Ball Python Care Page
Ball pythons are heavy-bodied snakes
with relatively slender necks. Their
heads are distinctly wider than their
necks. Adults average about 28"-46" in
total length. Females are larger than
males. Hatchlings average 9"-11" in
total length.
with relatively slender necks. Their
heads are distinctly wider than their
necks. Adults average about 28"-46" in
total length. Females are larger than
males. Hatchlings average 9"-11" in
total length.
Cage size: Ball pythons require a secure, well-ventilated cage. A glass aquarium with a secure ventilated top (screen
wire or perforated metal) makes a satisfactory cage. Plastic storage boxes, with numerous perforations for ventilation,
can be satisfactorily used to maintain ball pythons. Hatchling ball pythons do best in an enclosure with about 40 square
inches of floor space; often, if placed in too large an enclosure, a hatchling may be insecure and fail to feed. Sub-adult
ball pythons do best given 120-200 square inches of floor space. Older adults require at least 400-600 square inches
of floor space. Most adults could live out their lives quite happily in an enclosure the approximate size of a
20-gallon-long aquarium.
Substrate: It has been our experience and observation that ball pythons do extremely well on either aspen bedding or
on newspaper. Both are easy to maintain at a satisfactory level of sanitation. Ball pythons can be successfully
maintained on a variety of substrates, including potting soil, clean gravel, cypress bark chips, and carpet, although
some greater diligence may be required to maintain proper levels of cleanliness and odor with these substrates.
We particularly like aspen bedding for ball pythons. When using aspen bedding, we have had the best results when the
substrate is kept 2"-4" deep in the cage. We rarely observe a ball python to burrow or push in the aspen. Rather they
are content to live on top of it and pack it down into trails and depressions. When the ambient temperatures are low, we
place a hide box down into the aspen over the area heated from underneath by heat tape or Flex-Watt strips so that
they can sit in the box directly over the heat.
We purposely do not meticulously clean aspen bedding on some predetermined schedule. We find that this is not
necessary and we prefer to leave it relatively undisturbed when possible. We check the cages daily, paying particular
attention to the ambiance and odor of the cage. If it smells fresh and clean, then we don't disturb it. If the odor of some
large stool or uneaten meal is detected, then the source of the offending odor is removed. Every second or third month,
all the bedding is replaced. It is a very efficient way to maintain ball pythons, who themselves are efficient and clean
snakes and allow such a lenient maintenance regime.
When using newspaper as a cage substrate, it is a good maintenance practice, after papering the bottom, to crumple
several pieces of newspaper in the cage, under which the snake can hide if desired.
Water: Clean water should be available in a glass or ceramic water bowl at all times. For hatchlings we supply a small 8
oz water bowl measuring about 2.5" in diameter, 1" in depth. Adults are provided a 16 oz water bowl, measuring 4" in
diameter and 3" in depth.
Ball pythons are rarely observed to soak in their water bowl in conditions of normal health and security. Most often the
reason for ball pythons to sit in their water bowls is that they are stressed or insecure in their cages (they are "hiding" in
their water bowl,) or if they are plagued by an infestation of snake mites.
Temperatures: Temperatures are extremely important for the successful maintenance of reptiles. Your captive reptiles
rely on you to provide them the necessary temperatures they need for a healthy life. Don't guess temperatures,
measure them!
As a general starting point for successful maintenance, ball pythons can be kept in a cage that has a night time low
temperature of 79-81 degrees F and a daytime high temperature of 81-85 degrees F.
When possible, it's a better maintenance practice to provide a temperature gradient for ball pythons; in other words,
one end of the cage is 8-10 degrees F warmer than the other end, with the cooler end of the cage averaging 77-80
degrees F. This will allow the individual to choose an ambient temperature that best suits at any given time. However,
true thermal gradients are difficult to create in small cages. In actual practice, this species is kept very successfully in
cages with ambient temperatures in the range of 78-83 degrees F with a small basking area heated to temperatures of
85-88 degrees F. By selectively basking, a ball python can achieve temperatures intermediate to the extremes of
temperature in the cage, which, ostensibly, is the objective of a thermal gradient. Some keepers keep the basking spots
turned on and warm at all times while other keepers prefer to put the basking spot on for 8-12 hours daily.
Both radiant heat or substrate heat are satisfactory ways to create a basking spot. Ball pythons will bask under warm
lights or ceramic bulbs. However, it is our observation that they seem to prefer to sit on a warm area of substrate,
heated from below with some type of heating pad to temperatures 85-88 degrees F. It's important that the
supplemental heat be allowed to dissipate without heating the entire enclosure to higher than ambient temperatures.
