Python regius hails from West Africa and can be found in Senegal, Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, the Central African Republic, Sudan, and Uganda. These snakes are commonly known as ball/royal pythons, and are one of the smaller species of python. They’re considered non-venomous constrictors, and have often been worshipped among some of the West African tribes. The Igbo tribes of Nigeria believe that python regius is symbolic to the earth, as they’re ground dwelling beings. When a ball python wanders into a village, the tribe leaves them be, or gently relocates them nearby – never harming them. If a snake is accidentally killed, the Igbo will hold a funeral ceremony and burial for it, honoring its life. Python regius spends about 90-95% of their lives living inside of termite mounds and rodent dens waiting for an opportunity to scurry past them, then they strike, coil, and consume all from the same spot. This behavior makes them ambush predators. Ball pythons will move from one spot to another once the food source has ran out, if their scent (from defecation or shed) is deterring potential prey, or for breeding - but for the most part, they like to stay put. They're nocturnal creatures that prefer to be in the cover of darkness, due to being an easy target for predators. Python regius is often a meal for birds of prey, wild cats, and even the forest cobra (naja melanoleuca).
ENCLOSURE
Unlike other species of reptiles, ball pythons thrive in smaller enclosures that help them feel secure, as a termite mound or rodent den would do in the wild. Generally, with most reptiles, the saying is "bigger the better," but not in the case of python regius. If a tank is being used, they do not require anything larger than a 30 gallon long, however, tubs and smaller PVC enclosures are the more optimal choice for ball pythons as opposed to glass aquariums. Don't purchase a ball python if you're wanting a display snake, since they're terrible at putting on a show. They're notoriously known as the pet rocks of the reptile world, and as mentioned above, prefer to stay out of sight. Always ensure any enclosure you get is secured, as these guys can be quite the escape artists. Be sure to give them adequate hiding spots and lots of clutter. Blacking out the sides with black foam board will add to the security and help the enclosure seem smaller. They don't need branches to climb on, as they're considered heavy body snakes, are super clumsy, and aren't built for climbing like other species of python, such as the green tree python (morelia viridis). The most important thing to remember with tanks is to ensure they’re properly insulated and provide enough security to keep your ball python stress-free and comfortable.
TEMPERATURE / HUMIDITY / SETTING UP THE ENCLOSURE
It is a common misconception that ball pythons absolutely need belly heat and that they absolutely need a thermal gradient. However, this is not the case. They simply need heat. Average temperatures throughout their native range typically sits between 80-90 degrees. Because of this data (gathered from annual weather reports in Ghana and Nigeria), we recommend an ambient temperature range between 82-86 degrees. This gives you a little wiggle room, as it keeps the enclosure from being too cold, as well as from being too hot. Python regius, like other reptiles, are known as ectotherms. They require an outside heat source for major body functions such as digestion, as they cannot regulate their own temperature like a mammal. Having an enclosure that’s too cold can cause sepsis, as the prey will begin the decomposing process in the snake’s gastrointestinal tract since the snake cannot metabolize and digest the prey properly. Temperatures that are too warm can cause hyperthermia (not to be confused with hypothermia), and can lead to neurological issues and can be fatal. In addition to freezing or cooking your snake, inadequate temperatures can lead to respiratory infections, and if left untreated, can lead to death. Humidity is equally important, as having too low or too high of humidity can also lead to respiratory infections along with bacterial infections such as scale rot – which happens when the snake’s environment is too wet. Too low of humidity will also result in the snake having difficulty shedding properly, and you end up with stuck shed. A snake’s shed should be one whole piece, not multiple pieces. Having proper temperatures and humidity is essential for having a healthy ball python. There are many ways to achieve proper temperatures and humidity, and it only requires a few items that you can find online and various stores. For this care guide, we’ll be assuming that you’re setting up a glass tank (or aquarium).
