Care Sheet for Ball PythonsAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 4.26 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 03/20/2006 |
Main Category: | Snakes |
Sub Category: | Ball Pythons |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | Thesnakemaster |
Years Experience: | Under 1 Year |
Species: | Ball Python (Royal Python) |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | N/A |
Sexing and Characteristics: | Royal Pythons (commonly known as Ball Pythons) are small powerful constrictors that can attain lengths of 4-6 feet, (females grow to be larger than males). Please consider the snakes eventual size when you consider owning one of these shy, gentle beauties. |
Mostly Active During: | Night |
Substrate and Water Needs: | N/A |
Lighting and UVB: | See Temps |
Temperatures and Humidity: | Since ball pythons are mostly nocturnal animals they will move around and prefer to eat at night no special lighting is required. The bones in the prey animals that they eat supply their need for calcium. A normal 40-60 watt incandescent bulb placed in an inexpensive clamp style lamp is sufficient light. Be sure when placing the light that it is located outside the enclosure and that the snake does not have access to it. This will help to prevent thermal burns from direct contact with the bulb. This method of lighting is also sufficient enough to provide heat and should be placed over one end of the enclosure to provide a heat gradient. A log or piece of wood placed at a 45 degree angle with the highest end under the light will allow the snake to bask and thus thermoregulate its body temperature. This method will also provide a cool end of the enclosure. A healthy snake should move about between the two ends of the enclosure regulating its body temperature freely. If a snake is spending all of its time in the hot end of the enclosure the temperature should be raised, as this is an indicator that the ambient enclosure temperature is too cool. The reverse is true if the snake is spending most of its time in the cool end of the enclosure. Heat pads and "Hot Rocks" should be avoided since all reptiles have a Preferred Optimum Temperature Zone (POTZ). In order for a reptile to reach its POTZ it must be 10 degrees F. above the ambient temperature this can not be accomplished by lying on a hot object. If the snake lies on a heat pad it can only get as hot as the pad. It is impossible for the snake to raise its temperature to 10 degrees above the object that it is laying on. Providing an overhead heat source is the best and most effective way to allow a reptile to do this. The most important factor involving lighting and heat is to be sure and to provide a heat/light cycle of 12-14 hours per day. This will allow the animal time to cool off at night. Constant light has been shown to effect thyroid production in some species of reptiles. Since ball pythons are nocturnal eaters providing constant light may effect eating habits, thus making a problem eater even more of a problem. |
Heating and Equipment: | In addition to heat lamps and radiant heating panels which are recomended, Hot Rocks, and various other types of heating pads are also available to the reptile owner. These are often mistakingly recommended in order to provide "essential belly heat" to aid your snake in Digesting its food. When dilligent care is exercized these can be used to safely provide the hot spot in your snakes cage, however, these should never be the only source of heat for your snake! Thermometers should be placed at floor level, it does no good to know what the temperature at the top of the cage is, when the floor where your snake lives is cold.
Exercise caution with any heat source you choose. Reptiles are incapable of knowing when a surface or area is too hot and will easily become burned. They just do not have the nerves in their skin like we do and therefore do not know when a surface is hot enough to cause an injury! I always recomend wrapping the heating pad or hot rock with a sock or folded towel rather than allowing the snake to contact the heating source directly. Also you can purchase an inexpensive dimmer switch that attaches to the cord which will allow you to manually adjust the temperature if it gets too hot for your snake. The best way to test any heating source is to place your hand firmly against it, if it is too warm for you to comfortably leave your hand it is too warm for your snake. |
Caging Provided: | Many Ball Pythons are shy, and need some sort of hide box to feel secure. I recomend a small dish pan or plastic tub flipped upside down with a hole cut in the center for the snake to be able to climb into. This does 2 things for the snake, it gives the snake a place to feel safe and secure, and it also makes it harder for a prey item (If you feed live prey) to get to the snake and attack it. |
Diet: | Carnivorous |
Description of Diet: | Rodents make up a large portion of any snakes diet. Many will also not miss the opportunity to take a bird also, so watch out for your pet parakeet. For larger hungry snakes just about any small warm blooded animal will do, this includes other household pets. This further shows the necessity for strong secure enclosures to prevent escapes!
Most snakes should be fed weekly or at the very least every two weeks. Do not feed items larger than 1 1/2 times the snakes diameter at its thickest point.
Small Ball Pythons can be started out on 1 or 2 pink or fuzzy mice weekly.
Medium size Ball Pythons can be fed 1 or 2 Adult mice weekly.
Large Ball Pythons may feed on 2 or more small to medium rats every 1-2 weeks depending on activity and appetite.
In the wild, Ball Pythons are most active at night (nocturnal), and do not usually eat during the day. You can provide your Ball with a plastic hide box with the hole cut into the top just large enough for your snake to enter. This will make it less likley that any prey left overnight may harm your snake. Do not leave live prey in the cage with your snake for more than a couple of hours, and NEVER unattended!
Many Ball Pythons have been seriously injured and even killed by live prey left in the cage too long!
Please do not buy into the myth that says a Ball Python can go for a year or more with out food! This belief is DANGEROUS TO YOUR SNAKE! Any snake that does not eat for more than a few of weeks should be seen by a qualified Veterinarian. |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | None Needed |
Maintenance: | Check Water and replace daily
Spot clean daily
Monthly Total cage cleaning |
Some Words on this Species: | Remember, unlike a dog or a cat, a reptile is a wild animal that must be tamed and trained to become a good pet. Many calm down and make exellent pets while others may never really become tame or trustable. All animals (and people) can be unpredictable at times, so always keep a watchful eye whenever your pet is being interacted with, to avoid any potential accidents.
Children should never be allowed to handle any reptile without close adult supervision! Accidents can happen quickly! Most small children do not realize that a reptile is not a toy and can easily agitate it by being too rough.
It takes frequent and daily interaction for any new reptile to become used to you. Some animals even after they are tame will remain nippy in their cages or will still remain nervous when around groups of people.
Ball Python bites will bleed and do hurt! Read about how to deal with snake bites.
Despite common myths, Ball Pythons are not venomous and can not kill you by biting. Ball Pythons have several backwards curved teeth, There are four rows of teeth on the top jaw, and two rows of teeth on the lower jaw. The jaws of a snake are hinged to allow it to eat things that are larger than it’s head.
You must be consistant and matter of fact when taming your Ball Python. If you appear nervous or frightened the reptile will sense it and become frigntened as well. Many imported Ball Pythons are head shy and will quickly recoil if their head is touched. Always use caution to insure that your pet remains under control at all times, this does not mean that you should keep a strangle hold on your pet, just that you should always be aware of potential dangers or places your snake may find to get wrapped up on or crawl into.
Rember with time and proper handling your Ball Python can become a pet the entire family can enjoy. |
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