Handle your snake at least 1-2x weekly, but no more than once daily. Snakes do not require social interaction for their mental health, but regular handling helps the snake stay tame and can be a good opportunity for exercise.[1]
Do Ball Pythons Like Being Handles?
Yes, ball pythons like to be held and pet, primarily based on the average amount of human contact they receive. Traditionally, snakes are fearful of humans, which means that ball pythons don’t like being held. However, the same concept does not apply to captivity because the snake gets socialized differently.[2]
How Active Should My Ball Python Be?
Ball pythons are active at night and around dust and dawn, which is why they are referred to as nocturnal and crepuscular. During the day, these snakes spend most of their time burrowed underground or hiding undercover. Provide ball pythons with enough hides to make them comfortable when not active.[3]
How Big Of An Enclosure Does A Ball Python Need
Adult Ball Pythons will need at least a 40 gallon terrarium. Hatchling Ball Pythons can be housed together, however juveniles and adults should be housed separately.[4]
How Big Should A Ball Pythons Enclosure Be?
A small snake in a big cage can become overwhelmed and stressed. Adult ball pythons do not require exceptionally large or elaborate enclosures either. A 36-inch by 18-inch by 12-inch enclosure will more than comfortably house an adult ball python. Spot-clean your ball python’s enclosure as necessary.Jun 4, 2021[5]
Is A 40 Gallon Tank Good For A Ball Python?
While younger and smaller ball pythons can often do well in smaller enclosures, a 40-gallon option is an optimal ball python enclosure size for adults.[6]
How Many Eggs Does A Ball Python Lay
Ball pythons have long reproductive lives that last from about 27 months to 30 years. The breeding season is primarily from mid-September through mid-November, correlating with the minor rainy season. A clutch is from 1 to 11 eggs. The eggs typically adhere to each other.[7]
How Many Times A Year Do Ball Pythons Lay Eggs?
Once they reach sexual maturity, female Ball Pythons almost always lay one clutch of eggs a year. Very occasionally they may lay two clutches within a year. This could mean laying one clutch eight or nine months after the first, for example.Mar 10, 2021[8]
How Long Does It Take A Ball Python To Lay Eggs?
The female will begin to lay her eggs around 30 to 50 days after the pre-lay shed. On average, ball pythons lay 6 eggs.[9]
Will A Female Ball Python Lay Eggs Without A Male?
Can a Ball Python lay eggs without a male? Ball Pythons can indeed lay eggs without a male, despite being a species with two sexes. This is a process called facultative parthenogenesis. In a nutshell, the female creates gametes (ova) that become young without the genetic input (sperm) of a male.[10]
How Often Feed Ball Python
How often to feed a ball python. You don’t need to feed a ball python every day. Generally, smaller or younger ball pythons need to eatevery five days, while larger ones usually eat once every week or two. As they get older you feed them more at one time so they don’t need as many feedings.Jul 7, 2021[11]
How Often Should A 1 Year Old Ball Python Eat?
Your snake may be the best one to answer this question for you but typically an adult snake (over one year of age) will eat once every 10 to 14 days. Younger snakes should eat more often since they are still growing. They should eat at least once a week, or even once every 5 to 6 days while growing.Feb 24, 2022[12]
How Long Can Ball Pythons Go Without Food?
Smaller snakes tend to feed more often than larger ones, but species like the ball python can go for as long as two years without needing a meal.[13]
Can You Feed A Ball Python Every 2 Weeks?
Larger snakes need larger prey, but less often. Pythons at this age frequently become overweight because their owner continues to use a juvenile feeding schedule (i.e. feeding every 5-7 days). Make sure you are only feeding every two or three weeks.[14]
Is It Ok To Feed My Ball Python Once A Month?
You can feed a Ball Python once a month if it is very old, or if it has eaten a very large meal. Some older Ball Pythons (i.e., over 10 years in age) get a very sluggish metabolism and have to have feeding reduced to avoid obesity.Dec 13, 2021[15]
How To Lower Humidity In Ball Python Tank
Steps for Lowering HumidityIncrease the ventilation in your enclosure. … Replace the water dish with a smaller one and/or move it to one end of the enclosure. … Add a dehumidifier. … Look for a drier, more moisture-absorbing substrate.[16]
What Happens If Ball Python Humidity Is Too High?
In the rare case you see pools of water around the enclosure, your ball python’s humidity is too high. Humidity much above 70% can quickly lead to a respiratory infection. To reduce the humidity, you should increase the tank’s ventilation.[17]
How Do You Adjust The Humidity In A Ball Python Tank?
How to Keep Humidity up in Ball Python Tank1Keep misting regularly.2Fill the water bowl regularly.3Check the substrate daily to see if it’s still moist.4Ensure that your reptile fogger always has water in the tank.5Check the heating devices daily to ensure that they’re in working condition.[18]
Is 70% Humidity Too High For Ball Python?
