Ball Pythons

(Python regius)

• Ball pythons (also called royal pythons) are native to sub Saharan Africa, from the west coast of Senegal all the way east to the Nile river. They’re one of the smallest python species and can be found in rainforests, grasslands, savannah, and developed farmlands.

• Ball pythons are nocturnal, which means they are active and hunt primarily during the night. In the wild these predominately terrestrial snakes can be found taking shelter within the burrows of small mammals during the day.
• These snakes are known to be positively thigmotactic, which means they tend to like cramped spaces or to hug walls/other solid surfaces. A proper ball python enclosure should have multiple, sturdy hides that fit the snake snugly. This can be achieved with various stacked rocks, cork rounds, or commercially available hides covered in some substrate.

• A ball python’s diet mainly consists of a variety of small animals (mainly small birds and mammals) that they catch and kill by striking and constricting them. An adult python only needs to eat about one meal every 2-3 weeks or so, and may stop eating all together for months at a time if stressed due to improper husbandry.
• Ball pythons thrive in a range of temperatures from 75-85 degrees F with a warm basking spot or hide at around 90-95 degrees F. To mimic the humidity they would experience in their native habitats, their enclosure should maintain 70-80% humidity
• Ball pythons acquired their name through their defense mechanism: rolling into a tight ball with their neck and head in the middle of the bundle for protection.