Ball pythons can eat only rats or mice for an entire lifetime, but they also love to spice up their diet in captivity and feed on other rodent species such as hamsters, gerbils, and other exotic breeds. Young ball pythons should only be fed with large crickets, fuzzy mice, and pinky mice until they grow into adults.Jan 16, 2022[1]
What Human Food Can Ball Pythons Eat?
Snakes can consume human food like eggs, poultry, fish, pork, and beef when they are unprocessed. This means that the food should be given in its basic and raw form. You cannot give fried or saucy food to your snake as there are already other ingredients in the food that may make your snake sick.[2]
Can I Feed My Ball Python Something Other Than Mice?
What do ball pythons eat besides mice? Ball pythons in the wild eat a wide variety of rodents aside from mice, and they also eat small birds. In captivity, you can try to feed them any appropriately sized, commercially bred rodent. This includes domestic mice or rats, multimammate mice, gerbils, and hamsters.[3]
What Can You Feed A Snake Besides Mice?
The most popular pet snakes usually eat prey such as mice, rats, gerbils, and hamsters. Larger pet snakes also eat whole rabbits.[4]
What Can You Give A Ball Python As A Snack?
Smaller and younger snakes may eat large crickets, but should ideally be eating pinkies and fuzzies until they grow larger. Adult ball pythons will eat adult mice and rats when they get big enough.[5]
How To Tame Ball Python
To tame a ball python (Python regius), you must provide an appropriate habitat, keep his stress level to a minimum and handle him regularly. However, because most ball pythons have calm temperaments, most will become tame without much effort on your part.Sep 26, 2017[6]
Are Ball Pythons Easy To Tame?
Ball pythons are among the most popular pet snakes. They are good beginner snakes because they are docile and easy to care.[7]
How Do You Get A Ball Python To Trust You?
Sit near your snake’s tank often so it can get used to your scent. When you aren’t handling your snake, try to spend time in front of its tank so it stays familiar with your scent. This will help your snake grow accustomed to you so it will know not to strike while you’re around.[8]
What Happens When A Ball Python Gets Too Cold
Hypothermia. Your ball python can develop hypothermia if it is kept in an environment that is too cold for too long, or only given heat for a few hours per day. This can also lead to your snake developing other health conditions such as a respiratory infection.[9]
What Happens To Snakes If They Get Too Cold?
Since snakes are cold-blooded animals, they will become less active in the cooler months because they will be lethargic from the cold temperatures. During the winter months, snakes and other reptiles will enter brumation. While this is similar to hibernation, brumation is different.[10]
What Temperature Is Fatal For Ball Python?
General air temperatures in a ball python’s enclosure should never exceed 95°F (35°C)! Temperatures can typically drop to room temperature at night without negative effects, and may actually be more beneficial for the snake’s long-term health.[11]
How Long Can Ball Pythons Go Without Heat?
A ball python can last for up to one day without heat. The snakes will be okay if they sit for an average of six hours at 75 degrees. However, they have to be in a secluded space and should be undisturbed during this hibernation process.[12]
Will A Ball Python Eat If It’S Cold?
Some ball pythons do stop feeding during the winter months, and this is considered a “normal” behavior. If the temperature range in the cage has not changed, then this may be more related to decreased daylight hours causing the ball python to cease feeding during the winter months.[13]
How Long Can A Ball Python Stay Underwater
Can Ball Pythons Hold Their Breath Underwater? – Reptile Jamreptilejam.com › ball-pythons-hold-breath-water[14]
How Long Can Python Stay Underwater?
They are also excellent swimmers, and can stay submerged for up to 30 minutes before surfacing for air.[15]
How Long Can A Snake Survive Underwater?
While most sea snakes surface every 30 minutes to breathe, some true sea snakes can stay underwater for up to eight hours. That’s because these snakes can actually absorb up to 33% of the oxygen they need through their skin.[16]
Can Pythons Survive In Water?
Most snakes are sensitive to saltwater, which once gave scientists some hope for containing the pythons to the Everglades. Now they know the big constrictors are just as comfortable hanging out by the gulf as any beach-bound Florida tourist. Scientists have already seen evidence that the pythons can swim, too.[17]
Can Ball Pythons Swim Under Water?
And yes, it’s true—a ball python can swim. However, they only do so out of necessity and not as a leisurely activity. There is no reason to fill up a tub, they need just a little relaxing water, usually no deeper and an inch or so.[18]
What Is A Het Ball Python
Terminology: Heterozygous (het)- A ball that is listed as a ‘het’ means it is carrying a recessive gene, but not visibly expressing it. When bred to other ball pythons showing or carrying the same recessive gene, the visible morph can be produced.[19]
What Does Het Reptile Mean?