- 100 watt ceramic heat emitter, also known as CHE (pet stores, Amazon)
- Lamp fixture with ceramic socket (pet stores, Amazon, occasionally Home Depot/Lowes)
- Dimmer switch (Home Depot, Lowes, Amazon)
- 2 Acurite digital hydrometer/thermometers (Walmart, Amazon)
- Large water dish (stainless steel dog bowls or ceramic dog bowls from Dollar Tree work well)
- Aluminum foil or aluminum HVAC tape
- Black foam poster board
Once you’ve gotten these items, you’ll need to set everything up. First, use the aluminum tape or foil and cover the entire screen top except for where the CHE will sit. This helps lock in moisture in the air as well as keeping heat in. Take the black foam poster board and cut to fit the sides and back of the tank. Leave a little room on the sides for your locks (ALWAYS have locks!). Use double sided tape to secure the foam board – this helps insulate the tank as well as making it appear smaller from the snake’s perspective. Then, set up the tank how you want it. Personally, I’ve found that doing this before messing with the temperatures is easier. You’ll want a minimum of two hides, and try to partially bury them with whichever substrate you choose (we’ll discuss this further down). Burying the hide helps give the illusion that the ball python is underground, like being in a termite mound or rodent den. The hides should be fully enclosed apart from a small entrance. Next, place the large water dish in the middle of the enclosure. You want a large dish as this will help with your humidity levels. Once you’ve done this, place the Acurite’s into the enclosure – one on either side of the tank. Don’t put them on the far edge of the enclosure, but think of the enclosure as divided into thirds. You want them sitting in the middle of the parts on the end, if that makes sense. You’ll need these when you start adjusting the CHE. Add plenty of foliage (fake plants work fine) and avoid putting in things to climb on. Python regius are heavy bodied snakes that aren’t really built for climbing, and can easily break ribs from a fall. Once you’ve got the enclosure looking the way you want and properly insulated, now you can start messing with the heating. Turn the CHE on, and let it run for a little while until your temperatures on the Acurite’s start getting into the high 80’s. Start turning the dimmer down, and let the CHE run for a while again – and check where your temperatures are at. This can be a lengthy process, so use your Acurite’s to check your temperature range as you adjust. The Acurite’s provide a 24 hour reading of your highs and lows in the enclosure for both temperature and humidity. This is helpful because it lets your see how much your temps and humidity is fluctuating. Remember, you want your temperature range to be between 82-86 degrees, and humidity between 60-65%. If you’re having trouble, please feel free to message us on Facebook or at soulrevivalreptiles@gmail.com and we can answer any questions you have. We also have a video on setting up an enclosure on our Facebook page if you need a visual guide.
SUBSTRATE
There are many substrates available on the market, and which one you use depends on several things. The first is the humidity in your own home. Different climates will have different humidity levels. For example, if you live in Florida, your humidity is most likely going to be relatively high year round. If you live here in the Midwest, your humidity is going to fluctuate with the seasons. It may be humid over spring and summer, but a little dryer during the colder months. Perhaps you live in Las Vegas valley where humidity stays low all year, your humidity in your home is going to reflect that. Once you’ve figured out where your humidity sits in your home, you’ll need to decide which substrate will suit your snakes needs best. Aspen is a good choice for those who live in sub-tropical/tropical climates where there’s high moisture in the air. Cypress mulch or Reptichip (NOT ReptiBark) is a good option for those who live in dryer climates and need a little help holding humidity in the enclosure. Some keepers even use paper towels or unprinted newspaper as substrate – the choice is yours, but make sure you take the humidity in your home into consideration.
