Ball python

- Python regius

The Ball python (Python regius), also known as Royal python, found in the grasslands and open woodlands of western and central Africa. They are native to the Sudanese sub-province west of the Nile, in south sudan, the Bahrel Ghazal region and the Nuba mountains, from Senegal to Sierra Leone in West Africa, and in Ivory Coast and some parts of central Africa.

At birth, the Ball python measured between 25 and 43 centimeters in length and grows up to 1 or 1,5 meters in adulthood. There are some reports of Ball python found in nature with 1,83 metres in length. Their heads are larger than their relatively slender necks and are considered heavy-bodied.. The Ball python typical has large brown markings with lighter medium brown spots interspersed between the darker spots. They may also have yellow stripes from the nostrils to the eyes. The belly is usually ivory white.

Adult female ball pythons are larger than adult males.. This sexual dimorphism is not present in neonates, but it is evident in adults. Adult females also have longer jaws than their male counterparts.. The resulting increase in swallowing ability can improve your hunting ability.

The Ball python spends most of its time on or under the ground, in burrows. They are most active at dawn and dusk. They inhabit savannah grasslands or open woodlands and are found in areas that have been cleared for agriculture..

The Ball python moves by rectilinear locomotion, in which bilateral symmetrical contractions propel it forward while pushing against the surface. The Ball python is known for its "balling" protection mechanism, in which it forms a tight ball with its head in the center in response to threats, which has earned it the common name of «Royal python«.

The pups of Ball python They measure between 25 and 43 centimeters; grown ups, between 0,9 and 1,5 m. The gestation period is about 44 to 54 days. Most of them lay their eggs during the second half of the dry season., from mid-February to early April. The eggs hatch from mid-April to mid-June.. About 3 weeks after ovulation, the Ball python female begins to shed her skin. The eggs are laid 4 weeks later.

The Ball python It has a long reproductive life that lasts between 27 months and 30 years. The breeding season is mainly from mid-September to mid-November., in correlation with the minor rainy season. One set is from 1 to 11 eggs. Eggs tend to stick together. A few days before hatching they lose their adhesion. Once the eggs are no longer attached and are ready to hatch, the offspring of Ball python they crack the shells with their egg tooth and make their way. The birth weight is 65 to 103 g., with an average of 86 g.. The females of Ball python reach reproductive maturity between 27 and 31 months. Males reach reproductive maturity between 16 and 18 months. Both male and female ball pythons have large cloacal spurs..

Humans can determine the sex of the python by placing a probe through the cloacal spur and into the inverted hemipenis.. The probe will go deeper into the base of the tail in the case of male ball pythons, encompassing of 8 to 10 subcaudal scales, in contrast to females, in which the probe can be inserted only at a distance of 2 to 4 subcaudal scales.

Once the females of the Ball python lay their eggs, they constantly group around them to protect them. The Ball python it also stays close to the eggs to protect them from predators.

After laying her clutch of eggs, the females of Ball python they coil around their clutches until they hatch (after about 2 months). The young become independent immediately, but they stay around for months.

State of conservation ⓘ
Near Threatened ⓘ (UICN)ⓘ

The Ball python is classified as Near-threatened on the IUCN Red list; experiences a high level of exploitation and the population is believed to be in decline in most of West Africa. The Ball python is primarily threatened by poaching for the international exotic pet trade. It is also hunted for its fur, its meat and its use in traditional medicine.

Other threats include habitat loss as a result of intensifying agriculture and the use of pesticides.. Rural hunters in Togo collect gravid females and egg-laying, who sell to the snake ranches. Only in 2019, 58 hunters interviewed had collected 3.000 Ball python Alive and 5.000 eggs.

The half life of Ball python in captivity is 20 years. Reports document that the maximum lifespan in captivity ranges from 28 years (at the Oakland Zoo) and 50 years (according to the Philadelphia Zoo). The average lifespan in nature is 10 years.

The Ball python it is carnivorous and has movable upper and lower jaws. They use chemical and visual signals to hunt their prey.. This species sits and waits to ambush its prey. As they are heavy bodied snakes, they are less active and choose good ambush spots. The feeding strategy is to retract the head and neck and attack rapidly. After the quick hit, swallow prey alive or immobilize it by constriction.

They feed almost exclusively on rodents and eat infrequently. They have adapted by having the ability to extensively regulate gastrointestinal function with feeding and fasting.

The Ball python it feeds on rodents and is vital to control these pests, especially in rural communities. Rodent prey includes african giant rats (Cricetomys gambianus), the black rat (Rattus rattus), the wrinkle-nosed rats (species Oenomys), the furry rats (species Dasymys) and grass mice (species Lemniscomys).

The Ball python It is the most popular pet snake and the second most popular pet reptile after the Bearded dragons. According to the IUCN Red List, although captive-bred animals are widely available in the pet trade, the capture of wild specimens for sale continues to cause significant damage to wild populations. Wild-caught specimens have a harder time adapting to a captive environment, which can cause them to refuse to feed, and are usually carriers of internal or external parasites. This species can do quite well in captivity, regularly living between 15 and 30 years with good care. The Ball python oldest recorded in captivity has 62 years, 59 of them in the San Luis Zoo.

