Introduction
Native to Western & Central Africa; these snakes can live up to 20-30 years & grow to 3 1/2-5´ (approx 100-
150cms)
Housing
Young pythons can be housed in a plastic container approx 20 x 10″ (51 x 25cms). An adult snake needs a vivarium
36 x 15″ (90 x 38cms). The best substrate to use is wood bark or snake bedding as it is easy to clean & not too expensive.
These snakes are semi-arboreal so it is best to put in some branches so the python is able to climb up when it wants to. Make
sure any branches are securely attached & cannot slip.
Lighting
Lighting is only required to provide a photo period which is 12 hours of day & 12 hours of night. UV lighting is not
required since these snakes receive the benefits usually provided by UV lighting through their diet.
Heating: The temperature of the tank should be 83-85°F and the basking spot should be 90°F, the cool spot should be 80°F.
Night time temperatures should be 76-80°F
Feeding
Ball pythons eat rodents, primarily rats & mice. The size of the food item is dependant on the girth of the snake; don’t
feed your python anything bigger than the thickest part of its body. This is the recommendation for all snakes. If your snake
is a hatchling it should be fed every 5-6 days but as it gets older it does not need to feed so often because thefat stores have
built up during the year. 10-12 days is good feeding for an adult ball python
Shedding
To help with the shedding of your snake always provide it with a big enough dish of water to soak in. This is a
normal thing & nothing to worry about. Snakes should shed in a single piece, if your snake is shedding in pieces you may want
to mist it more or soak it in a warm bathe to help with the shed.
