Ball pythons can be converted to feeding on frozen/thawed or pre-killed rodents. If you use frozen rodents DO NOT thaw in microwave ovens. This can cause hot spots or partially cook the meat. Either one of these can hurt your python. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and then heat it under a light until it feels warm. Ball Pythons do not see well and hunt by sensing heat (that is what the small pits on their nose are for) hand movement as well as smell. Never re-freeze rodents as this can cause spoilage or bacteria. If they do not eat pre killed you must throw it away. Never leave a live rodent unattended with ANY snake. If a ball Python is not hungry it will ignore the rodent. Many times they will not even strike defensively and the rodents can and do bite them sometimes resulting in the death of the snake (even a small bite can get infected). So stay in the room while feeding. Ball pythons are well-known for going on hunger strikes at certain times throughout the year, particularly in the winter months. Be prepared for the possibility of your snake going off feed, and keep an observant eye on the snake's overall condition and body weight. This is typically nothing to worry about with healthy, well established pythons, although it can be extremely frustrating to the keeper. If your snake is healthy continue your husbandry routine as usual. Offer your ball python food every 7-14 days until interested in eating again, as the snake will eventually "turn back on" and resume feeding normally. I have snakes that consistently stop eating for 7-8 months at a time through the fall and winter. Do not be overly concerned unless they lose too much weight. The smaller the snake the less time they can go with out eating.
Ball pythons reach sexual maturity anywhere from 18 months to 4 years of age. Breeding season in captivity typically ranges from November to March. Animals should be well established and in excellent condition before any breeding is attempted. Breeding may be induced dropping nighttime temperatures into the mid 70's. Introduce the male into the female's cage. Misting the animals with water may induce breeding activity.
Females shed 14-30 days after ovulation, sometimes you can see ovulation as a swelling in the back half of the female. Eggs are usually laid within 30 days of post-ovulation shed. So it takes about 60 days from ovulation to egg laying.
Clutch size for balls typically ranges from 4 - 12 eggs. At an Incubation temperature of 88 - 90F (optimal), these eggs take an average of 60 days to hatch.