FEEDING
Ball pythons are considered opportunistic carnivores. Their natural prey in the wild would be African soft furred rats and other indigenous rodent species of West Africa. As pets, we have several available options for feeders. Norwegian rats (smalls and mediums for adults), African soft furs (look up the Lacy Act for your state and department of wildlife for regulations), and mice. Feeding ball pythons typically sparks a debate among many keepers about what’s best, safe, convenient, humane, etc. Feeding boils down to several relatively simple things. The first is what is the snake going to actually to eat? Often times, keepers want to place their own preferences above the need of the animal itself. For example, “I don’t want to feed live rodents because I like rats.” Having this mindset keeps the keeper from taking the snake into consideration, as it focuses only on what the keeper wants or prefers. Some ball pythons will only eat live rodents, regardless how you feel about it. Some transition to frozen/thawed easier than others, some will eat pre-killed rodents without hesitation. Finding what your ball python eats consistently is key. We feed our entire collection live rodents that we breed ourselves, occasionally outsourcing when we need to. Most of our ball pythons could probably switch to pre-killed or frozen/thawed, as they have incredible feed responses and wouldn’t notice the difference, but they all eat live consistently without issue – so that is what we feed, even though it’s not exactly a preferred method for us. Another common argument is what is safest for the snake. Many people that are against feeding live believe that it’s dangerous for the snake, as the rodent can bite the snake. While this can happen, it’s not a common occurrence. Most of the time, the snake will strike its prey seconds after being offered, and the rodent has no time to react to the strike. Sometimes the snake may strike poorly and catch the rodent in a manner that it can easily bite the snake, but the rodent is killed quickly, thus eliminating any real damage to the snake. The problem with live feeding comes from irresponsible keepers that leave hungry rodents in with a snake for extended amounts of time (days or longer) and expect the snake to kill the rodent. This isn’t always the case, as rats and mice are omnivores, and if they’re starving, they will eat anything around them to survive. The keepers that have done this and caused their snake to be seriously injured or killed are the ones who have left a negative stigma on live feeding. Don’t be that keeper, and you won’t have an issue. Frozen/thawed can also be dangerous, as it’s easy to underthaw or overthaw a feeder, and contaminated feeders have been known to kill entire collections of snakes. The safest way is pre-killed, where you offer the rodent to the snake just after it’s been killed via cervical dislocation or CO2. The rodent is still warm, so there’s no risk of underthawing/overthawing, and it’s already dead so there’s no risk of a rat bite. As stated before, however, find what your snake eats best and feed that. If you have a snake that’s currently eating live and you want to transition, the key is developing a fast and high feed response that they don’t even notice the difference. It may take a few times feeding live for the transition to happen, but some snakes can be successfully transitioned to pre-killed and frozen/thawed. Feeding hatchlings and juveniles every 5 days is sufficient, while feeding sub-adults and adults every 7-10 days is adequate. If you’re having trouble with a snake not eating, feel free to message us and we’ll be happy to help.
HANDLING
Handling a ball python is part of keeping them as pets, and why many people buy them in the first place, on top of being easy to care for and beautiful, exotic creatures. However, many keepers fail to take the ball python’s well-being into consideration. Too much handling can be extremely stressful on these snakes, considering that they merely tolerate handling and don’t actually enjoy it. I’ll explain what I mean by that below. Keeping handling to a minimum ensures that the snake will remain stress-free and healthy. Handling for 15-20 minutes a day is acceptable, but be sure to not handle 24 hours after feeding or when the snake is going into shed. If your snake is not eating due to poor husbandry or illness, do not handle it until it’s consistently eating again. Our ball pythons are handled mostly during cleaning days, and occasionally when we want to get a good look at them or weigh them, but we mostly leave them be.
BEHAVIOR / EMOTIONS / AGGRESSION
The behavior you can expect from a ball python is that they’re shy, primitive animals with a very basic set of instincts. They tend to hide and stay hidden, ball up when defensive, or strike out as a way to say “I’m feeling threatened, get away from me.” When they’re content, they’re flaccid and relaxed. Often times, new keepers tend to anthropomorphize their snakes and give them human emotions, such as “my snake loves…” or “my snake enjoys…” Doing this without understanding that ball python’s lack the basic parts of the brain that allow emotions can directly affect their care and well-being. When talking about snakes and emotions, most people, including various studies, like to lump all reptiles into one category and say they feel emotion. What they fail to realize, however, is that a bearded dragon has a different brain than a ball python, as they’re two completely different reptiles. Both are reptiles, but one is a snake and one is a lizard, and the two cannot be compared. While lizards possess a slightly more complex limbic system, snakes do not. Mammals have a complex limbic system that allows them to feel emotions, be social, form bonds, etc. Snakes lack most of the limbic system that would allow this, more specifically, the amygdala. The amygdala consists of two almond-size nuclei (in human brains) that are responsible for cognitive thought process, memory, emotional response, etc. Considering that snakes lack this system altogether, we can then determine that snakes do not have the ability to have emotional responses to stimuli, such as striking out in aggression or anger, or enjoying something, such as enjoying being handled. Everything a ball python does is instinct base. When they wrap around your neck when you have them out, they’re seeking warmth. When they ball up, they’re protecting themselves. When they strike, they’re afraid. There’s a quote that can easily be applied to ball pythons and their primitive brains, and most animals in general. The quote is from the movie “Life of Pi,” a personal favorite of ours. “When you look into an animal’s eyes, you are seeing your own emotions reflected back at you,” – Santosh Patel. These words are absolutely true when it comes to working with animals and understanding their behavior. As humans, we need to remind ourselves that animals operate on mostly instinct, and their behavior is often a reflection of those instincts.
