Ball Python Care – Top 10 Questions and Answers
Every week, I get dozens of questions about snake care through the Reptile Knowledge website. Many of these people ask the same questions. So I thought it would be useful to collect some of these frequently asked questions in a series of articles and then publish them on the Internet. This is the first article in that series, and it’s all about ball pythons.
After reviewing hundreds of emails dating back to 2007, I’ve identified these top ten questions about ball python care:
1. What do they eat?
These snakes come from various countries in East Africa, where they eat a wide variety of rodents: mice, shrews, fluffy rats, etc. In captivity, ball pythons will do well on a diet of mice and rats. I recommend offering frozen/thawed prey, because live rodents can be dangerous. A live rat, for example, can injure or kill a snake that is not interested in eating.
2. How often should I feed it?
You can feed babies every 5 to 7 days and adults every 7 to 15 days. This will also depend on the size of the meal. It is best to offer one rodent per meal, with the rodent being slightly wider than the widest part of the snake.
3. What size are they?
This is one of the main reasons ball pythons are so popular as pets: they don’t get very large. These snakes are short and thick-bodied. They rarely grow more than five feet long.
4. How much do they cost?
If you buy a “regular” ball python (which is the type that occurs in the wild), you can expect to pay between $50 and $90 for it. If you buy an albino specimen, you will probably pay a few hundred dollars. Some of the rarer morphs can cost thousands of dollars, but only breeders pay this kind of money. Generally speaking, females cost more than males due to their reproductive ability.
5. Are they dangerous?
Not unless you’re a rodent. Ball pythons are not poisonous. And while they are constrictors, they are not big enough to constrict a human (not even a human baby). They are relatively calm, compared to other snake species. This is another reason why they are so popular as pets. They can bite their owners in certain situations, such as when the owner’s hand is mistaken for food, but these bites are not serious.
6. How long do they live?
Long time! Keep this in mind if you are thinking of getting a ball python. They can easily live for over 20 years in captivity, and some will even pass the 40 year mark.
7. What size cage do I need?
You can keep a baby or young in a 20-gallon terrarium or two-foot-long plastic cage. Adult snakes should be given more room to move. For adults, I recommend a 50-gallon glass cage or equivalent plastic model (three to four feet long is ideal).
8. At what temperatures should I vacuum?
You want to achieve a thermal gradient in the cage, so that one side is hotter than the other. This allows the snake to thermoregulate, moving to different temperatures as needed. I recommend 80 – 82 degrees (Fahrenheit) on the cooler side and 92 – 96 degrees on the warmer side. You can accomplish this by using a heat lamp or heating pad under the tank.
9. How much maintenance is required?
You should do a complete cleaning of the cage once a month. This shouldn’t take more than an hour. Once you get this right, you should be able to clean the cage in half an hour or less. You should also clean the water bowls once a week, or immediately if the snake defecates in them. Aside from feeding time and control, that’s all there is to it.
10. Where can I get more information?
You can find a lot of information online, but you should always consider the source. There is no editorial review process on the Internet, so anyone can post anything, regardless of accuracy. I’ve seen some terribly inaccurate care sheets online, but I’ve also seen some really good ones. You may also want to check out my ebook on this topic (see below).
*Copyright 2009, Brandon Cornett. You may republish this article on your website as long as you keep the citation hyperlinks below.