Ideal humidity level for ball pythons is between 55-80%. Anything below 55% will cause dehydration, shedding issues and even respiratory infection, while over 80% – bacterial/fungal growth in a cage, scale rot and more.[19]
How Long Does It Take For A Ball Python To Grow
After three years, a male will be full grown and should measure 2.5 to 3.5 feet. At the same age females should be approaching 4.5 feet. By five years, a female can grow as long as six feet, making them twice as big as males. Gender is the biggest factor in size.[20]
How Big Should A 1 Year Old Ball Python Be?
Juvenile Ball Python Size
It’s reasonable to expect a juvenile Ball Python to measure 16 to 24 inches long and weigh between 500 to 1000 grams. A baby Ball Python that has doubled its weight may weigh as little as 80 grams or as much as 300 grams.[21]
How Old Is An 18 Inch Ball Python?
In general, ball python hatchlings are around 8-18 inches (20-46 cm). By 2-6 months of age, ball pythons reach 16-27 inches (40.6-67cm). From 6-15 months old, a ball python can range between 20-40 inches (51-102 cm), but this can differ as well.[22]
How Big Should A 6 Month Old Ball Python Be?
1.5 – 2.5 feet | 150-500 grams
A healthy 6-month old ball python may weigh as little as 100 grams or as much as 300. At this life stage you will begin to notice that your juvenile female balls is growing a bit faster than your juvenile males.Apr 9, 2021[23]
How Long Do Ball Python Snakes Live
Ball python / Lifespan[24]
How Long Do Ball Pythons Live As Pets?
The ball python holds the record for the longest-lived snake at 47 years, recorded at the Philadelphia Zoo. Typical life spans in captivity range from 20 to 30 years,1 making these snakes a serious responsibility and not an impulse purchase.[25]
How Long Can A Ball Python Live Female?
The life expectancy of Python regius, or ball python, is about 25 years, but the Academy has a ball python specimen that nearly doubled that number during its years on Earth.[26]
Do Ball Python Snakes Make Good Pets?
Ball pythons are among the most popular pet snakes. They are good beginner snakes because they are docile and easy to care. Housing for a ball python can vary from simple to elaborate. The most important thing is that you follow several rules and check in on your pet often to ensure it appears to look and act healthy.[27]
How Old Was The Longest Living Ball Python?
This species can do quite well in captivity, regularly living for 15-30 years with good care. The oldest recorded ball python in captivity is 62 years, 59 of those at the Saint Louis Zoo.[28]
How To Tell Gender Of Ball Python
You can look at the shape and length of the tail to help you decipher whether or not your snake is a male. Males will have a tail (the portion of the snake starting after the cloacal opening) that is thicker and longer than their female counterparts.Jul 12, 2021[29]
How Do You Tell If A Ball Python Is A Male Or Female?
Male ball pythons are smaller in size, whereas females are thicker and heavier. Male ball pythons have more pronounced anal spurs, whereas most females have very small anal spurs. Male ball pythons have short, square, blunt tails, whereas female ball pythons have longer and pointier tails.Feb 7, 2022[30]
Resources
[1]https://reptifiles.com/ball-python-care-guide/ball-python-handling-tips/
[2]https://beingreptiles.com/do-ball-pythons-like-to-be-held/
[3]https://beingreptiles.com/active-ball-python/
[4]https://zoomed.com/ball-python/
[5]https://reptilesmagazine.com/ball-python-care-sheet/
[6]https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/reptile/ball-python-supplies/ball-python-cages-terrariums
[7]https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Python_regius/
[8]https://ballpythonbreeder.co.uk/2021/03/10/how-many-eggs-do-ball-pythons-lay/
[9]https://mutationcreation.com/breeding/
[10]https://ballpythonbreeder.co.uk/2022/01/06/do-female-ball-pythons-lay-eggs-without-a-male/
[11]https://pets.webmd.com/feeding-a-ball-python
[12]https://www.thesprucepets.com/feeding-ball-pythons-1239265
[13]https://a-z-animals.com/blog/how-long-can-a-snake-go-without-eating/
[14]https://www.everythingreptiles.com/ball-python-feeding/
[15]https://ballpythonbreeder.co.uk/2021/12/13/how-often-should-ball-pythons-eat/
[16]https://www.joshsfrogs.com/catalog/blog/2020/11/its-getting-hot-in-here-how-to-lower-humidity-in-your-snake-habitat/
[17]https://www.everythingreptiles.com/ball-python-humidity/
[18]https://reptile.guide/ball-python-humidity/
[19]https://www.lizards101.com/ball-python-humidity-guide-ideal-range-too-low-or-high/
[20]https://www.everythingreptiles.com/how-big-do-ball-pythons-get/
[21]https://reptile.guide/ball-python-size/
[22]https://www.lizards101.com/ball-python-growth-and-weight-chart-by-age-and-tips/
[23]https://www.reptileadvisor.com/ball-python-size/
[24]https://a-z-animals.com/blog/how-long-do-ball-pythons-live/
[25]https://www.vetfolio.com/learn/article/ball-python-care
[26]https://ansp.org/exhibits/online-exhibits/stories/long-live-the-python/
[27]https://avianandexotic.com/care-sheets/reptiles/ball-python/
[28]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball_python
[29]https://www.thesprucepets.com/how-to-tell-sex-of-snakes-1239488
[30]https://reptileslife.com/male-vs-female-ball-python/