Ball python care

Before you get one

A ball python can live for more than 20 years in captivity, and the Royal Veterinary College gives up to 25 years^1,2. A veterinary manual lists 15–20 years as the average, while zoo records run past 40 years^5,7. Choose a captive-bred snake, because captive-bred reptiles are less likely than wild-caught ones to bite, refuse food or carry parasites⁵. Ball pythons are the most traded CITES-listed live animal exported from Africa, and trade records from Benin, Ghana and Togo show a switch from mostly wild-caught to mostly “ranched” snakes, which are taken from the wild as eggs or young and reared for export¹². Researchers say little is known about their welfare during capture, transport and breeding, and the RSPCA opposes wild-caught animals in the pet trade^13,15. Some colour morphs carry health problems, such as the inherited neurological “wobble syndrome” of the spider morph, and keeping pythons is prohibited in many areas, so check the morph and your local laws first^14,5.

Enclosure

Sources differ on size: the RSPCA asks for a vivarium at least as long as the snake, with a width and height of at least a third of its length, such as 120 × 40 × 40 cm for a 1.2 m snake¹. The Royal Veterinary College’s absolute minimum for an adult is 122 × 61 × 61 cm, one veterinary hospital gives 91 × 61 × 46 cm, and the MSD Veterinary Manual asks for at least 0.6 m² of floor per metre of snake and as much space as possible^2,6,3. When the same 35 ball pythons were moved from rack tubs to furnished terrariums, they could bask, climb, burrow and bathe only in the terrariums, and almost all abnormal behaviour was seen in the racks⁸. A review of snake welfare concludes that snakes need room to stretch out fully, and the UK government’s Animal Welfare Committee advises that even a vivarium one snake-length long is acceptable only for short-term display^10,9. Owners reported fewer signs of ill health in snakes kept in enclosures longer than the snake, yet a study of more than 5,000 ball pythons at pet expos and in online videos found that breeders and sellers typically kept them in enclosures too small to stretch out in^20,11. Ball pythons are stressed by large, bare spaces, so give several hides at both ends, sturdy branches and a soil substrate to burrow in^1,2.

Heat and light

Put the heat source at one end so the snake can move between warm and cool areas¹. The RSPCA recommends a basking zone of 30–32 °C and a cool end of 24–26 °C, and the Royal Veterinary College a basking maximum of about 32 °C, a cool end of about 24 °C and nights no cooler than about 24 °C^1,2. Other veterinary sources differ slightly: the MSD Veterinary Manual gives a preferred air range of 25–30 °C with basking spots about 5 °C warmer, and one hospital warns that temperatures above 33 °C (92 °F) can cause serious illness^4,6. Run every heater through a thermostat, guard bulbs, check both ends with a thermometer every day, keep under-tank heaters to no more than 30% of the floor and never use “hot rocks”, which can burn^1,16. Ball pythons are mostly active at night, but a low-level UVB lamp giving about UVI 1.0 in the basking zone and none in the shade is still recommended, on a 12-hour day^2,1.

Humidity and water

The RSPCA recommends 50–60% humidity measured at the cool end, misted up to about 80% at times and allowed to fall in between, and the Royal Veterinary College also gives 50–60%^1,2. The MSD Veterinary Manual’s range is wider, at 50–80%, and one veterinary hospital advises about 70% while a snake is shedding^4,6. A hide with damp moss gives the snake a humid retreat¹. Do not cut ventilation to hold humidity: damp, stale air causes skin and respiratory disease, and the RSPCA says respiratory infections in royal pythons are usually caused by high humidity and poor ventilation^3,1. Provide a water bowl big enough to soak in, and change the water at least daily^1,2.

Feeding

Feed frozen rodents that have been thawed and warmed to about body temperature, 37 °C, and offer them with tongs^2,1. Live rodents are not advised, and feeding them is illegal in many countries, because live prey can badly injure a snake^3,17. Choose prey slightly wider than the widest part of the snake’s body; young snakes eat about every 5–7 days and adults every 7–14 days, depending on their weight^1,6. Weigh the snake regularly, because ball pythons can become underweight or obese^1,6. Ball pythons are known for going off their food, sometimes with the seasons, but a stressful set-up or illness can also cause it, so see a reptile vet if a snake stops feeding suddenly¹.

Handling

Ball pythons usually become docile with careful handling, although hatchlings are shyer and more likely to strike¹. Scoop the snake up with one hand near the head and the other nearer the tail, support its whole body and never grab it¹. If it pulls its neck back into an S shape, it feels threatened, so leave it for another time¹. Keep sessions to about 10–15 minutes, wait 48 hours after a meal and avoid handling during a shed¹. Wash your hands before handling if you have touched prey, and afterwards too, because reptiles can carry Salmonella^1,2.

Health and when to see a vet

Take a new snake for a veterinary check, book a health check every year, and keep any new snake apart from others for 3–6 months^19,3. See a reptile vet if you notice:

• wheezing, a whistling breath, open-mouth breathing, or loss of coordination and “star gazing”^9,1;
• swelling around the mouth or face, which can be a sign of mouth rot^9,1;
• stuck shed or retained eye caps, which should never be forced off^9,17;
• mites, seen as tiny black specks or as a snake soaking for long periods¹;
• weight loss, diarrhoea, constipation or regurgitation^1,6;
• burns, often caused by heat mats or bulbs without a thermostat or guard^6,17.

Inclusion body disease, caused by a reptarenavirus, affects boas and pythons; pythons usually develop severe neurological disease and most die within days or weeks of the first signs¹⁸. It spreads through body fluids, including during breeding and fights, and through snake mites¹⁸.