COMMON MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS
- Ball pythons should be moved out of the enclosure to feed because they’ll develop tank aggression or get impacted.
- Ball pythons should be soaked when shedding.
- Ball pythons go off feed for months at a time.
- Ball pythons are picky eaters.
IN CONCLUSION
When cared for properly, ball pythons are wonderfully rewarding pets that will be with you for years. They’re easy to care for once you get going, and they’re absolutely beautiful and intriguing creatures. If you have any questions regarding care, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Thank you!
ENCLOSURE
Unlike other species of reptiles, ball pythons thrive in smaller enclosures that help them feel secure, as a termite mound or rodent den would do in the wild. Generally, with most reptiles, the saying is "bigger the better," but not in the case of python regius. If a tank is being used, they do not require anything larger than a 30 gallon long, however, tubs and smaller PVC enclosures are the more optimal choice for ball pythons as opposed to glass aquariums. Don't purchase a ball python if you're wanting a display snake, since they're terrible at putting on a show. They're notoriously known as the pet rocks of the reptile world, and as mentioned above, prefer to stay out of sight. Always ensure any enclosure you get is secured, as these guys can be quite the escape artists. Be sure to give them adequate hiding spots and lots of clutter. Blacking out the sides with black foam board will add to the security and help the enclosure seem smaller. They don't need branches to climb on, as they're considered heavy body snakes, are super clumsy, and aren't built for climbing like other species of python, such as the green tree python (morelia viridis). The most important thing to remember with tanks is to ensure they’re properly insulated and provide enough security to keep your ball python stress-free and comfortable.
TEMPERATURE / HUMIDITY / SETTING UP THE ENCLOSURE
It is a common misconception that ball pythons absolutely need belly heat and that they absolutely need a thermal gradient. However, this is not the case. They simply need heat. Average temperatures throughout their native range typically sits between 80-90 degrees. Because of this data (gathered from annual weather reports in Ghana and Nigeria), we recommend an ambient temperature range between 82-86 degrees. This gives you a little wiggle room, as it keeps the enclosure from being too cold, as well as from being too hot. Python regius, like other reptiles, are known as ectotherms. They require an outside heat source for major body functions such as digestion, as they cannot regulate their own temperature like a mammal. Having an enclosure that’s too cold can cause sepsis, as the prey will begin the decomposing process in the snake’s gastrointestinal tract since the snake cannot metabolize and digest the prey properly. Temperatures that are too warm can cause hyperthermia (not to be confused with hypothermia), and can lead to neurological issues and can be fatal. In addition to freezing or cooking your snake, inadequate temperatures can lead to respiratory infections, and if left untreated, can lead to death. Humidity is equally important, as having too low or too high of humidity can also lead to respiratory infections along with bacterial infections such as scale rot – which happens when the snake’s environment is too wet. Too low of humidity will also result in the snake having difficulty shedding properly, and you end up with stuck shed. A snake’s shed should be one whole piece, not multiple pieces. Having proper temperatures and humidity is essential for having a healthy ball python. There are many ways to achieve proper temperatures and humidity, and it only requires a few items that you can find online and various stores. For this care guide, we’ll be assuming that you’re setting up a glass tank (or aquarium).