Ball pythons do not appear to be able to detect dangerously high temperatures with their ventral surface. It's rare that a
ball python allow it's back to burn under a too-hot radiant heat source, but ball pythons will often allow their bellies to
burn by sitting on something too hot. Electrically-heated fake rocks (often referred to as "hot-rocks") can be very
dangerous to ball pythons, as occasionally the surface temperature of some of these hot rocks may exceed 130-140
degrees F and they can cause severe burns on the bellies of unsuspecting snakes. A heated rock should feel warm
when held in your hand; if the rock is a safe temperature (no more than 9o degrees F), then it can be tightly held in
your hand for a full minute without feeling hot.
As is true for many snakes, ball pythons can better tolerate temperature extremes if they do not have food in their
digestive system. If recently fed, they should not be subjected to temperatures more than 92 degrees F or below 75
degrees F. When empty of food, ball pythons are tolerant of a wider range of temperatures.
Feeding requirements: Ball pythons eat mice all their life. One appropriately-sized mouse per week is an adequate
feeding schedule. Older and larger snakes may eat two or three mice, or one small rat a week. Hatchlings seem to
prefer live small mice (just weaned, 4-6 weeks old) for their first meals. Most juvenile, subadult and adult ball pythons
readily accept dead food, either thawed or fresh-killed.
Adult ball pythons may not eat during the winter months. This is normal. Typically they will start feeding in late winter or
early spring..
REMEMBER! A hungry live mouse may attack and damage or even kill a ball python if left unsupervised. Always place
food for a rodent in the snake cage, if feeding live prey.
Shedding: Ball pythons generally have few problems shedding their skin. When a snake incompletely sheds, and a
portion of the skin is left adhered to the snake, the snake should be soaked in pure or slightly-soapy shallow water for
several hours, after which the skin typically comes off very easily.
Special considerations for hatchlings and juveniles: Youngsters are very hardy and most do very well for their keepers.
Hatchlings do best if kept by themselves, so that they are not intimidated by a cage mate. Hatchlings seem to prefer
somewhat cooler temperatures than adults; we maintain hatchlings at temperatures of 79-82 degrees F. Young snakes
often appreciate a small box in which to hide during the day.
General Comments: Ball pythons are unique among the pythons for their behavior of rolling into a ball when frightened.
Most pythons feel obligated to defend themselves by biting in this circumstance, but ball pythons rarely bite in defense.
This reluctance is part of the suite of instinctive behaviors of this species and for that reason, ball pythons are the
python species least likely to bite their human handlers. However, they can bite, so they are due the same caution given
to any harmless snake of this size.
This is a long-lived species of snake. Several years ago a ball python died after more than 49 years of captivity in the
Philadelphia Zoo, setting the current longevity record for all snakes.
Ball pythons are among the best snakes to keep in captivity. They are both beautiful and interesting animals. They are
extremely hardy animals that require minimal attention.
wire or perforated metal) makes a satisfactory cage. Plastic storage boxes, with numerous perforations for ventilation,
can be satisfactorily used to maintain ball pythons. Hatchling ball pythons do best in an enclosure with about 40 square
inches of floor space; often, if placed in too large an enclosure, a hatchling may be insecure and fail to feed. Sub-adult
ball pythons do best given 120-200 square inches of floor space. Older adults require at least 400-600 square inches
of floor space. Most adults could live out their lives quite happily in an enclosure the approximate size of a
20-gallon-long aquarium.
Substrate: It has been our experience and observation that ball pythons do extremely well on either aspen bedding or
on newspaper. Both are easy to maintain at a satisfactory level of sanitation. Ball pythons can be successfully
maintained on a variety of substrates, including potting soil, clean gravel, cypress bark chips, and carpet, although
some greater diligence may be required to maintain proper levels of cleanliness and odor with these substrates.
We particularly like aspen bedding for ball pythons. When using aspen bedding, we have had the best results when the
substrate is kept 2"-4" deep in the cage. We rarely observe a ball python to burrow or push in the aspen. Rather they
are content to live on top of it and pack it down into trails and depressions. When the ambient temperatures are low, we
place a hide box down into the aspen over the area heated from underneath by heat tape or Flex-Watt strips so that
they can sit in the box directly over the heat.
We purposely do not meticulously clean aspen bedding on some predetermined schedule. We find that this is not
necessary and we prefer to leave it relatively undisturbed when possible. We check the cages daily, paying particular
attention to the ambiance and odor of the cage. If it smells fresh and clean, then we don't disturb it. If the odor of some
large stool or uneaten meal is detected, then the source of the offending odor is removed. Every second or third month,
all the bedding is replaced. It is a very efficient way to maintain ball pythons, who themselves are efficient and clean
snakes and allow such a lenient maintenance regime.
When using newspaper as a cage substrate, it is a good maintenance practice, after papering the bottom, to crumple
several pieces of newspaper in the cage, under which the snake can hide if desired.
