How to Take Care of Ball Python Snakes

Video Transcript

"Hi. I'm Tim Cole with Austin Reptile Service and I've been keeping reptiles and amphibians for over forty years and we're here to talk to you about keeping ball pythons. I am holding an adult ball python. One of the nice things about ball pythons is they don't get too big. The males average about 3 feet, females average about 4. Lots of these are bred in captivity now for pets. They come in a variety of colors and patterns depending on how big your pocketbook reflects on what animal you can afford. The nice thing about ball pythons is the fact they don't get any bigger than this and they're very docile. It's rare to find one that's actually bitey. They don't get too big which means you can keep them in a smaller cage. A forty gallon tank is certainly enough room for an adult ball python, and you treat them like you treat most other snakes. You give them a basking area. I prefer under tank heaters which usually run about 90 degrees and then the cooler part of the cage being room temperature which could be 78-80 degrees. These are very commonly bred in captivity. Most people will cool them down in the late fall. They'll breed anywhere from early winter throughout the winter. They do lay eggs. Most people will incubate their eggs. They average about 3-6 eggs per snake. They're very big eggs. These make very good pets and we definitely promote them for beginning pet snakes. As long as you buy them from somebody who has captive bred them. Pet stores that import them from the wild usually have difficulty getting them feeding. If you have a ball python that's a difficult feeder the first thing you need to do is check and make sure it has a hiding place. Make sure it has a warm spot in the cage. You could also try gerbils. Gerbils seem to trigger the feeding response on ball pythons, but most ball pythons will feed on frozen food. I've rarely had one that wouldn't and I've had quite a few ball pythons. I also have a ball python here that I use for educational programs that has scars on it from rat bites from a previous owner."