- 100 watt ceramic heat emitter, also known as CHE (pet stores, Amazon)
- Lamp fixture with ceramic socket (pet stores, Amazon, occasionally Home Depot/Lowes)
- Dimmer switch (Home Depot, Lowes, Amazon)
- 2 Acurite digital hydrometer/thermometers (Walmart, Amazon)
- Large water dish (stainless steel dog bowls or ceramic dog bowls from Dollar Tree work well)
- Aluminum foil or aluminum HVAC tape
- Black foam poster board
Once you’ve gotten these items, you’ll need to set everything up. First, use the aluminum tape or foil and cover the entire screen top except for where the CHE will sit. This helps lock in moisture in the air as well as keeping heat in. Take the black foam poster board and cut to fit the sides and back of the tank. Leave a little room on the sides for your locks (ALWAYS have locks!). Use double sided tape to secure the foam board – this helps insulate the tank as well as making it appear smaller from the snake’s perspective. Then, set up the tank how you want it. Personally, I’ve found that doing this before messing with the temperatures is easier. You’ll want a minimum of two hides, and try to partially bury them with whichever substrate you choose (we’ll discuss this further down). Burying the hide helps give the illusion that the ball python is underground, like being in a termite mound or rodent den. The hides should be fully enclosed apart from a small entrance. Next, place the large water dish in the middle of the enclosure. You want a large dish as this will help with your humidity levels. Once you’ve done this, place the Acurite’s into the enclosure – one on either side of the tank. Don’t put them on the far edge of the enclosure, but think of the enclosure as divided into thirds. You want them sitting in the middle of the parts on the end, if that makes sense. You’ll need these when you start adjusting the CHE. Add plenty of foliage (fake plants work fine) and avoid putting in things to climb on. Python regius are heavy bodied snakes that aren’t really built for climbing, and can easily break ribs from a fall. Once you’ve got the enclosure looking the way you want and properly insulated, now you can start messing with the heating. Turn the CHE on, and let it run for a little while until your temperatures on the Acurite’s start getting into the high 80’s. Start turning the dimmer down, and let the CHE run for a while again – and check where your temperatures are at. This can be a lengthy process, so use your Acurite’s to check your temperature range as you adjust. The Acurite’s provide a 24 hour reading of your highs and lows in the enclosure for both temperature and humidity. This is helpful because it lets your see how much your temps and humidity is fluctuating. Remember, you want your temperature range to be between 82-86 degrees, and humidity between 60-65%. If you’re having trouble, please feel free to message us on Facebook or at soulrevivalreptiles@gmail.com and we can answer any questions you have. We also have a video on setting up an enclosure on our Facebook page if you need a visual guide.
SUBSTRATE
There are many substrates available on the market, and which one you use depends on several things. The first is the humidity in your own home. Different climates will have different humidity levels. For example, if you live in Florida, your humidity is most likely going to be relatively high year round. If you live here in the Midwest, your humidity is going to fluctuate with the seasons. It may be humid over spring and summer, but a little dryer during the colder months. Perhaps you live in Las Vegas valley where humidity stays low all year, your humidity in your home is going to reflect that. Once you’ve figured out where your humidity sits in your home, you’ll need to decide which substrate will suit your snakes needs best. Aspen is a good choice for those who live in sub-tropical/tropical climates where there’s high moisture in the air. Cypress mulch or Reptichip (NOT ReptiBark) is a good option for those who live in dryer climates and need a little help holding humidity in the enclosure. Some keepers even use paper towels or unprinted newspaper as substrate – the choice is yours, but make sure you take the humidity in your home into consideration.
