* The information below is intended as a general reference for ball python care.  Please see the “References” section at the end of this care sheet for the titles of more comprehensive reading material.

Ball Pythons

Julian Calcagno 2008

Description

Ball Pythons (Python Regius) are a relatively small, thick bodied snake that can reach an average length of 3 – 5 feet and can potentially exceed 6 feet.  Their colour and pattern is highly variable among individuals and come in a variety of natural and designer “morphs”.  Ball pythons have an average lifespan of 20 – 30 years with 47 years being the longest lived ball python recorded.

Ball pythons range from West to Central Africa where they primarily inhabit grasslands, savannahs and open woodlands.  They are terrestrial (ground dwelling) animals and commonly use rodent burrows and active or inactive termite mounds for shelter.  Ball Pythons are nocturnal (active at night) animals and leave these shelters at night to move and hunt for food.

The ball python is named so because of its tendency to protect its head by coiling the body around it when threatened.  This passive defensive nature can make a ball python a great pet as it will rarely bite as a form of defense.  It is also this passive nature that makes the ball python one of the most abused reptiles in the industry.

Housing

There are many options available for the ball python keeper to use.  Some of these options include: glass tanks, plastic tubs, professional/custom enclosures and rack systems.  Ball pythons can be successfully housed in each of the above mentioned enclosures but the method to do so varies.

Glass enclosures may be made specifically for reptiles or more commonly fish.  Either way the enclosure is constructed from glass and may have a screen or wire top.  When using a glass enclosure it is best to cover the back and two sides with a background so that your ball python does not feel exposed and insecure.  Glass is not the best material to retain heat and may be hard to heat if placed in a relatively cold room.  Screen or wire tops used to provide ventilation allow too much air to escape making humidity retention extremely difficult.  If a glass tank is placed in a room with a warmer ambient temperature and the screen or wire top is partially covered with plastic wrap, it may be used successfully for housing ball pythons.  There are other methods of partially covering the screen lid to retain moisture but through my own experience I have found that using plastic wrap is the easiest and most efficient way.

Plastic tubs come in a variety of makes and sizes and are the least expensive method of reptile housing.  They retain heat and humidity well, their lightweight allows them to be easily moved and cleaned, and transparent tubs provide a sense of security for the animal inside.  New tubs need a little customization before they may be used as appropriate reptile housing but this is not difficult.  One downside to using plastic tubs is that they may not be as attractive as using a glass tank or professional/custom enclosure but they can provide exactly what the animal needs to be happy and stress free.  I would recommend using plastic tubs over glass tanks to house ball pythons.

Professional/custom enclosures are great for housing reptiles of all kinds and are very attractive.  These enclosures are constructed of various materials and may be pre-made or custom built.  They are specifically designed for housing reptiles so you can’t go wrong!  Usually these enclosures carry a hefty price tag so it would make sense to raise your baby ball python in a small, cheap plastic tub until it gets big enough to transfer into its final home.

Rack systems are used mainly by breeders or keepers who have a large collection of animals.  Racks hold plastic tubs, stacked on top of each other using as little area as possible to appropriately house a large number of animals.

Its best to start a baby ball python in a small enclosure and work up from there.  A good starting size would be a 10 gallon glass tank which measures 20″l x 10″w x 12″h or a plastic tub about those dimensions or shorter in height.  Ball pythons will do well in this size enclosure until they reach over two feet, then they must be moved into something bigger.  If a ball python is housed in too large an enclosure it may feel overwhelmed and become stressed out.  Stress can cause a ball python to stop feeding or even develop an illness that will cost you time and money at the vet’s office.  It is best to prevent illness by practicing proper husbandry techniques, rather than treat it.

