Difficulty: Beginner - Intermediate
- Humidity: This species has higher humidity requirements
Adult Size
- Male: 2 to 3 feet (0.6 to 0.9 meters)
- 1.7 to 3 pounds (800 to 1400 grams)
- Female: 4 to 5 feet (0.6 to 0.9 meters)
- 3.3 to 4.4 pounds (1500 to 2000 grams)
Life Cycle
- Average Lifespan: 25-30 years
- Sexual Maturity
- Male: 11-18 months
- Female: 20-36 months
- Breeding Weight
- Male: 600+ grams
- Female: 1500+ grams
Enclosure Size
- Male: 36x18x12 inches
- Female: 48x24x12 inches
- Bigger is always better if you give plenty of hiding places and can maintain necessary environmental conditions
Husbandry Values
- Temperature:
- Ambient: 78-80°F (25.6-26.7°C)
- Basking: 87-90°F (30.6-32.2°C)
- The basking area should never exceed 95°F (35°C)
- Humidity: 50-60% (60-70% while in shed)
- Lighting: No specific requirements
- UV Light can be beneficial
Diet
- Carnivore: Rats or Mice
Behavior Notes
- Semi-arboreal- this snake may utilize climbing décor if provided
- Crepuscular, Nocturnal- this species is most active at sunset/sunrise, and after dark
- Ambush predator- this species hunts by surprising and wrapping its prey
- Temperament- this species tends to be calm and docile, and generally will avoid confrontation
***These care sheets assume that you understand the basics of snake care & husbandry.
If you are a new snake owner, it is recommended that you read our articles on general reptile care and then fine tune the requirements for the specific species you are interested in.
Climate & Husbandry
The Ball Python is native to west Sub Saharan Africa from Senegal, Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Benin, and Nigeria through Cameroon, Chad, and the Central African Republic to Sudan and Uganda.[1] They are a terrestrial species and commonly seen in Grasslands, savannahs and in sparsley wooded areas typically hiding under hollowed out logs and occasionaly an abonded termite mound.
Their natural climate has an average temperature of roughly 80°F (26°C) during the day with nighttime drops as low as 61°F (16°C) during the cooler winter months. The humidity averages 50-80% throughout the year with the wet season peaking during the summer months.
Feeding
This species is carnivorous and feeds on rodents. Feeding a rodent that is big around as the snake’s girth an average of once every 7 days is a good rule of thumb to use here. Monitor the snake’s weight—as your ball python reaches adulthood, you may feed less frequently to avoid obesity, particularly if your snake is getting larger food items.
References
- Auliya, M., Schmitz, A. 2010. Python regius . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010: e.T177562A7457411. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T177562A7457411.en.