How to Care for a Reticulated Python

Reticulated pythons make fascinating pets, but are not for the beginning snake owner. This species grows longer than any other snake, is very strong and can behave aggressively and unpredictably at feeding time. Learn the care requirements of a reticulated python before you invest in this snake.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Python enclosure
• Cage substrate
• Heating pad
• Basking bulb
• Water dish
• Rodents

1. Prepare for the mature size of a reticulated python if you acquire a juvenile for a pet. Reticulated pythons can reach lengths over 30 feet long and consume prey the size of pigs or similar mammals.
2. Change the cage size as the reticulated python grows. Small pythons can feel insecure in a large enclosure, but large pythons have extremely powerful muscles and need a secure cage that locks.
3. Line the cage with a substrate that's easy to clean. You can buy specialty bark manufactured for reptiles, but newspapers and paper towels are readily available and allow owners to keep the cage clean with frequent replacement.
4. Provide the reticulated python with adequate heat for good health and digestion. A heat rock isn't enough. The air temperature must be at least 75 degrees F.
5. Use a heating pad or basking bulb to give the snake a basking place with a temperature of approximately 90 degrees F. Use a thermometer in the enclosure to ensure that the temperature isn't hot enough to burn the snake.
6. Give the python fresh water to drink daily. If you provide the snake with a large, shallow dish, the snake may enjoy an occasional soak.
7. Feed the snake weekly with a rodent matched to the snake's size. Baby pythons can eat mice, a 4-foot-long python can eat adult rats, and larger pythons can eat rabbits or chickens.