Care Sheet for Ball PythonsAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 0 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 12/04/2005 |
Main Category: | Snakes |
Sub Category: | Ball Pythons |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | Snakelady3_8 |
Years Experience: | 5 to 10 Years |
Species: | Ball Python |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | None |
Sexing and Characteristics: | There are many different things people say on how to sex a snake, and the only two that I believe to be accurate are popping and probing. The best age to pop at is juvenile, or when the snake is in shed. You can pop the snakes anal area by pushing against it slightly above it, and if the two hemipenes come out, it’s a male, and if not, it’s a female. Probing should only be done by extremely experienced keepers. |
Mostly Active During: | Night |
Substrate and Water Needs: | There are plenty of substrates. Aspen, AstroTurf, sand, Reptibark, coconut husks, newspaper, paper towels, and many more. I have used paper towels, and coconut husks, and I didn’t like either. I like Reptibark, but it’s fairly expensive. Right now I’m using newspaper, and I like it. It’s cheap, and easy to clean up with. NEVER use cedar. It can mess with the snakes respiratory system. Water, you need a large heavy dish, but not to deep, because the snake could drowned itself. |
Lighting and UVB: | None is needed, really. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | Temperatures are really a personal preference. They should be warm side anywhere from 82-92, and cool side 75-80. At night, you can let then drop about 4 degrees from what you usually keep it at, unless you are keeping it at 75 and 82, and then I would only drop 2 degrees. |
Heating and Equipment: | Equipment, you need a water dish, a hide, a heat emitter, a cage, substrate, and a snake. Don’t use hot rocks for heat. Use heat tape or an Under the Tank Heater A light you can use, but don’t expect it to give off all the heat you need. I use heat tape for two, and the other has a UTH, and is going to be switched to heat tape soon. |
Caging Provided: | I’m in the process of switching snakes in tanks to racks. I use the Reptile Basics Iris Sweater Box Racks, and for over the years have had a small collection and have used aquarium tanks. They suck for heat and humidity. The racks are the best way to go, IMO. |
Diet: | Carnivorous |
Description of Diet: | Appropriate sized critters. Balls can eat rat pinks on the first meal, and should be feed every 7-10 days, and as adults every 10-14 days. When I say appropriate sized, I mean no bigger but not to much smaller than the largest girth around the snake. So if the snake was as girthy as a quarter at it’s girthiest part, I would feed it rats being as round as a quarter, maybe a little smaller. They need to be about as long as two times the snakes head, minus the tail. |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | None. Don’t need anything. |
Maintenance: | You should clean any poo or urates "pee, kinda" out whenever you see it, and give fresh water daily. You should clean the cage totally out every 2-3 weeks, and keeping it clean is very important. |
Some Words on this Species: | Really nice snake for beginners. I would recommend Ball Pythons for anyone wishing to own a snake, but they can become easily stressed, so no children under 5 is preferred for the Ball Python. |
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