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Ball pythons can make great pets for people looking for a snake that is good for beginners. With the proper setup and care, your pet will thrive and be a great pet for many years to come. Often cited as one of the most docile snakes, and with an adorable puppy dog-like face, you’re sure to fall in love with your new pet in no time, and even convert some people who are scared of snakes. Keep reading to learn how to care for these awesome snakes!
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Quick Facts – Ball Python
Life Span: 20 – 30 Years
Enclosure Size: 30 – 40 Gallons
Temperature: 88 – 96 F basking spot, 78 – 80 F cool side.
Diet: Rodents
Sleep Pattern: Nocturnal
Care Sheet
1. Tank Mates
Like many snakes, ball pythons are not social animals. Therefore, it is important you only keep one snake per enclosure. If you keep more than one in a tank you can end up with bullying/fighting that can end in serious injuries, sickness, and death for one or both of the snakes. Breeders may temporarily put snakes together for breeding purposes, but for the average keeper, keep your snakes separate. They won’t get lonely or need a friend, I promise!
2. How Big Your Ball Python Will Get
Ball Pythons are great for people just getting into snakes, as they can be easily handled by one person. Ball pythons will grow to be different sizes based on their gender. Male ball pythons tend to be 2 -3 feet in length, while females are around 3 – 5 feet in length. Ball pythons that have just hatched are around 10 inches long, so depending on the age, your snake may be anywhere in between those lengths when you first get them. They are considered a “thicker” or chunkier snake when compared to other beginner snakes – like corn snakes.
3. Temperament, Handling, and Behavior
Ball pythons are known for their gentle disposition, most often choosing to ball up and hide rather than become confrontational or aggressive. Due to this, it is quite easy to handle them. Just make sure that when you pick your snake up you support their entire body, and most ball pythons do not like their faces touched so that is something to be aware of. As with any animal though, each individual snake will have its own personality, and if that is something that is important to you it is important to ask the breeder questions about the snake’s personality before purchasing your new pet.
4. Heating
The heat for your ball python should be around 88° to 96° F on the warm end, and can gradually decrease to around 78° F on the cool side. The temperature should not dip below 75° F This temperature gradient is important as it allows your snake to regulate their body temperature and find a spot that’s comfortable for them.
You can achieve this heat gradient through a few different options. The first is a heat lamp. There are many different bulbs to choose from, including ones that do and do not give off light, like ceramic heat bulbs. The second option is through an under-tank heater like this one. These can be stuck onto the side or underneath one side of your tank to help keep the heat up. Heat tape is similar to under-tank heaters, it just comes in rope or tape form instead. Make sure to read the individual instructions for whatever product you choose to make sure it is correctly set up.
Safety Measures
As always, it is necessary to use a thermostat and a proper thermometer. Thermostats connect to your heating device, and will turn it off if the temperature gets too hot, and back on when additional heat is needed. This will help account for temperature fluctuations during the day and should help stop any malfunctions and overheating from your heating device. A temperature gun like this is an inexpensive and accurate way to make sure the temperature in your snake’s tank is correct.
As always, DO NOT use a heat rock for your pet. They are not easily regulated and can seriously injure/burn your snake. Even though they sell them in most pet stores, they are not recommended and it is best to avoid them. You can find many rock decorations to use that do not heat up.
Lighting
Extra lighting for your snake is not needed, and you can let natural sunlight coming into the room help regulate your snake’s day-night cycle. Make sure that any sunlight coming through the window does not shine directly on the tank, as this can cause the tank to become much too warm for your snake.
5. What To Feed Your Ball Python
Ball pythons are carnivores, meaning they eat meat and only meat. In particular, ball pythons in captivity are fed frozen-thawed mice or rats. If that is something you are uncomfortable with doing, unfortunately, a snake may not be the pet for you. However, a bearded dragon, leopard gecko, or crested gecko may be the perfect pet reptile for you!
The size of your ball python will determine how often, and what size of rodents you feed to your snake. Since each snake is different and grows at different rates, it’s hard to give an exact estimate of what size rat/mouse they should be eating at 6 months, 8 months, etc. The best way to determine what size mouse or rat you should feed your snake is to measure the widest part of their body and get a feeder roughly that size or slightly larger. You don’t want to go much larger than that, as that can lead to regurgitation and issues if the snake is unable to properly swallow its meal. Make sure to check regularly that you are feeding the right size prey as your snake grows.
Ball Pythons are known for being picky eaters, so that is something to consider when you decide which snake to get. Occasionally ball pythons go on hunger strikes, refusing to eat for weeks on end. As long as your ball python is not losing weight, your snake is fine. But if this will be your only snake and you do not like wasting food, a ball python may not be the snake for you.
Weight
An underweight ball python will have a triangular appearance to it, with the top being quite thin, sloping down to the sides of the snake. An overweight snake will be almost completely round, even on the belly of the snake, and may possibly have rolls or misshapen scales. A normal weight snake will be nice and round at the top, and flat at the bottom, giving the snake a good amount of traction to move around easily.
