How to Care for Ball Pythons

Ball pythons are an ideal beginner's pet for the snake aficionado, because their mature size is manageable and they have a docile temperament. Provide your ball python with a few necessities and enjoy years of companionship with this gentle reptile.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Snake enclosure
• Box or hollow log
• Paper towels
• Newspaper
• Artificial turf
• Bleach
• Thermometer
• Incandescent bulb
• Shallow water dish
• Rodents

1. Provide ball pythons with an escape-proof enclosure. Ball pythons are small but strong. They require a cage with a latch designed for snakes.

2. Furnish the ball python habitat with a box or hollow log to hide in and an easy to clean substrate. You can use paper towels or newspaper for disposable, cheap bedding. If you use artificial turf, sanitize it weekly in a 20 to 1 water to bleach solution.

3. Maintain an adequate temperature for ball pythons. Keep a thermometer in the cage to ensure the temperatures don't fall below 75 degrees F at night. The snake must have a basking area you create with an incandescent bulb that reaches 90 degrees F.

4. Give ball pythons a large, shallow water dish for drinking and soaking. Change the water daily, as ball pythons may defecate in the water.

5. Feed ball pythons rodents ranging from baby mice to full sized rats every week to 10 days. As a rough guide, feed the snakes rodents no greater in circumference than the snake.

6. Exercise care in handling mature ball pythons. Although ball pythons rarely get longer than 5 feet, they can deliver a painful bite if they mistake your hand for a prey item.

Tips & Warnings

• Purchase a ball python raised in captivity instead of an imported ball python. Imported animals can harbor parasites and their capture stresses the wild population.

[squirts]

on 12/8/2008 Good, simple answer. If you follow the steps above, you wil be on your way to having a healthy, happy critter. As for "they can deliver a painful bite if they mistake your hand for a prey item". I found this out the hard way just after rescuing my first royal (ball) python. She was a 5 footer named Princess and she bit me one time (my fault entirely). You can't see their teeth, but after she got done with me, i hadd about 30 nice little "pin prick" holes in my hand which bled for quite some time. Remember, these are "wild" critters and they will act accordingly if you mess up. =)

[squirts]

on 12/8/2008 Good, simple answer. If you follow the steps above, you wil be on your way to having a healthy, happy critter. As for "they can deliver a painful bite if they mistake your hand for a prey item". I found this out the hard way just after rescuing my first royal (ball) python. She was a 5 footer named Princess and she bit me one time (my fault entirely). You can't see their teeth, but after she got done with me, i hadd about 30 nice little "pin prick" holes in my hand which bled for quite some time. Remember, these are "wild" critters and they will act accordingly if you mess up. =)