Ball Python Python regis Care Sheet
Intro
Ball Pythons have quickly become one of the most popular reptile pets of all time. With their small size, generally good temperament, and vast array of colors and patterns, it is easy to see why. They are not new to the reptile hobby either; the first specimens were brought to the London Zoo in the early 1850's! They were also kept as pets by the English upper class leading to their Latin name, Python regis, or royal python. They got their common name due to their natural defense mechanism, curling up in a tight ball. Being that proper husbandry is the only way to successfully keep these snakes, we are happy to provide the following care sheet. Please understand that the following information is a combination of our experience, education, and what has worked for us in the past. The information surrounding reptile care is constantly changing, the only way to truly be a responsible reptile keeper is to keep learning. Someone once told me that a true expert is someone who knows enough to know they will never know it all!
Natural History
The Ball Python is an African species which generally inhabits open Savannah grasslands. It has also adapted very well to the cleared forests that agriculture creates in their home range. They can be found in Central and West Africa, West of the Nile river in Sudan to the Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Togo. They spend much of their natural lives underground in empty rodent burrows, which probably weren't empty when they got there! In the wild they are shy, secretive creatures who prefer to be left alone. Although mainly terrestrial they can climb and swim with grace and ease.Temperature and Humidity Ball Pythons like it warm and dry for the most part. In the wild they tend to avoid extremes of temperature and humidity. For your snake to properly thermoregulate (find it's ideal temp.), you must set up a thermal gradient. This means that your cage will have a hot side which will gradually get cooler as it nears the other end. The ideal temperature ranges are as follows;
Basking- 95-100 degrees
Day time cool side- 85 degrees
Night time- 75-80 degrees
Humidity should be kept around 50% unless the animal is shedding, then you can increase it. Caging and Substrate Most people house their pet Ball Pythons is glass aquariums. These are readily available in a variety of sizes and shapes. They show off the snake well and keep temperature and humidity in. We recommend tanks made for reptiles specifically. They usually have locking, sliding, built in screen tops which are amazingly helpful at keeping your snake in the tank. Never underestimate the strength and determination of your python, even a baby. A screen top sitting on your tank with weights on it will not work! We have rescued way too many loose Ball Pythons due to this and other poor caging habits. Don't skimp here. A tank should be roughly two and a half times the animals length and at least equal to it's length in width.
A hide of some sort should also always be provided. This will make the snake feel secure and reduce stress. Some people say that a water bowl big enough for the snake to fit in is needed. Although this is a fine idea and the snakes love it, we have gotten away with smaller water bowls with no ill effect.
There are tons of options for substrate (stuff on the floor of the cage). We use either newspaper or shredded aspen. Both are inexpensive, readily available, and easy to clean. Most other kinds of wood mulch or recycled paper bedding can be used as well. The two major things to keep in mind are, make sure it stays dry, and make sure your python does not ingest it. A Ball Python kept on a substrate that is too wet can develop skin blisters and other complications due to bacteria. Ingestion we will cover in the feeding section. Feeding In the wild Ball Pythons eat mainly rodents with a few birds, mostly chicks, thrown in every now and again. Their main wild prey item is gerbils and their close cousins gerbolas. Most captive Balls eat mice and rats which are way less expensive and way easier to consistently get. Prey items should be equal or slightly smaller than the diameter of the snake's body at mid body. In other words, look at your snake about half way down - the thing they are about to eat can only be that big around. It is usually better to feed a couple of smaller prey items than one larger one. Keep in mind that your Ball Python eats it meal whole. During the early stages of digestion, the prey item swells with gasses and gets about 10% bigger. If the meal was too big to begin with, this could cause major problems or at best regurgitation (which is one of the foulest smells you will ever deal with).
When you are purchasing a new Ball Python, make sure you ask what, how often, and when the last time it feed. This will help you when you get it home. We also recommend always feeding your snake in a separate container. This will eliminate a feeding response associated with the opening of the cage and your hand. You don't want your snake expecting to eat every time the cage opens; this is an easy way to get bit!. When you feed your snake in it's separate container don't use substrate, or if you do, use newspaper or paper towel. This will eliminate the chance of your Ball ingesting any substrate which can lead to impaction and death.Closing At the Tuning Fork Reptile Company we love our Ball Pythons. Our passion to breed them started with a passion to simply keep them. The captive born and select imported Balls we offer are problem free and in top health. We are always available to answer all your questions, even if you bought it from one of the other guys! We are also tied in with a vast number of dedicated breeders, so if there is something specific you are looking for, we will get it for you! We are also always interested in buying or trading for your quality Ball Pythons. Shoot us an e-mail and let us know what you've got!
Please enjoy your pet python responsibly!
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