Ball Python
Python regius
by Clay Davenport
Ball Python
|
|---|
Ball pythons have long been a favorite to reptile keepers, and are often the snake that introduces them to the hobby. They are a very attractive species, and captive born individuals can be both hardy and long lived captives. Today they are available in many color morphs that until recently, were unheard of. These include, among others, albino, axthanic, caramel, clown, striped, and piebald.
Balls are not large pythons, with an average adult size of 3.5 to 4.5 feet. Very old specimens can exceed 5 feet.
Ball pythons are native to the forests and savannahs of Africa, from Senegal to Uganda. They are nocturnal and spend most of the day hidden in secluded burrows. They are primarily terrestrial, but may be occasionally found in trees and shrubs. Their diet in the wild consists of rodents, other small mammals, and birds.
They are called "Ball" pythons because of the habit of coiling their bodies into a tight ball, with their heads in the center, when they feel threatened. In captivity, however, they normally become quite docile, and rarely display this behavior.
You should first look for a captive bred specimen if possible. They acclimate much more readily, and are not as likely to present some of the feeding problems associated with wild caught individuals.
You should make sure your potential purchase is free from disease. The eyes should be clear, (if not in shed), the breathing should be smooth and there should be no mucus or other discharge from the mouth or nostrils. It should have good body weight, the skin should be firm, not loose, and the snake should have a generally rounded appearance.
Check the vent, make sure there are no smeared or dried feces, a sign of loose or runny stool. The snake should be alert and curious about its surroundings. If it displays any sign of disease or sickness, you should not buy it.
You should have everything ready for your new addition before bringing it home. The first thing you will need is a secure, escape proof enclosure. This can be either a commercial cage, or one you have built yourself. Aquariums make satisfactory cages, but the ones designed for reptiles or small mammals, with a sliding lid that locks in place with pins are best. You can also build your own out of wood, melamine or other materials, as long as it meets the requirements of the snake. An adult ball will require a cage that is at least 36" long x 12" wide, preferrably bigger.
The cage does not need to be elaborate, and can be furnished according to your own taste.
The substrate can be newspaper, wood shavings (not cedar), or cage carpet. A hide box is required, as these snakes are easily stressed if they cannot hide themselves during the daytime. A branch may be used for climbing, but is not required.
A proper thermal gradient is essential to the health of these snakes. Ambient temperature in the cage should be 80-85F with a warmer basking spot of 90F during the day. At night, the cage may cool somewhat, but don't allow it to fall below 74F on the cool end and 80F on the warm end.
There are several methods of heating the cage, a heating pad may be placed under one end of the cage, an incandecent light with a reflector may be suspended above the cage, or a ceramic heater may be used instead of a light bulb, since the ceramic bulb only gives off heat and no light. If you do use an overhead heat source, you must ensure that the snake can not come in direct contact with the bulb, as it can easily reach temperatures that could burn the snake.
I do not recommend the use of hot rocks. These heaters are unsafe to use inside the cage. They are prone to developing hot spots, and the surface temperature can get hot enough to burn the snake.
Whatever method of heating you choose, you should use thermometers to keep a check on the temperature inside the cage. Two are best, one on the cooler end and one on the hottest area. Guessing at the temperatures is in no way accurate, and could result in the death of the snake from overheating, or their inability to digest their food from temps that are too cool.
You should not try to handle, let alone feed your new snake for at least seven days after bringing it home. Everything it is used to has changed, and it will need to adjust to its new surroundings.
Hatchlings can be started on fuzzy mice up to hopper size one to two per week will be enough. As they grow the prey size needs to be increased accordingly. Adult balls will eventually take prey as large as small adult rats.
Feeding prekilled or frozen/thawed rodents is always preferred to feeding live prey.
Occasionally, especially with wild caught individuals, they will refuse food for extended periods of time. While this is stressful for the owners, it often does not result in any real problem for the snake. If your snake goes off feed you can try offering different prey, and you may resort to offering live prey, but if it still refuses, you can't do much more than wait. But you still need to offer food regularly, and keep close observations of the weight and overall health of the snake. If , after a time of not feeding, the snake starts to lose weight, a visit to the vet may be needed. As a last resort, (normally only in extreme cases with wild caught specimens), you may have to force feed. You should not attempt this if you are not experienced with the technique. Instead contact a vetrinarian experienced with reptiles, or see your local herp society for someone who can help.
A bowl of fresh water should be available at all times. The snake will sometimes use the water for soaking, so consider this when choosing the size of the bowl. The water should be changed and the bowl disenfected regularly.
The majority of ball pythons sold in the United States are wild caught, or hatched from eggs laid by a wild caught female. The numbers of imported balls are in the tens of thousands annually. This places stress on wild populations, so the captive breeding of these popular pets is definitely encouraged. The lack of breeding this species is primarily due to the relatively small clutches compared to other pythons and their low monetary value, which is a result of the large number of wild caught imports.
The most common method of breeding Ball pythons is in groups. Multiple males are suggested. They will require a cooling period prior to mating to ensure higher fertility.
Discontinue feeding two weeks prior to lowering the temperatures. Then decrease both the photoperiod and the temperature together. Shorten the day length to around 8 hours and lower the daytime temperature to 78-80F, with a nighttime low of 70-72F. No food should be offered during this time. After 6 weeks or so, begin bringing the cage back to normal conditions. Feed the females heavily during this time to prepare them for egg development.
About two weeks after the warm-up you can house the breeders together and mating should soon follow.
Gravid females should be housed separately, and they should be provided with a laying box containing moist sphagnum moss or moistened vermiculite.
The eggs should be incubated at 90F and will hatch in around 60 days.