Ball pythons may be moved to a full sized adult enclosure after the first one but some timid ones may need a “one up” before they can be moved.  A suitable “one up” enclosure size may be 24″l x 12″w but remember that this size is not a permanent adult enclosure.  An adult ball python can be housed in an enclosure that measures 36″l x 18″w with varying height.  My adults are housed in racks containing plastic tubs that measure 36″l x 18″w x 6″h.  Being terrestrial animals, enclosure height is not too much of a concern, 6″ to 12″ is fine but I always make sure my ball pythons get enough floor space.

Inside the Enclosure

Hides

Ball pythons are shy, secretive animals that benefit greatly from dark, tight hiding spots.  Hiding spots provide a private area where a ball python can feel safe and secure.  Providing ball pythons with two identical hides, one on the warm end and one on the cool end, will allow the ball python to feel secure while properly thermoregulating.  Hides can be purchased at pet stores or home made out of inexpensive materials.

Water Bowl

Fresh water should be available at all times.  A water bowl with a good weight to it can help to prevent the snake from tipping it and soaking the cage.  An oversized water bowl is not necessary but may aid in achieving proper humidity levels.  Water bowls should not be placed above or beneath a heat source as a method of raising humidity.  Warm water promotes bacteria growth and you don’t want your ball python drinking it.  There are other more effective ways of boosting humidity inside the enclosure so place the water bowl in the middle of or on the cool end of the enclosure.

Substrate

There should always be some type of substrate on the bottom of your ball python’s enclosure.  There are many options out there, including: aspen shavings, cypress mulch, coco fibre, newspaper and paper towels.  Some substrates retain moisture better than others and will aid in achieving proper humidity within the enclosure.  The substrate should remain dry or slightly moist (never wet) and should be spot cleaned daily and/or replaced when necessary.

Note: Substrates containing cedar are harmful to many types of reptiles and should never be used with ball pythons.

Digital Thermometer/Hygrometer

Digital thermometers and hygrometers are one of the best investments a keeper can make while caring for any reptile.  Stick on thermometers and hygrometers are not at all accurate and should be avoided.  It is not acceptable to guess temperature as all reptiles need to live within a certain temperature range to remain healthy.  Humidity levels should be monitored as well to ensure proper sheds and promote a healthy respiratory system.

Temperature, Humidity and Lighting

Temperature

Ball pythons need to live within certain temperatures so that they can properly function.  Enclosures must have a specific temperature range to allow ball pythons to properly thermoregulate.  Ball pythons require an ambient temperature of approximately 80 degrees F and a basking area of approximately 90 degrees F.  The basking area should be no larger than 1/3 of the enclosures total floor space. Enclosure temperatures may remain constant and no night drop is required.  An enclosure that does not meet this range can cause illness, such as respiratory infection, in ball pythons.

Humidity

Humidity is an important factor in a ball python’s health.  An enclosure with a constant low relative humidity can cause poor or retained sheds and respiratory problems.  A ball python that successfully sheds in one piece is a good indication of an acceptable relative humidity inside the enclosure.  Usually perfect sheds occur with a relative humidity of 50% – 60% and if these levels remain constant then there is no need to boost humidity during a shed.

Lighting

Supplemental lighting is not needed by ball pythons but providing lighting may benefit the animal.  In most cases, the ambient room lighting is enough to provide ball pythons with an effective photoperiod.  Excessive lighting can cause stress in ball pythons and should be avoided.

Heat Sources

Ball python enclosures can be heated from underneath, above or both.  If the enclosure is placed in a room with an ambient temperature that doesn’t meet the low end of a ball pythons acceptable temperature range, then an under tank heater (UTH) must be used with another heat source.  UTHs create a surface temperature and may only raise the ambient temperature above its surface area by a few degrees.  Usually this will not create a sufficient temperature gradient because the remainder of the enclosure will measure the same ambient temperature as the room.  Another heat source, such as a heat bulb, would be required to achieve an acceptable ambient temperature within the enclosure.  If the room’s ambient temperature is heated, naturally or by a space heater, to 80-82 degrees then using only a UTH to create a surface area basking spot is acceptable.