Water: Clean water should be available in a glass or ceramic water bowl at all times. For hatchlings we supply a small 8
oz water bowl measuring about 2.5" in diameter, 1" in depth. Adults are provided a 16 oz water bowl, measuring 4" in
diameter and 3" in depth.
Ball pythons are rarely observed to soak in their water bowl in conditions of normal health and security. Most often the
reason for ball pythons to sit in their water bowls is that they are stressed or insecure in their cages (they are "hiding" in
their water bowl,) or if they are plagued by an infestation of snake mites.
Temperatures: Temperatures are extremely important for the successful maintenance of reptiles. Your captive reptiles
rely on you to provide them the necessary temperatures they need for a healthy life. Don't guess temperatures,
measure them!
As a general starting point for successful maintenance, ball pythons can be kept in a cage that has a night time low
temperature of 79-81 degrees F and a daytime high temperature of 81-85 degrees F.
When possible, it's a better maintenance practice to provide a temperature gradient for ball pythons; in other words,
one end of the cage is 8-10 degrees F warmer than the other end, with the cooler end of the cage averaging 77-80
degrees F. This will allow the individual to choose an ambient temperature that best suits at any given time. However,
true thermal gradients are difficult to create in small cages. In actual practice, this species is kept very successfully in
cages with ambient temperatures in the range of 78-83 degrees F with a small basking area heated to temperatures of
85-88 degrees F. By selectively basking, a ball python can achieve temperatures intermediate to the extremes of
temperature in the cage, which, ostensibly, is the objective of a thermal gradient. Some keepers keep the basking spots
turned on and warm at all times while other keepers prefer to put the basking spot on for 8-12 hours daily.
Both radiant heat or substrate heat are satisfactory ways to create a basking spot. Ball pythons will bask under warm
lights or ceramic bulbs. However, it is our observation that they seem to prefer to sit on a warm area of substrate,
heated from below with some type of heating pad to temperatures 85-88 degrees F. It's important that the
supplemental heat be allowed to dissipate without heating the entire enclosure to higher than ambient temperatures.
Ball pythons do not appear to be able to detect dangerously high temperatures with their ventral surface. It's rare that a
ball python allow it's back to burn under a too-hot radiant heat source, but ball pythons will often allow their bellies to
burn by sitting on something too hot. Electrically-heated fake rocks (often referred to as "hot-rocks") can be very
dangerous to ball pythons, as occasionally the surface temperature of some of these hot rocks may exceed 130-140
degrees F and they can cause severe burns on the bellies of unsuspecting snakes. A heated rock should feel warm
when held in your hand; if the rock is a safe temperature (no more than 9o degrees F), then it can be tightly held in
your hand for a full minute without feeling hot.
As is true for many snakes, ball pythons can better tolerate temperature extremes if they do not have food in their
digestive system. If recently fed, they should not be subjected to temperatures more than 92 degrees F or below 75
degrees F. When empty of food, ball pythons are tolerant of a wider range of temperatures.
Feeding requirements: Ball pythons eat mice all their life. One appropriately-sized mouse per week is an adequate
feeding schedule. Older and larger snakes may eat two or three mice, or one small rat a week. Hatchlings seem to
prefer live small mice (just weaned, 4-6 weeks old) for their first meals. Most juvenile, subadult and adult ball pythons
readily accept dead food, either thawed or fresh-killed.
Adult ball pythons may not eat during the winter months. This is normal. Typically they will start feeding in late winter or
early spring..
REMEMBER! A hungry live mouse may attack and damage or even kill a ball python if left unsupervised. Always place
food for a rodent in the snake cage, if feeding live prey.
Shedding: Ball pythons generally have few problems shedding their skin. When a snake incompletely sheds, and a
portion of the skin is left adhered to the snake, the snake should be soaked in pure or slightly-soapy shallow water for
several hours, after which the skin typically comes off very easily.
Special considerations for hatchlings and juveniles: Youngsters are very hardy and most do very well for their keepers.
Hatchlings do best if kept by themselves, so that they are not intimidated by a cage mate. Hatchlings seem to prefer
somewhat cooler temperatures than adults; we maintain hatchlings at temperatures of 79-82 degrees F. Young snakes
often appreciate a small box in which to hide during the day.
General Comments: Ball pythons are unique among the pythons for their behavior of rolling into a ball when frightened.
Most pythons feel obligated to defend themselves by biting in this circumstance, but ball pythons rarely bite in defense.
This reluctance is part of the suite of instinctive behaviors of this species and for that reason, ball pythons are the
python species least likely to bite their human handlers. However, they can bite, so they are due the same caution given
to any harmless snake of this size.
This is a long-lived species of snake. Several years ago a ball python died after more than 49 years of captivity in the
Philadelphia Zoo, setting the current longevity record for all snakes.
Ball pythons are among the best snakes to keep in captivity. They are both beautiful and interesting animals. They are
extremely hardy animals that require minimal attention.