Royal Python Care | |||||||||||||||||
| Hi! I'm a herpetoculturist cross herpetologist, this means I care for and study reptiles in my own home and in local or foreign countries. | |||||||||||||||||
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General Royal pythons are byfar the most tame and gentle python on the market. The care is realitively easy and housing is very simple. So, let's get to it. History The royal or ball python is originally from Africa (Southern Sudan, Senegal, Ivory coast, and parts of Centeral Africa). The name "ball python" is mainly used in North America while Europeans call them "royal pythons". They get the name from the ability to coil into a tight "ball" when they are disturbed. The royal python is mainly a ground snake and only climb into a tree for food or protection. In early Africa, the ball python was a god to the natives, they built temples for these snakes and if a European killed a ball python he was killed or eaten. The royal python and other boids are old world snakes, this meaning it formed from lizards before the other snakes did(eg; cornsnake, kingsnakes, and milksnakes). All pythons and boas have two lungs unlike other snake who only have one. They also have "spurs" which are remnants of legs. Balls are very bulky snakes, but don't be fooled they are pretty much solid muscle. They grow to be about four feet long but some females have been roperted to be six feet long. They grow at a rate of about a foot a year. | ||||||||||||||||
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Puchasing When you are out buying a ball python don't go for a wild caught ball, they usually have some sort of disease or parasite. In the spring and summer is when baby balls are born and is the best time to buy. When buying a captive bred ball, ask to hold it and look for weight, a heavy snake is usually a healthy snake. Also, pull down the bottom "lip", if there is a yellow cheesy substance in it, DON"T BUY IT! Food & Water Water is quite simple, keep water in to cage at all times. Food is a little more difficult. They can eat adult mice when they are young and will eat regularlly. But when they are adults they tend to slow down in eating. They can go up to three years without food but try to feed them often. Adult balls can eat rats, gerbils, guini pigs, hamsters, adult mice, ducklings and chicks. Make sure you thaw the food before feeding, if you are going to feed live mice, put dog food in the corner because if the mouse is hungry it might chew on the snake. Housing Because of the smaller size of the royal python compared to other pythons, an ideal size for a happy snake is 4ft long X 2ft wide X 2ft high. This will give a juvenile plenty of room to grow in. Give them something to hide in - a royal will love to squash himself into caves and crevices. But don't keep just one; royals seem to love company. | ||||||||||||||||
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Conclusion Royal pythons are great snakes to start with or for advaced herpers. They are quiet, if you can't feed them right away you won't have to worry about it, and they love to be held. Keeping one is a great experience but get more than one, like what is said above, they love company. | ||||||||||||||||
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