Ball/Royal Python Care tips
Ball Python - Python regius
About
Ball pythons (also known as Royal Pythons) originate from Africa and reach 3-4ft on average. They have more of a stocky build weighing 3-4lbs on average, but reports of up to 7lbs have been made. Ball pythons tend to coil into a ball as a defense mechanism when startled. They sleep all day and are most active at night.
Enclosure
Start off hatchling ball pythons in a ten gallon enclosure or a 16 qt tub. Juveniles will go up to a 20 gallon tank followed by a 40 gallon for adults. Males are a little smaller and can get away with a 30 gallon, but females will be happiest in a 40. If you’re keeping them in a rack, adult males will need 28+ qt tubs and females need 41+ qt tubs. Paper towels and newspaper make a great disposable substrate that makes it easy to keep the enclosure clean. These are also great to prevent your snake from accidentally ingesting loose substrates when eating. Chopped aspen makes a great easy-to-clean substrate that keeps the humidity down if you’re having problems with it staying too high. Bioactive substrates consist of a drainage layer of rocks or pebbles, then a mix of organic topsoil such as the following: sand, leaf litter, moss, and tree bark. These items ensure a great way to create an effective low maintenance enclosure. Add springtails and isopods to the bioactive substrate mix and you’ve got yourself a clean up crew! Coco fiber is another good naturalistic option. Remove and clean everything in the enclosure roughly once a week and replace substrate once a month or sooner if needed. If you set up a successful bioactive, you only need to clean the glass and spot clean the rest as time goes by. The substrate for the bioactive may need cleaning at least once a year, depending on the health of the soil.
Parameters
Ball pythons need belly heat to digest which can be created in various ways. The most common methods are under the tank heaters and ceramic heat emitters. We recommend using an under the tank heater connected to a thermostat. This will help you set the temperature at a consistent number to avoid burns or excessive heat. The ambient temperature of the enclosure should range from 76-82 on the cool side and 82-88 on the warm side. On the warm side there should be a basking area (created by belly heat or CHE) where the surface temperature should be between 88-94 degrees. This is where those thermostat controllers really come in handy! Without them, that surface temperature can exceed 100 degrees- burning your snake.
Humidity should be 50-60% with spikes during the snakes shedding phase. This is easily tracked with a hygrometer. When you notice your snake is “in blue”- it can be helpful to mist them a little extra to create a more humid environment. This will help the shed come off much easier. Another thing that will assist for healthy sheds is keeping a humid hide in the enclosure. This can be done various ways but one of the simplest ways is by taking a Tupperware container that your snake can comfortably fit in, cutting a small hole in the lid, and adding a humidity-holding substrate to it. You must use a lighter to melt the sharp ends of the plastic after cutting it or your snake could get cut by the plastic. Other than that, just keep that hide slightly damp and your snake will naturally seek it out when it’s time to shed.
Diet
Hatchling ball pythons often start out on pinky or fuzzy mice. They move up to hopper mice next and continue graduating in size until adulthood. Rats tend to be fattier than mice and will result in a faster growing, thicker ball python than one fed from mice so it’s beneficial to switch to rats as soon as possible. There’s a large variety of sizes for both mice and rats so keep in mind that your snake doesn’t have to max out on mice sizes before switching to rats. A small mouse is equivalent to a fuzzy rat and a hopper mouse is equivalent to a pinky rat. There are charts that can be found online if you need more information on this. The most important thing to remember is to match the size of the feeder to the widest portion of the snake. Not much smaller, and not too much larger either.
It’s your choice as a snake keeper if you want to feed frozen/thawed (f/t), pre-killed, or live. Some argue live is more natural and it can even be necessary when a snake won't take f/t or pre-killed. Others argue live is dangerous and inhumane. Whichever choice you make, understand that it is nature. If you do feed live, never leave the snake and rodent unattended and keep a pair of tongs nearby. Rodents will occasionally bite up a snake and can end in some pretty gnarly cuts. You may have to intervene. If you’re feeding f/t or interested in learning how to do pre-culled there are many useful tutorials in online forums and on youtube.
Temperament
Ball pythons are generally shy, docile, snakes. They’re known to ball up whenever they feel threatened giving them their name- ball pythons. Every snake has their own personality but every snake can be tamed as well. Your snake needs to trust you, so make sure it has more positive interactions with you than negative. When picking the snake up, pick it up from the later ⅔ of its body. If you reach for it’s head it may take you as a threat or food and could strike. Move with confidence and calmly, the more uneasy you seem- the more uneasy the snake will be. Holding them above your head can be beneficial as it let’s them scope you out from above. Picture being that small snake with a big human head staring down at you- it’s creepy! Lifting them above you lets them get a feel for you without them thinking you’re about to eat them. Avoid handling ball pythons in the first 1-2 weeks you have them, then after that time period start slow by handling them for roughly 15 minutes per day. They’ll quickly open up and show you their personality.
Common Health Problems
Ball pythons most commonly deal with respiratory infections, anorexia (hunger strikes), burns, mouth rot, and retained shed. All of these minus anorexia is husbandry-based and can be avoided through proper care. There are many online tutorials and youtube videos to help you through the minor stuff, but it’s always wise to consult a vet.