Ball Python Care

  •      Care Difficulty – Good for beginner snake hobbyists
  •     Average Life Span – Up to 30 years with proper care
  •     Average Adult Size – 4-5 feet long
  •     Diet  - Carnivore

·       Minimum Habitat Size - 10-20 gallons when adolescent 40+ gallons for adults

 Habitat size

An appropriately sized and shaped habitat will accommodate normal behavior and exercise for a ball python. A very young snake can be housed in a 10-20 gallon tank. You will need to increase habitat size beyond 20 gallons as your snake grows to adulthood. A ball python will reach adult size in 3 years. An adult should be housed in a tank that is large enough for them to stretch out fully. A 40-gallon breeder tank is the minimum recommended tank size for an adult ball python. 

 

Building your habitat

  • Substrate - Paper-based bedding, reptile carpet, forest bedding and Aspen wood shavings can be used as substrate. If Aspen is used, it must be changed weekly to prevent it from becoming excessively wet or soiled. Pine and cedar should not be used as bedding, as they contain oils that can irritate your ball python’s skin
  • Décor - Provide a hiding area for your ball python. Synthetic or natural wood hiding logs are preferred. These hiding areas also provide an opportunity for your ball python to regulate their body temperature by getting away from a direct basking area. The size of the hiding log should be large enough for your snake to fit inside. Hides will need to be increased in size as your ball python grows. Ball pythons like to climb, so providing climbing branches are great for enrichment. Plants and a background can be added to complement the aesthetics of your habitat 
  • Temperature - A temperature gradient of 95°F for the warm end and 78°F for the cool end is recommended. Radiant heat should be provided with an over-the-tank basking lamp with heat bulb. Temperatures in the tank should be monitored daily with at least two thermometers (one in the cool zone and one in the basking zone) or with a point-and-shoot thermometer 
  • Humidity - Maintain 40 to 60% humidity; (70%) during shedding 
  • Lighting - While ball pythons are nocturnal, they do benefit from exposure to UV light during the day. Provide 8-12 hours of light daily. UVA/UVB light has been shown to improve the immune system function and to promote the health and normal behavior of all reptiles. Don't leave white light on at all times; a nocturnal or infrared light should be used at night

Cleaning your ball python’s habitat

Thoroughly clean and disinfect the habitat at least once a week: 

  • Place your snake in a separate safe and secure temporary enclosure 
  • Scrub the tank and furnishings with a reptile habitat cleaner or 3% bleach solution. Allow the bleach solution to remain on the enclosure for 10 minutes before washing off to ensure disinfection. If using a commercial cleaner, follow habitat cleaner manufacturer’s instructions
  • Rinse thoroughly with water, removing all traces of bleach or cleaner smell
  • Dry the tank and furnishings completely and add clean substrate before returning your ball python to the habitat

What Do Ball Pythons Eat 

A well-balanced ball python diet consists of:

  • Appropriately sized frozen or Live rodents, thawed/warmed to above room temperature
    • If feeding your snake live rodents, do not leave them unattended. Live rodents can injure the snake, sometimes fatally
  • Snakes should be fed prey that is approximately the size of the snake’s width at mid-body

·        Things to remember when feeding your ball python:

  • Feed juveniles once a week, adults every 1-2 weeks
  • Ideally, snakes should be fed in a separate feeding enclosure so that your ball python snake doesn't associate your hand or the habitat being opened with feeding 
  • Ball pythons are nocturnal feeders, so they should preferably be offered meals at night
  • Do not use a microwave to defrost frozen rodents, and do not prepare them in the same area that you prepare food. If it is unavoidable, be sure to thoroughly disinfect the area. See the Feeding Frozen/Thawed Foods Care Sheet for more information
  • Fresh, clean, water should be available at all times in a large enough bowl for your ball python to soak in

Ball python care

  • Snakes will regularly shed their skin. Healthy snakes should shed skin in one complete piece   
  • Ensure the humidity in the habitat is at an appropriate level (70% while shedding) to allow your ball python to shed properly 
  • A shallow, open bowl of water, in which snakes can soak, or a piece of damp paper towel or sphagnum moss, plus daily misting with warm water, can aid in shedding
  • The eye caps (called spectacles) should come off during shedding, if they do not, don’t remove them on your own and instead seek veterinary care

 

Tank mates

Ball pythons are typically docile with their pet parents but are often antisocial with other snakes and are best housed alone. Housing them with other ball pythons may lead to stress and competition and could negatively affect their eating patterns. 

Health

Signs of a healthy ball python

  • Active and alert
  • Clear eyes (except when shedding)
  • Eats regularly
  • Good body composition
  • Healthy, supple, smooth skin
  • Regularly sheds skin in one complete piece
  • Free of mites and ticks

Red flags (If you notice any of these signs, contact your veterinarian.)

  • Unusually frequent or infrequent shedding
  • Vomiting
  • Lethargic or reluctant to eat
  • Abnormal feces
  • Bumps or spots on skin
  • Red/pink color to skin possibly indicating systemic infection
  • Labored breathing
  • Bubbles from mouth or nose
  • Difficulty shedding or shedding skin in pieces
  • White, cheesy substance in mouth