BALL PYTHON
CARE SHEET
The Ball Python, Python regius, is known as the Royal Python in Europe. It is among the most popular species of snake kept in captivity due to its small, manageable size and the large and ever-growing number of morphs (genetic color and pattern variations) that are available. They are easily bred in captivity and widely available from breeders online and at reptile shows.
Ball Pythons are found in west and central Africa from 4°N to 15°N and are the only python endemic to the northern hemisphere. For the most part they are terrestrial and nocturnal. Ball Pythons live on average 20 to 30 years and the record lifespan is over 47 years. They have excellent vision and also infrared heat-sensing pits in their upper and lower lips. Snakes lack external ears but have well developed internal ears and can hear sounds from 40–2,000 hertz; the human voice averages 500–1,000 hertz and is within the range of hearing of a snake.
Common Name: Ball python or Royal python
Scientific Name: Python regius
Native Habitat: Western and Central Africa
Lifespan: With proper care, they can live between 20-40 years old.
Size: They will grow from 3-6ft. Females are much larger in girth than males.
Expert Level: Great for beginners of all ages.
Temperament: Baby Ball pythons are normally very shy and as they get older Ball pythons will become more engaging and curious.
Handling: Make sure to continue to handle your Ball python on a regular basis so they become used to human interaction.
Enclosure: There are many different ways to keep a Ball python. The most popular way is to keep your baby Ball python in a 15-20 gallon terrarium. If you are looking to become a breeder, look into purchasing a rack system. Rack systems are the best way to keep medium to large collections of Ball pythons where you can connect Flexwatt heat tape to share heat.
*** In our opinion, baby Ball pythons will feel safer if you start them in an enclosure smaller than 25 gallons. Then, as your Ball python grows, go ahead and increase the size of their enclosure. ***
A really cool thing to do for your Ball Python is to create a Bioactive Vivarium which includes creating a natural living space with plants, substrate and living organisms that act like a cleanup crew in the enclosure.
Heating Source: Heating mat (undertank or side), heat tape, ceramic heat emitters or a basking light. UVB light not required. The easiest and most efficient way to keep a single Ball python is with a basking light or undertank heating mat. This can be easily purchased online. For larger groups in a rack system, Flexwatt heat tape is a great choice. You can find this either online or at a hardware store. Do you not use heat rocks in your Ball python’s enclosure as your python could get burned.
Temperature: Hot side should be between 85-91°F and should not exceed 93°F as it can begin to kill calories in your Ball python. Cool side should be about 80°F.
Thermometer: In order to make sure that your temperatures are correct in your Ball python’s enclosure, we believe it is a MUST to make sure to purchase at LEAST one. We highly recommend purchasing two so that you are able to measure the temps on both the hot and cool sides. There are many options on the market. Shop around to see where the best deals are. You can also purchase a Digital Infrared thermometer that reads the temperature instantly.
Humidity: Ball pythons on average need to have about 60% humidity in their enclosure. Babies sometimes need a little bit higher. My personal tip is that if your Ball python has problems shedding you may need to raise your humidity slightly.
Just a few ways to add increase humidity: dampen bedding with a spray bottle, larger water dish. cover screen top 75% with a towel, place a humidifier in the same room, place a waterfall feature in the enclosure and adding live plants. Keep in mind if you live in an area that gets cold and dry in the winter, it might be next to impossible to keep the humidity high. Try your best to keep it as close to 60% as possible.
Substrate:
Safe options: Reptile Prime, Repti Bark and Newspaper/Paper Towel, Lignocel, Reptiblock, GO-4-COCO.
Do not use sand or cedar substrate.
Feeding: We normally start all of our baby Ball pythons on live small adult mice once a week. Once they have started feeding regularly, we begin to switch them over to frozen/thawed. You can keep your Ball python on live or switch to frozen/thawed whatever works best for you.
Please note if you feed live you need to supervise the feedings as live mice can injure your Ball python. The size of the prey should be the same size as the largest part of their body. You can switch your Ball python over to rats whenever you feel like it.
Normally, we wait until our Ball pythons are feeding on medium or large adult mice. If you are feeding live, try to find a local breeder in your area who supplies rodents. If you are feeding frozen, there are many online companies that ship bulk mice and/or rats to your door.
To prepare a frozen rodent, either thawed out overnight on your counter or place in warm water to defrost. DO NOT MICROWAVE YOUR RODENTS. Once your Ball python has eaten do not hold them for 24-48 hours.
-
>200g — rat fuzzy or small mouse every 7 days
-
200-350g — rat pup or adult mouse every 7-10 days
-
350-500g — weaned rat every 10-14 days
-
500-1500g — small rat every 14-21 days
-
>1500g — medium rat every 28-56 days
Always feed your snake inside its enclosure, not outside. Contrary to the myth, feeding inside does not make snakes more aggressive. Also, use feeding tweezers to offer the rat, not your hand.