Het means the snake is heterozygous and therefore carries a recessive gene, but does not display the gene.Apr 15, 2015[20]
What Does Het Pied Mean In Ball Pythons?
You may also hear the term ‘het python’ and wonder, “What is a het pied ball python?” These are ball pythons that carry the pied gene but don’t actually display it. This means that they don’t have any white patches. They appear as a regular ball python.[21]
What Is A 100% Het Ball Python?
It means only and exclusively ‘The two genes of a pair are different’. A pastel royal python is het for the co/incomplete dominant Pastel gene (a homozygous one is a ‘Super Pastel’).[22]
Why Is My Ball Python Not Hiding
Humidity is very important and your ball python has a preference for a humidity between 50% and 60%. If the hide is too humid or not humid enough your pet will stay outside to get the humidity it needs. A digital hygrometer is essential to accurately monitor the humidity levels in the enclosure.[23]
Why Is My Ball Python So Active All Of A Sudden?
So, what makes a ball python so active? Ball pythons become unusually active due to discomforts such as high temperatures, low humidity, hunger, shedding, and lack of hiding places. The snake will become too active, moving around its enclosure trying to find food or enough space with suitable conditions to sleep in.[24]
How Do I Know If My Ball Python Is Stressed?
14 Signs That Show That Your Snake Is Stressed1Loss Of Appetite.2Weight Loss.3Rubbing Their Nose Against Objects In Their Tank.4Hissing.5Striking.6Attempting To Escape. Make Sure To Check The Following To Keep Your Snake From Escaping:7Tail Rattling And Vibration.8Regurgitation.[25]
Why Is My Snake Not Coming Out Its Hide?
While snakes like to hide, especially during the day if they’re nocturnal, a snake burying itself in its substrate could be a sign that their enclosures or hides are too small. Wild snakes spend much of their time curled up under rocks or in holes.[26]
How Often Should I 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[27]
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[28]
How Long Can My Ball Python Go Without Eating?
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.[29]
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.[30]
Resources
[1]https://a-z-animals.com/blog/what-do-ball-pythons-eat-a-guide-to-their-diet/
[2]https://reptilecraze.com/what-human-foods-can-snakes-eat/
[3]https://www.terrariumquest.com/ball-python/diet/
[4]https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/snakes-feeding
[5]https://www.thesprucepets.com/feeding-ball-pythons-1239265
[6]https://animals.mom.com/how-to-tame-a-ball-python-12532623.html
[7]https://www.avianandexotic.com/care-sheets/reptiles/ball-python/
[8]https://www.wikihow.com/Build-a-Relationship-with-Your-Snake
[9]https://petkeen.com/how-long-can-ball-pythons-go-without-heat/
[10]https://www.rentokil.com/us/blog/snakes-go-cold/
[11]https://reptifiles.com/ball-python-care-guide/ball-python-humidity-temperatures/
[12]https://beingreptiles.com/ball-python-heating/
[13]https://reptilesmagazine.com/snake-winter-anorexia/
[14]https://reptilejam.com/ball-pythons-hold-breath-water/
[15]https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/facts/burmese-python
[16]https://blog.padi.com/sea-snake-facts/
[17]https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/wildlife/study-finds-everglades-pythons-like-saltwater-mangroves-as-much-as/2227312/
[18]https://petkeen.com/can-ball-pythons-swim/
[19]https://royalconstrictordesigns.com/ball-python-genetics
[20]https://wheremyscalesslither.tumblr.com/post/116529292813/what-does-it-mean-when-people-say-pos-het-etc
[21]https://www.azreptiles.com/pied-ball-python/
[22]https://www.reptileforums.co.uk/threads/100-het-what-does-it-mean.194390/
[23]https://thepetenthusiast.com/ball-python-sleeping-outside-hide/
[24]https://beingreptiles.com/active-ball-python/
[25]https://reptilecraze.com/signs-that-show-that-your-snake-is-stressed/
[26]https://www.petplace.com/article/reptiles/general/why-does-my-snake-bury-itself/
[27]https://pets.webmd.com/feeding-a-ball-python
[28]https://www.thesprucepets.com/feeding-ball-pythons-1239265
[29]https://a-z-animals.com/blog/how-long-can-a-snake-go-without-eating/
[30]https://www.everythingreptiles.com/ball-python-feeding/