Frozen Thawed
Feeding frozen-thawed rodents are the easiest and safest option for most ball pythons. Make sure that the rodent is FULLY defrosted before you feed it to your snake. To gain your snake’s interest, grabbing onto the tail of the thawed mouse/rat and wiggling it around (using feeding tongs is best/safest) will usually get your snake’s attention.
While it is usually best to feed your snake frozen-thawed prey items, if you absolutely have to feed your snake live, do not leave the rodent alone in the cage with your snake, unattended. If the snake is unable or unwilling to eat the mouse/rat right away, the rodent may bite, claw at, or chew on your snake, causing serious damage, infection, and sometimes death. Make sure to always watch your snake until the prey item has been consumed, or take the rodent out if your snake is not interested. Frozen thawed mice or rats pose no threat to your snake, as they are no longer alive, just make sure that it is removed if uneaten after a while as you don’t want your snake to eat rotten food.
6. Substrate
Choosing what substrate to use in your tank is up to you, however, there are some precautions you should take when deciding. Substrates like aspen shavings, reptichip, and cypress mulch are all great substrates for your ball python. They can help with humidity and odor control and are a nice substrate that your snake will enjoy. Bioactive set-ups that mimic a natural environment are also a fantastic option, and are even fairly self-cleaning!
Reptile carpets and newspapers are acceptable for the younger ball pythons to make sure that you can monitor them and make sure they don’t eat anything they shouldn’t. These are acceptable for adult ball pythons as well, however, the options listed above tend to be a better option.
What To Avoid
Substrates like gravel and sand are not good for your ball python. They can be abrasive to the snake’s skin, as well as do damage to your snake’s insides if accidentally ingested. Pine or cedar wood/wood chips of any kind can be harmful to your snake’s health and should be avoided at all costs. Wood bark or wood chips, which can cause damage to your snake’s insides if accidentally ingested, should also be avoided. Sand is another substrate that should be avoided, as it can get in between snake scales and accidentally be ingested.
7. Setting Up The Perfect Enclosure For Your Ball Python
As far as what you keep your snake in, there are a few different options. You could go for an easy-to-clean plastic tub (make sure you add holes to the sides and top for proper ventilation, or a glass enclosure. A tank like this with front opening doors can make it easy to take your snake in and out/clean things. However, one with a lid on the top is completely acceptable as well. You can also get custom cages to be made that are the size, look, and color that you want. The choice is up to you and your budget. Whatever you choose, make sure that your tank is secure so that your snake can not escape. Getting a screen reptile cage is not advised, as it can make it very hard to try to control the humidity.
Enclosure Size
No matter what type of enclosure you go with, it needs to be big enough for your snake. Depending on how large your ball python grows, you’ll need a minimum of a 40-gallon enclosure, possibly larger. Of course, if you want your snake to really thrive, bigger is always better, and you can go as big as you’d like to – and have space for.
Fill Up The Tank!
The main things that your snake’s enclosure will need are a warm and cold hide (something like this), a water bowl, a heating device with a thermostat, and a proper substrate. The rest is up to you and whether you prefer something clean and easy to maintain, bio-active with live plants, or somewhere in between with fake plants, rocks, etc. Just make sure that whatever you put in your snake’s tank is not small enough that it can easily be swallowed, sharp, and/or could injure your snake, or is toxic or has any chemicals on it.
8. Humidity & Water
As with basically any animal, snakes need water to survive. Therefore, having a nice-sized water bowl for your snake to drink from is important (and will help with humidity as well.)
Using a hygrometer like this one can help make sure that your ball python’s humidity is where it should be. Ball pythons do best with 55% – 60% humidity, and should not drop below 50%. Normally, using the proper substrate listed above, as well as having a bowl of water for your snake on the cool side of their tank should be enough to sustain the proper humidity. If you live in a rather dry climate, you may have to experiment by moving the water bowl to the warm side of the tank to help evaporate more water, as well as additional misting as needed. Avoid over misting as this can cause mold to grow.
If you notice your snake is having a hard time shedding, you can add in some damp moss while your snake is in shed to help aid in this process. Remember to remove the moss afterward. Again, a hygrometer will be your best friend in figuring out the proper setup and routine for your snake!
9. Determining the Sex of Your Ball Python
Unlike other reptiles, like geckos, determining whether your new snake is a boy or girl isn’t something you can just take a peek at and determine. Either your breeder, a trained reptile vet, or any other trained herpetologist will be able to “probe” your snake and tell you the gender. Please do not attempt to probe your new snake yourself, as you could seriously injury your snake while doing so – leave it to the professionals!
10. Ball Python Morphs
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Ball pythons come in what seems like an infinite amount of morphs for you to choose from. While the normal ball python is gorgeous as is, if you prefer something fancier the only limit is how much you are willing/able to spend. From oranges to greys, and different patterns, your perfect ball python is out there for you.
Just make sure you do your research on the morph you purchase beforehand, so you are aware of any issues that may arise due to that particular morph. One of the main examples is the spider morph, which can cause neurological problems like a wobbling, which can make it hard for the snake to function and eat. Don’t worry, just do your research beforehand and you’ll have a healthy happy snake in no time!
You can see our articles on ball python morphs here and here.
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