As one Ball python doesn't grow much, the space needed for the terrarium is manageable.

A plastic terrarium in the measures of 100 x 50 x 50 cm o 120 x 60 x 60 cm are completely sufficient for a Ball python, It has been shown in recent decades that a Ball python it develops excellently and better in flat and not huge terrariums than in a higher terrarium (in nature these species usually live in termite burrows and tree stumps), a terrarium height of 50 to 60 cm has proven to be very successful.

Like the natural habitat, as already mentioned, they are usually termite burrows or tree stumps, no climbing facilities or branches or the like are needed in a terrarium of Ball python, where they can climb.
Having vertical branches or objects rather brings disadvantages, Since the Ball python climb up them, and as an inexperienced climber could be injured by uncontrolled falls.

But, the Ball python must have several hiding places, like corcho tubes or cuevas, and it is also advisable to place them in different temperature ranges so that the python can choose its own place of comfort.

As the Ball python it's a snake that doesn't swim (although i can do it) just provide a small container of water. Must be cleaned regularly (once a day) and fill with new water.

A Ball python not very demanding on the substrate area, here you can configure and design almost according to your own decoration taste, it doesn't matter if it's a humus bark mulch mix, bed of bark or a bed of softwood, the Ball python you will feel comfortable in it.

Recent discoveries in the United States have shown that coconut products are excellently suited to maintaining a Ball python, so it is recommended to use coconut substrate for terrariums HUSK CHIPS From the first moment.

As already described, the Ball python is originally from central or western Africa, in its natural environment it rarely rains permanently, so the humidity is rather dry than wet. If a moist box with sufficiently moist Sphagnum moss is provided in the terrarium of the Ball python, this is completely enough, the Ball python will also look for a moist spot in the habitat if it needs a more humid environment. It would then be removed to the wet box. So, daily or regular spraying is not absolutely necessary.

Do not install an irrigation system, this is more than superfluous.

In fact, the light is more for us humans, Since the Ball python is a nocturnal animal, you don't need any elaborate lighting technology like in the desert terrariums of a Bearded Dragon, for example.

Spartan lighting with a small LED terrarium light is enough to simulate a day/night rhythm.

As the Ball python prefers a daytime temperature of 26-32°c, it is necessary to help with an artificial heat source. Today, the most suitable heat source is a thermal panel, controlled with a simple digital controller, as the Temperature Control Pro. The application is quite simple, the sensor of the control unit is placed in the desired location and the control unit is adjusted, for example, a 30°c daily temperature, the control unit regulates the terrarium permanently to the set value.

A night temperature gradient is advantageous, but also a "much discussed" topic, we recommend reducing the night temperature to 24-25°c or lowering the terrarium by 4-5°c.

As an alternative to a thermal panel, thermal design (heat source) can continue to be built in the classic way with a heat point or a ceramic radiator, but it is important that a protective basket is placed around the ceramic skirting with the point radiator or ceramic radiator to prevent burns.

It is not necessary to heat the entire terrarium to night or day temperature, the Ball python needs a temperature gradient to be able to retreat to a cooler place as well. So, it is recommended to place a hiding place in each heat zone.

Usually, you should not feed a snake in the terrarium. It has been shown to be positive if the snake is taken out of the terrarium and placed in a feeding box. But, there are many opinions about what is wrong or right.

On one thing most snake keepers agree, animals kept in the cage must also be fed in the cage.

The Ball python can be fed to many different rodents such as mice or rats, it is no longer necessary to feed the Ball python with live rodents in this captive breeding season. like many things, this is also a controversial topic, whether to feed live or dead rodents to a snake (frozen food).

The Ball python feeds on small mouse pups and later on rat pups when young. As it grows, it is necessary to adjust the size of the dam.

It is really urgent to make sure that the animal is not fed only mice / baby rats throughout their lives.

A snake can eat much larger prey, many, especially novice reptile keepers, they underestimate this.

The Ball python (Python regius) not for sale in many countries, since its sale and possession is strictly prohibited.

In Spain it has recently been included as an invasive species. (Royal Decree that regulates the Catalog of Invasive Species in Spain, 1 of January of 2022). The snake Ball python (Python regius) swallows its prey alive or after suffocating it shows great preference for rodents.

The regulations allow them to be kept after that date, provided that the owners communicate their tenure to the corresponding autonomous community and this establishes control conditions, such as sterilization, marking or a responsible statement that this species will not be released into the environment.

This makes it a potential competitor against other native species..

Their diet fits in with that of native species, and, In addition, its territoriality, aggressiveness and size could compromise the survival of numerous species in our natural environment.

1. Ball python, Royal python (English).
2. Python royal, Python boule (French).
3. Königspython (German).
4. Píton-real (Portuguese).
5. "Pitón real", Pitón bola (español).