There are many effective combinations of heating methods that may be utilized.  A little experimenting is usually required before a keeper may experience consistently stable temperatures within the enclosure.  For this reason it is recommended to have an enclosure set up and running prior to bringing home a new animal.

Note: The use of a thermostat in combination with any heat source is absolutely necessary.  It is possible for any heat source to malfunction and overheat causing injury or death to the animal and/or damage to property or fire.

Feeding

Ball pythons should be fed one appropriately sized rodent, once per week.  There are exceptions to every rule but the majority of ball pythons do very well on this schedule.  An appropriate sized rodent is one that will leave a small but noticeable bulge in the snake.  When deciding on what size feeder will leave a small but noticeable bulge, look for a rodent that is only slightly larger than the ball python’s thickest girth.  Ball pythons are able to ingest larger sized rodents but it is not necessary and feedings will be more consistent when offering smaller rodents.

Rodents may be fed to ball pythons live or pre-killed.  I prefer to feed my ball pythons pre-killed, frozen/thawed rodents.  Other breeders and keepers prefer to feed live.  This is a choice that a keeper must make and no one way is better than the other.  If feeding live is the method of choice, then it must be done responsibly.  Do not leave a live rodent unattended within a snake’s enclosure and assume that it will be eaten.  Rodents are equipped with the necessary tools to defend themselves and, if necessary, will even take on a snake.  Believe it or not: rodents can seriously injure or even kill a snake and it has and does happen.  When feeding live rodents to a snake, the keeper must stay to witness the kill; otherwise the kill may not be the one that the keeper had intended.

Some ball pythons will readily take frozen/thawed rodents and some may need a bit of conditioning to do so.  This is not a hard process but it does require patience.  When making the switch from live to frozen/thawed rodents some people choose to pre-kill live rodents to ease the transition.  This is not always necessary but when it is, live rodents must be humanely euthanized.  When offering frozen/thawed rodents, be sure that the rodent is completely thawed and slightly warm.  Always offer pre-killed, frozen/thawed rodents with feeding tongs to prevent the hand from being struck and/or constricted.

Note: Never smack a ball python with a pre-killed or frozen/thawed rodent in an attempt to induce a feeding strike.  This act may very well shut down your ball python’s feeding response.

Feeding can either be one of the most enjoyable experiences a keeper will have with their ball python or one of the most stressful.  Ball pythons have a reputation as being picky eaters that drive their keepers insane by fasting for weeks or even months at a time.  Sometimes fasting is normal behaviour and sometimes it may be caused by some other variable.  During a normal fast, a healthy ball python should not lose much weight.  Having a scale on hand and keeping records of each animal’s weight is good practice and may aid in the early diagnosis of certain health issues.  If a ball python is dropping a substantial amount of weight during a fast then it is possible that a problem may exist.  It would be wise to double check all husbandry and make corrections in an attempt to resolve the problem.  After correcting the conditions the animal may resume feeding, if it does not and weight is still being lost then seek professional help by locating a qualified reptile veterinarian.

The ball python’s reputation as being a picky eater is exaggerated and stems from the early days of keeping ball pythons when the majority of ball pythons in the pet trade were wild caught and information about their caring was rare.  Thankfully, now there are many passionate ball python breeders out there providing quality captive bred animals that do not exhibit the problems of the wild caught or captive hatched ball pythons still sold at the majority of pet stores today.

References

Barker D., Barker T., (2006).  “Pythons of the World, Volume II: Ball Pythons”, Gardena, CA.  Integrated Communications

De Vosjoli P., Klingenberg R., Barker D., Barker T., Bosch A., (2003). “The Ball Python Manual”, Irvine, CA.  Advanced Vivarium Systems

McCurley K., (2005).  “Ball Pythons in Captivity”, Lansing, MI.  ECO Herpetological Publishing and Distribution