|
They're Not That Big: |
Although small by python
standards, balls
certainly aren't
pipsqueaks. They can
grow up to five or six
feet. However, a size of
four feet is far more
typical. When raised in
captivity, ball pythons
will grow about one foot
a year for their first
three years. |
|
They
Live Long: |
A well cared for pet
ball python can make it
well into his or her
twenties. Some may live
even longer. There have
been reports of ball
pythons reaching almost
50. |
|
Enclosure:
They're Easy
To House: |
Ball pythons do well in
a variety of plastic and
glass
enclosures. A 20-gallon
aquarium tank is
adequate for a young
ball python, but an
adult should be kept in
a 40-gallon tank (at
least 38" x 18" x 16")
to allow the space
needed for
essential temperature
gradients. Very young
snakes can be started in
a smaller tank, where
they will feel more
secure, then moved into
a larger enclosure. Any
enclosure used
to house a ball python
should have a very
secure top, since these
powerful snakes are
clever escape artists.
Adequate ventilation
must also be provided
with any enclosure.
This is typically done
with a secure wire mesh
top. |
|
They Need Sanctuary:
|
A ball python's tank
must include at least
one -- and preferably
two -- hide boxes that
provide the snake with a
safe and secure
sanctuary. If two hide
boxes are used, one
should be located in the
hot area and the other
in the cooling area of
the tank. Hide boxes are
important for hatchlings
and young snakes,
especially if they are
in "adult-sized"
enclosures. |
|
Substrate:
They Like A
Variety Of Substrates:
|
It's a good idea to
start juvenile ball
pythons
off with a newspaper,
since it's simple to
maintain -- just discard
when soiled. Newspaper
also makes it easier to
spot parasites and check
the young snake's feces
for signs of
potential problems. Good
substrates for adult
ball pythons include
cypress bark (it absorbs
moisture well and helps
maintain humidity
levels), as well as
sterilized mulch
and Astroturf™. Avoid
cedar; its oils promote
respiratory ailments.
Pine and aspen substrate
can cause problems if
ingested. Any substrate
should be monitored
closely and
discarded or cleaned
when soiled. |
|
Temperature:
They Like
It Hot: |
Ball pythons must be
provided with a range of
temperatures
in their housing,
ranging from the low 80s
at one end of the tank
to the mid to upper 80s
at the other. This
should include a basking
spot in the 90F degree
range. The temperature
can be lowered to the
upper-70s at night,
provided a warmer
basking area (around
82-84F) is also
provided. Maintaining
proper temperature
levels is essential, so
the snake's
housing should have at
least two and preferably
three thermometers, one
to monitor the basking
spot and the others to
monitor the cool and
warm areas in the rest
of the tank. An
alternative is to have a
thermometer in one area
of the tank and a probe
in the other. |
|
They Shouldn't Be
Exposed To Direct Heat
Sources: |
Ambient temperature can
be maintained by using a
heat mat beneath one
half the tank's surface.
(The section of the tank
that is farthest away
from this mat will be
the cool area.) Ceramic
heating elements that
move heat downward
without emitting light
are also good heating
source. Temperature in
the basking area can be
maintained using an
incandescent light bulb
in a reflective hood.
The light bulb should be
screened to protect the
snake from burns. Never
use a heat rock in the
tank. Ball pythons are
very susceptible to skin
burns when they come
into direct contact with
a heat source. A
rheostat or thermostat
is a good idea for
regulating heat
mats and lamps. |
|
Lighting:
It's Simple To
Provide Them With The
Right Lighting: |
Ball
Pythons should be
exposed to supplemental
UVB light 10-12 hours a
day, using a fluorescent
bulb designed for snake
enclosures. |
Humidity:
Levels In
Their Tanks Should Be
45-60 Percent: |
Humidity levels that are
too low promote
respiratory stress,
while levels that are
too high can lead to
skin infections.
Water bowls often
provide sufficient
humidity in a glass
tank. However, humidity
levels can be increased
by misting the tank
occasionally but care
should be taken to avoid
over-misting. A
hygrometer should be
used to measure humidity
levels. It is especially
important to maintain
adequate humidity during
shedding periods. |
Diet:
Rodents Are Their
Favorite Meal: |
The ball python's diet
consist of rodents
(feeder mice or rats).
Rodents can be given to
the snake live or
frozen. A live rodent
should never be left
with a ball python
unsupervised, since it
can injure the snake.
Frozen rodents should be
thawed to room
temperature (never
heated) before feeding.
Young ball
pythons should be fed
pink to fuzzy baby mice,
while adults are given
adult rodents. No snake
should be given food
that is wider than it is
at its widest point.
Tongs or long-handled
forceps should be used
to place a feeder animal
(live or pre-killed) in
a snake's enclosure.
Feeder animals should
never be given by hand.
Snakes identify prey by
scent, and they are
liable to attack a hand
that has the smell of a
feeder animal on it. |
|
They Have A Feeding
Schedule: |
Young, growing ball
pythons (under 30")
should be fed once or
twice a week. Larger
snakes can be fed once
every 10-14 days. Ball
pythons tend to eat less
in the winter. It is
important to maintain
the correct temperature
in the tank
after a snake has eaten.
A snake should not be
handled for at least one
day after taking food. A
veterinarian should be
consulted if a ball
python has not eaten in
30 days. A ball
python should be allowed
to get acclimated to its
new environment for a
week before it is fed. A
pregnant female may not
eat until the eggs are
laid. (A female may lay
eggs even when no male
is present, but in these
cases they will be
infertile.) |
|
A
NOTE ABOUT WATER: |
All water given to this
pet for drinking, as
well as water used for
misting,
soaking or
bathing must be free of
chlorine and heavy
metals.
We recommend that you
use bottled drinking
water or bottled natural
spring water and never
untreated tap water.
If tap water
is used, you should treat
it with a dechlorinating
treatment or allow
it to stand for at
least 24 hours
before being introduced
to the pet's
enclosure to allow the
chlorine to escape. Do
not use distilled water,
which can cause severe
medical problems, since
it lacks minerals that
are essential to
important body
functions. |
|
They Should Always Have
Access To Water:
|
Fresh water should
always be available to a
ball python in a spill
resistant bowl. Ball
pythons like to immerse
themselves in water, and
they sometimes defecate
in it, so their water
bowls should be checked
and changed regularly
throughout the day. |