FEEDING
Ball pythons are considered opportunistic carnivores. Their natural prey in the wild would be African soft furred rats and other indigenous rodent species of West Africa. As pets, we have several available options for feeders. Norwegian rats (smalls and mediums for adults), African soft furs (look up the Lacy Act for your state and department of wildlife for regulations), and mice. Feeding ball pythons typically sparks a debate among many keepers about what’s best, safe, convenient, humane, etc. Feeding boils down to several relatively simple things. The first is what is the snake going to actually to eat? Often times, keepers want to place their own preferences above the need of the animal itself. For example, “I don’t want to feed live rodents because I like rats.” Having this mindset keeps the keeper from taking the snake into consideration, as it focuses only on what the keeper wants or prefers. Some ball pythons will only eat live rodents, regardless how you feel about it. Some transition to frozen/thawed easier than others, some will eat pre-killed rodents without hesitation. Finding what your ball python eats consistently is key. We feed our entire collection live rodents that we breed ourselves, occasionally outsourcing when we need to. Most of our ball pythons could probably switch to pre-killed or frozen/thawed, as they have incredible feed responses and wouldn’t notice the difference, but they all eat live consistently without issue – so that is what we feed, even though it’s not exactly a preferred method for us. Another common argument is what is safest for the snake. Many people that are against feeding live believe that it’s dangerous for the snake, as the rodent can bite the snake. While this can happen, it’s not a common occurrence. Most of the time, the snake will strike its prey seconds after being offered, and the rodent has no time to react to the strike. Sometimes the snake may strike poorly and catch the rodent in a manner that it can easily bite the snake, but the rodent is killed quickly, thus eliminating any real damage to the snake. The problem with live feeding comes from irresponsible keepers that leave hungry rodents in with a snake for extended amounts of time (days or longer) and expect the snake to kill the rodent. This isn’t always the case, as rats and mice are omnivores, and if they’re starving, they will eat anything around them to survive. The keepers that have done this and caused their snake to be seriously injured or killed are the ones who have left a negative stigma on live feeding. Don’t be that keeper, and you won’t have an issue. Frozen/thawed can also be dangerous, as it’s easy to underthaw or overthaw a feeder, and contaminated feeders have been known to kill entire collections of snakes. The safest way is pre-killed, where you offer the rodent to the snake just after it’s been killed via cervical dislocation or CO2. The rodent is still warm, so there’s no risk of underthawing/overthawing, and it’s already dead so there’s no risk of a rat bite. As stated before, however, find what your snake eats best and feed that. If you have a snake that’s currently eating live and you want to transition, the key is developing a fast and high feed response that they don’t even notice the difference. It may take a few times feeding live for the transition to happen, but some snakes can be successfully transitioned to pre-killed and frozen/thawed. Feeding hatchlings and juveniles every 5 days is sufficient, while feeding sub-adults and adults every 7-10 days is adequate. If you’re having trouble with a snake not eating, feel free to message us and we’ll be happy to help.
HANDLING
Handling a ball python is part of keeping them as pets, and why many people buy them in the first place, on top of being easy to care for and beautiful, exotic creatures. However, many keepers fail to take the ball python’s well-being into consideration. Too much handling can be extremely stressful on these snakes, considering that they merely tolerate handling and don’t actually enjoy it. I’ll explain what I mean by that below. Keeping handling to a minimum ensures that the snake will remain stress-free and healthy. Handling for 15-20 minutes a day is acceptable, but be sure to not handle 24 hours after feeding or when the snake is going into shed. If your snake is not eating due to poor husbandry or illness, do not handle it until it’s consistently eating again. Our ball pythons are handled mostly during cleaning days, and occasionally when we want to get a good look at them or weigh them, but we mostly leave them be.
