Care Sheet for Ball PythonsAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 4.00 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 06/12/2009 |
Main Category: | Snakes |
Sub Category: | Ball Pythons |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | JH123 |
Years Experience: | 15 to 20 Years |
Species: | Ball Python |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | N/A |
Sexing and Characteristics: | Sexing a BP can be difficult at first. The most reliable and sure fire way to identify your pets sex is to have a reptile vet probe it.
You can also determine the sex of your snake by looking at its tail. Males have a bulge (location of sexual organ) in the area around the vent and their tails taper rapidly and are shorter. Females do not have the bulge and their tails are longer and taper slower. |
Mostly Active During: | Night |
Substrate and Water Needs: | The substrate is really a matter of preference. You can use Newspaper, shredded aspen, Cypress bark mulch, or orchid bark mulch. With substrates the usual rule is a what not to use. NEVER use pine. It is dusty and can cause health problems for you snake.
Water should always be readily available to your snake. Use a dish large enough for the snake to soak themselves in, and give them fresh water daily. |
Lighting and UVB: | Ball Pythons are nocturnal and spend most of their time in the wild on the ground of heavily wooded or jungle areas. They spend the day in their hides sleeping. Point is, lighting is not needed. In the wild they may never see the sun in their long lives, so no need to give them light when keeping them.
If you want and house your snake in a tank of some type, you can use a fluorescent light for aesthetics when showing off your snake. Any other lighting is not needed.
Note: Exception to the rule. If you house your snake in a glass enclosure, you might want to get a heat lamp to help maintain the correct heat for your snake. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | Ideal temperatures are 89-92 degrees on the hot side of the tank and 80-82 degrees on the cool side.
Humidity should be 50-60 percent. Some say higher, but the only reason to raise the humidity is during the shed cycle to help with shedding. |
Heating and Equipment: | Using a under tank heater is best. Make sure it is large enough for your enclosure. It should be adequate to heat the hot side of your tank to the correct temperature.
you need two thermometers one for the hot side and one for the cool side. Also you should get a Hydrometer to help maintain correct humidity. Digital is recommended, as well as a thermostat to help regulate heat. |
Caging Provided: | Caging is the most simple. Glass can be used but not recommended. Glass does not hold heat or humidity very well.
I recommend using plastic sweater boxes with secure lids or a snake rack. If you only have one snake, the sweater box is great. Make sure you burn or drill holes in the sides to allow for proper ventilation.
you also need to provide a hide for you ball python. again, easily accommodated with a little innovation and a shoe box. the water dish should be large enough for the snake to soak in. |
Diet: | Carnivorous |
Description of Diet: | Depending on the size of your snake. I start babies off on rat pinkies or fuzzies. mice pinkies are too small.
Just follow this rule; Feed your Ball Python prey that is as large as the thickest part of your snakes body.
Live vs. F/T: If you get your snake as a baby, you should try your best to get it to take F/T (frozen/thawed) or prekilled, food, this is purely for the safety of the snake. Live has a chance to injure the snake.
ALWAYS feed your snake OUTSIDE of its enclosure. You can use a cardboard box as a "feeding box." This is done so the snake does not associate its enclosure with hunting grounds and confuse your hand for a prey item. Some may argue that this isn’t needed, but in the near 20 years I have been keeping them I have heard of people being bitten by a BP when they tried to pick them up, while I have NEVER been bitten by my snakes.
Feed your Ball Python one food item per week. No more then that. Power feeding your snake for accelerated growth will shorten the life span of your snake. I did this with my first BP unknowingly, and it lived only 15 years. Which is 5 years less of its life expectancy. I have never stunted their growth with less feeding so am not aware of any affects this may have.
Your snake will grow based on how it is fed, and the best way to feed, like i said, is once a week. |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | I have never needed any sort of supplements. If you provide the needed care and diet, neither will you. |
Maintenance: | 1. Handling: BP’s are pretty much one of the easiest snakes to handle.
2. Escape: If and when your BP escapes they are fairly easily found if they stay inside (which they usually do). Look for them in closets, and around regularly used electronics. They like the dark and they like to keep warm.
3. Fasting: BP’s do fast from time to time. Usually around breeding season. Do not let this worry you too much, they can go quite some time in between meals. I once had a male go 4 months with out feeding. Around the 3 week - 1 month with out feeding I do advise taking them to a vet to make sure nothing is wrong with them, of course if you see other signs of a health issue sooner then take them to the vet sooner.
4. Force feeding: Never had to do it. However, make sure you make this a LAST option. Usually when a BP will not feed and are not fasting, it is due to environment, make sure you are providing all the correct heat, humidity, and stress free conditions needed.
5. Your new baby BP: When you take you BP home it is very exciting. I would advise that you see the snake eat a couple times before purchasing it, also, when you get it home, give it a couple(2) weeks to acclimate itself before trying to feed it.
6. Stress: Can cause them to not eat, get sick, even die. Make sure you know how to care for them before you purchase them. Give them a couple weeks after you take them home to get acclimated before handling them. |
Some Words on this Species: | Ball Pythons can be the easiest of all the snakes to keep as a pet. In my opinion, it is the easiest of all reptiles in general. They have an average life span of 20 years so if you are unable to commit to the care of your pet that long, pick a different animal.
There are hundreds of color morphs to choose from. For the beginner I would advise the normal ball python because it is the cheapest. Once you have mastered their care, then you can look into getting the more expensive but very beautiful colors.
I would also advise reading up on their health issues. There are numerous ones that can arise at any given time and you need to know how to take care of them, or when to take them to the vet.
They make great beginner snakes for kids, though not too young. And more often then not, they become the life long favorite. I started keeping them when I was 10 years old and have had a love for them ever since.
Advice to parents. Get over your fears of these animals. Make sure you know as much if not more about their care then your child. If you have a son or daughter begging you for one, truly consider it. They are low maintenance, hypoallergenic, and docile. They are NOTHING to fear, and provide years of enjoyment.
Fun Fact: Well, dunno if it’s fun, but anyway. They get their actual name of Royal Python from the fact that Cleopatra use to wear them alive on her wrists as bracelets. |
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