Ball Python - Python regius
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General Information

Distribution — These snakes are found throughout West and central Africa. From the west coast Senegal, Guinea, Bissau, and Liberia and to the east; Chad, and Uganda. From Togo, Benin and Ghana thousands are imported each year into the state and then up to Canada.

Habitat — Ball Pythons can be found in grasslands, plains, and open forests where they under scattered rocks and in hollow logs. These snakes are rarely found in dense under brush or covered forest.

Adult Size — Ball Pythons are a very heavy-bodied snake for their size. They have a slender neck and a distinctly wider head shape compared to their neck. Hatchlings are typically between 23 and 43 cm (9 – 17 inches), while adults' range in length from 76 cm - 137 cm (2.5-4.5 feet). There have been reports that the maximum length was nearly 8 feet in total length. This has never been proven and the largest of the large are usually just over 6 feet.

Temperament — Ball Pythons being sold in the pet trade are rarely domestically bred (see section on captive bred vs. wild caught) and both young and old snakes are relatively calm in your hands. Adults that have been handled throughout their life are very easy to handle. These snakes rarely bite. When threatened, they have a habit of rolling into a ball and hiding their head in the center of their coils. Hence, the name "ball python".

Longevity — This species actually holds the record for the longest lived snake in captivity. A Ball Python at the Philadelphia Zoo was kept from April 26th, 1945 to October 7th, 1992. This snake was a young adult when it arrived at the zoo which means that it was over 47 years old! It would be safe to assume that a normal ball python would live between 20 and 30 years if cared for properly.

Captive Care

Rating: 2 — Due to this animals good nature and relatively small adult size it gets a good rating; however, due to its sometimes sporadic feeding habits it can sometimes be a problematic animal to maintain. Ball pythons are also not often bred domestically and we strongly advise against purchasing a wild caught or "captive born" specimen.

Diet: Hatchlings will take fuzzy mice or pink rats. Sub-adults of 1 year to 11/2 years will take hopper rats or adult mice and adults will take small rats or other rodents of equal size.

Temperature: Daytime high can be between 28-31oC (85-88oF) and a nighttime low of 26oC (79 or 80oF at night).

Space: An adult Ball Python can be housed in a 35 to 50 gallon terrarium. Hatchlings can be kept in plastic shoeboxes of the appropriate size or a 10 to 20 gallon aquarium until they reach about 8 months of age.

Breeding: Ball Pythons can be bred when they reach sexual maturity. Males will reach this many months before females at 18-20 months of age. Females will reach this at 27-30 months of age. The male python is typically smaller at sexual maturity than. They will begin copulation during a cool wet period in January and then again when the temperature increases. A male can be introduced into a cage of up to 5 or 6 females in early January and left until march or April when feeding resumes. The egg laying occurs 45-55 days after ovulation. Incubation ranges from 53-60 days at a temperature of 32 oC (90 oF).

Special Requirements: Beware of wild caught specimens and "captive born" animals. Captive born Ball Pythons are typically from wild caught females that were held until they laid their eggs. These eggs are then incubated and the young stockpiled en mass until they are shipped - rather unceremoniously - to the U.S. and Canada among other places. Thousands of these animals are shipped each year and many thousands die before, during, and after shipping. If you don’t want to contribute the destruction of these poor animals, make sure the Ball Python you purchase is a "domestically bred" animal. The wild caught and "captive born" snakes tend to have parasites and will usually refuse food which makes them a difficult animal to care for. Even captive bred Ball Pythons will go off their food, seemingly for no reason, for months at a time. This occurs most often in winter if the temperature drops a few degrees, but others will do so even in the summer months. Keepers must remember not to get worried. Ball Pythons have a slow metabolism and are typically quite stocky animals. That is, most of them can tolerate a few months without food with no ill effects. However, try offering a rat every 2-3 weeks and your snake will typically begin to feed on its own.

Sources (Suggested Reading):

De Vosjoli, P., Klingenberg, R., Barker, D. and T. Barker. 1995. The General Care and Maintenance of Burmese Pythons. Advanced Vivarium Systems, Santee, CA. Pp. 76.

Mattison, Chris. 1995. Keeping and Breeding Snakes. Cassell Publishing, London, UK. Pp. 184.

Ross, Richard A. and Gerald Marzec. 1990. The Reproductive Husbandry of Pythons and Boas. The Institute for Herpetological Research Stanford, California. Pp. 270.

Stoops, Erik d. and Annette T. Wright. 1993. Boas & Pythons: Breeding and Care. TFH Publications, Inc. Neptune City, NJ. Pp. 192.

Walls, Jerry G. 1998. The Living Pythons: A Complete Guide to the Pythons of the World. TFH Publications, Inc. Neptune City, NJ. Pp. 256.

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