BEHAVIOR / EMOTIONS / AGGRESSION
The behavior you can expect from a ball python is that they’re shy, primitive animals with a very basic set of instincts. They tend to hide and stay hidden, ball up when defensive, or strike out as a way to say “I’m feeling threatened, get away from me.” When they’re content, they’re flaccid and relaxed. Often times, new keepers tend to anthropomorphize their snakes and give them human emotions, such as “my snake loves…” or “my snake enjoys…” Doing this without understanding that ball python’s lack the basic parts of the brain that allow emotions can directly affect their care and well-being. When talking about snakes and emotions, most people, including various studies, like to lump all reptiles into one category and say they feel emotion. What they fail to realize, however, is that a bearded dragon has a different brain than a ball python, as they’re two completely different reptiles. Both are reptiles, but one is a snake and one is a lizard, and the two cannot be compared. While lizards possess a slightly more complex limbic system, snakes do not. Mammals have a complex limbic system that allows them to feel emotions, be social, form bonds, etc. Snakes lack most of the limbic system that would allow this, more specifically, the amygdala. The amygdala consists of two almond-size nuclei (in human brains) that are responsible for cognitive thought process, memory, emotional response, etc. Considering that snakes lack this system altogether, we can then determine that snakes do not have the ability to have emotional responses to stimuli, such as striking out in aggression or anger, or enjoying something, such as enjoying being handled. Everything a ball python does is instinct base. When they wrap around your neck when you have them out, they’re seeking warmth. When they ball up, they’re protecting themselves. When they strike, they’re afraid. There’s a quote that can easily be applied to ball pythons and their primitive brains, and most animals in general. The quote is from the movie “Life of Pi,” a personal favorite of ours. “When you look into an animal’s eyes, you are seeing your own emotions reflected back at you,” – Santosh Patel. These words are absolutely true when it comes to working with animals and understanding their behavior. As humans, we need to remind ourselves that animals operate on mostly instinct, and their behavior is often a reflection of those instincts.
COMMON MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS
- Ball pythons should be moved out of the enclosure to feed because they’ll develop tank aggression or get impacted.
- This is completely untrue. Moving to feed causes more stress on the ball python than it benefits the snake. As discussed earlier, ball pythons are ambush predators. Moving to another enclosure to feed disrupts their ability to hunt as well as puts the keeper at a higher risk of getting bit because the snake is in food mode. All of our ball pythons are fed in their tubs, and we have not noticed a difference in behavior. They do, however, know when feeding day is. Because our ball pythons have high feed responses, it would not be wise to move them when they’re already expecting prey – and will put us at a higher risk of getting bit. As for impaction, this is why temperatures are important. Passing a small amount of substrate is not going to harm the snake, as their stomach enzymes are strong enough to break down and process meat, bone, and organs from a whole animal.
- Ball pythons should be soaked when shedding.
- Soaking a non-aquatic snake simply doesn’t make sense, and can actually make the shed worse than before. When you see a ball python in a tub of water moving frantically, it’s because the snake is trying to get out of the water. Some will argue that ball pythons may soak on their own, and typically when that happens it’s due to a humidity, temperature, or mite issue. The difference between a snake soaking on its own and being forced to soak is that the snake chose to soak, and can leave the water dish when it wants to. It’s not being taken out of the enclosure and forced to soak in a tub of water.\
- Ball pythons go off feed for months at a time.
- Ball pythons that are actively breeding may go off feed, but it’s not normal for a non-breeding ball python. Occasionally, a male will sense barometric pressure changes and will confuse that will time to breed, resulting in them going into breed mode and refusing meals. This is a simple fix, simply move the snake to a smaller enclosure and continue to offer feeding. This helps the snake get out of breeding mode and gets his mind back on food. Females hitting sexual maturity may hit something called “the wall,” at about 900-1100 grams, where they begin building follicles. This sometimes makes females go off feed, in which case the best thing to do is offer food weekly until she starts eating again. Most of the time, however, when ball pythons go off feed, it’s due to poor husbandry. Always check your temperatures and humidity to rule out those issues first.
- Ball pythons are picky eaters.
- This is not true in most cases. If a ball python has adequate temperatures, humidity, and security, they’ll eat almost anything you put in front of them. Often times, this saying is when keepers become complacent and start excusing poor husbandry, and this same belief applies to ball pythons going off feed altogether. Sometimes, a ball python that’s been fed frozen/thawed will stop eating and will only take live. This can happen for a number of reasons, but it’s the keeper’s responsibility to have access to multiple types of feeders to ensure that regardless what the snake is or isn’t eating, food is always being offered and the snake is getting a meal.
IN CONCLUSION
When cared for properly, ball pythons are wonderfully rewarding pets that will be with you for years. They’re easy to care for once you get going, and they’re absolutely beautiful and intriguing creatures. If you have any questions regarding care, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Thank you!
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