Care Sheet for Ball PythonsAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 3.50 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 02/05/2007 |
Main Category: | Snakes |
Sub Category: | Ball Pythons |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | Scaly Mon |
Years Experience: | 1 to 2 Years |
Species: | Ball Pythons |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | Just Ball Pythons |
Sexing and Characteristics: | Consult a vet or an experienced herp for an exact answer. Females tend to get bigger than males. Probing is a good way to tell, only to do be done by pros. Popping of scales is another way, yet try to get a pro’s help whatever you do. |
Mostly Active During: | N/A |
Substrate and Water Needs: | Avoid cedar or pine chips. The best substrate is newspaper. Easy to clean, safe, cheap, available. Give fresh water daily in cleaned waterbowl big enough for snake to put entire body inside. BEWARE OF LOOSE SUBSTRATE GETTING INSIDE SNAKE’S MOUTH, CAUSING STOMATITIS, AKA MOUTHROT WHICH CAN BE FATAL!!!!! |
Lighting and UVB: | No UV lights needed. Avoid hot rocks, they burn snakes. Heating pads are good. small heat lamp on warm side of tank |
Temperatures and Humidity: | Mist once a day. Warm side should be about 87 to 91 degrees
cold side should be 80 to 83 degrees |
Heating and Equipment: | N/A, already covered |
Caging Provided: | Should be about 20 gallons for babies. DO NOT OVERSIZE TANK as this will stress your snake out. A full sized ball python will usually need a 55 gallon tank. Should be secure and have a heavy top, not just a brick. Steel tops, with clips, are probably too light. |
Diet: | Carnivorous |
Description of Diet: | As babies, they will eat pinky or fuzzy mice, sometimes hoppers. Then they will move up to bigger mice, then adult mice or baby rats. Then small rats, med. rats, etc. Food item should not be any bigger than widest part of snake’s body. Prekilled food is best. *Ball pythons are notorious for having eating problems* Feed babies 1 to 2 mice a week, then adults 1 every week or ten days. |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | None. Mice cover everything needed. |
Maintenance: | Easy, beginner’s snake. Change water daily. Mist aquarium. Clean water bowl. Check for feces daily. Feed every week or so. Check temp. and humidity. Kill mice. |
Some Words on this Species: | Great snake. Easy to care for. Called Royal Python in Europe. Called Ball Python since they roll up in ball as defense mechanism when threatened. Docile and hardy. Fun to hold and sit with. |
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