Royal Pythons (commonly known as Ball Pythons) are small powerful constrictors that can attain lengths of 4-6 feet, (females grow to be larger than males). Please consider the snakes eventual size when you consider owning one of these shy, gentle beauties.
Ball Pythons like other snakes, need secure cages to prevent escapes. They are stronger than you may think and can push their way out of that cage with the bricks holding the lid down. The minimum requirements for any snake cage are as follows. With the snake coiled up it should be no narrower than twice the coiled diameter of the snake, no shorter than three times the coiled diameter of the snake and taller that 3 times the snake thickest point. A 40 gallon size reptile tank is adequate for most adult Ball Pythons.
Cage temperatures should be kept somewhere between 84-88 degrees, with the basking area approaching the mid to upper 90's. A 10 degree nighttime drop in temperature is acceptable.
In addition to heat lamps and radiant heating panels which are recomended, Hot Rocks, and various other types of heating pads are also available to the reptile owner. These are often mistakingly recommended in order to provide "essential belly heat" to aid your snake in Digesting its food. When dilligent care is exercized these can be used to safely provide the hot spot in your snakes cage, however, these should never be the only source of heat for your snake! Thermometers should be placed at floor level, it does no good to know what the temperature at the top of the cage is, when the floor where your snake lives is cold.
Exercise caution with any heat source you choose. Reptiles are incapable of knowing when a surface or area is too hot and will easily become burned. They just do not have the nerves in their skin like we do and therefore do not know when a surface is hot enough to cause an injury! I always recomend wrapping the heating pad or hot rock with a sock or folded towel rather than allowing the snake to contact the heating source directly. Also you can purchase an inexpensive dimmer switch that attaches to the cord which will allow you to manually adjust the temperature if it gets too hot for your snake. The best way to test any heating source is to place your hand firmly against it, if it is too warm for you to comfortably leave your hand it is too warm for your snake.
Many imported Ball Pythons are shy, and need some sort of hide box to feel secure. I recomend a small dish pan or plastic tub flipped upside down with a hole cut in the center for the snake to be able to climb into. This does 2 things for the snake, it gives the snake a place to feel safe and secure, and it also makes it harder for a prey item (If you feed live prey) to get to the snake and attack it.
Ball Pythons were so named due to their habit of curling up into a tight ball hiding their head in the center when they feel threatened. This unfortunatly does not help a Ball Python that is being attacked by its food! Rather than strike out at the attacker a Ball Python will take this defensive posture, this makes it easy for a rat to severly damage or kill your pet! One more reason to feed dead prey!
Most Ball Pythons in captivity were wild caught, so you will want to carefully examine any new animal for mites and ticks. There are several products on the market to help you eradicate these dangerous pests (mites and ticks harbor diseases that could be dangerous to your snake). Follow the directions carefully and repeat the applications as recomended to prevent any mites or ticks from spreading to the rest of your collection. It is also recomended that any new reptiles added to your collection be seen by a qualified reptile veterinarian and be isolated from your other reptiles for a period of 6 months to 1 year.
Rodents make up a large portion of any snakes diet. Many will also not miss the opportunity to take a bird also, so watch out for your pet parakeet. For larger hungry snakes just about any small warm blooded animal will do, this includes other household pets. This further shows the necessity for strong secure enclosures to prevent escapes!
Most snakes should be fed weekly or at the very least every two weeks. Do not feed items larger than 1 1/2 times the snakes diameter at its thickest point.
Small Ball Pythons can be started out on 1 or 2 pink or fuzzy mice weekly.
Medium size Ball Pythons can be fed 1 or 2 Adult mice weekly.
Large Ball Pythons may feed on 2 or more small to medium rats every 1-2 weeks depending on activity and appetite.
In the wild, Ball Pythons are most active at night (nocturnal), and do not usually eat during the day. You can provide your Ball with a plastic hide box with the hole cut into the top just large enough for your snake to enter. This will make it less likley that any prey left overnight may harm your snake. Do not leave live prey in the cage with your snake for more than a couple of hours, and NEVER unattended!
Many Ball Pythons have been seriously injured and even killed by live prey left in the cage too long!
Please do not buy into the myth that says a Ball Python can go for a year or more with out food! This belief is DANGEROUS TO YOUR SNAKE! Any snake that does not eat for more than a few of weeks should be seen by a qualified Veterinarian.
Remember, unlike a dog or a cat, a reptile is a wild animal that must be tamed and trained to become a good pet. Many calm down and make exellent pets while others may never really become tame or trustable. All animals (and people) can be unpredictable at times, so always keep a watchful eye whenever your pet is being interacted with, to avoid any potential accidents.
Children should never be allowed to handle any reptile without close adult supervision! Accidents can happen quickly! Most small children do not realize that a reptile is not a toy and can easily agitate it by being too rough.
It takes frequent and daily interaction for any new reptile to become used to you. Some animals even after they are tame will remain nippy in their cages or will still remain nervous when around groups of people.
Ball Python bites will bleed and do hurt! Read about how to deal with snake bites.
Despite common myths, Ball Pythons are not venomous and can not kill you by biting. Ball Pythons have several backwards curved teeth, There are four rows of teeth on the top jaw, and two rows of teeth on the lower jaw. The jaws of a snake are hinged to allow it to eat things that are larger than it's head.
You must be consistant and matter of fact when taming your Ball Python. If you appear nervous or frightened the reptile will sense it and become frigntened as well. Many imported Ball Pythons are head shy and will quickly recoil if their head is touched. Always use caution to insure that your pet remains under control at all times, this does not mean that you should keep a strangle hold on your pet, just that you should always be aware of potential dangers or places your snake may find to get wrapped up on or crawl into.
Rember with time and proper handling your Ball Python can become a pet the entire family can enjoy.