Balls typically reach 4 feet in
length; occasionally there are specimens that reach 5 feet. When
properly fed, their bodies become nicely rounded. Like all pythons
and boas, Balls have anal spurs. These single claws appearing on
either side of the vent are the vestigial remains of the hind legs
snakes lost during their evolution from lizard to snake millions of
years ago. Males have longer spurs than do the females; males also
have smaller heads than the females.
Ball pythons, like all pythons and
boas, devour a variety of prey in the wild - amphibians, lizards,
other snakes, birds and small mammals. Imported wild-caught Balls
tend to be very picky eaters and often will not eat mice, at least
initially. Balls are reputed to be able to go for extended periods
of time without food; wild-caught Balls have gone for a year or
more without food until finally enticed to eat lizards and other
snakes. This is not a healthy trait and must not be a reason for
selecting this species. Buying captive-born Balls reduces the
stress on the threatened populations in the wild and helps ensure
you will get a healthy, established eater.
With the increased popularity of
reptiles as pets there is increased pressure on wild populations.
In addition to the more than 20,000 Balls that are imported
annually, Balls are killed for food and their skin is used for
leather in their native land. Despite their low reproduction rate
they are the least expensive pythons on the market. Imported Balls
also harbor several different types of parasites which may go
unnoticed by the novice snake owner. All around, it is better to
buy a captive-born hatchling or an established, well-feeding
juvenile, sub-adult or adult than an imported Ball. In captivity,
young Balls will grow about a foot a year during the first three
years. They will reach sexual maturity in three to five years, and
often live 30-40 years.
Egg-layers, female Balls encircle
their four to ten eggs, remaining with then from the time they are
laid until they hatch. During this three month period, they will
not leave the eggs and will not eat.
Selecting Your Ball
Python
Choose an animal that has clear firm skin,rounded body shape, clean
vent, clear eyes, and who actively flicks its tongue around when
handled. All Balls are naturally shy about having their heads
touched or handled by strangers; a normal reaction is for the Ball
to pull its head and neck sharply away from such contact. When
held, the snake should grip you gently but firmly when moving
around. It should be alert to its surroundings. All young snakes
are food for other, larger snakes, birds, lizards and mammalian
predators so your hatchling may be a bit nervous at first but
should settle down quickly.
Routine veterinary screening for
newly acquired snakes is very important. Many of the parasites
infesting Balls and other reptiles can be transmitted to humans and
other reptiles. Left untreated, such infestations can ultimately
kill your snake. When your snake first defecates, collect the feces
in a clean plastic bag, seal it, label it with the date, your name,
phone number, and the snake’s name. Then take it and your snake to
a vet who is experienced with reptiles. There it will be tested and
the proper medication given.
Selecting an escape-proof
enclosure
Select an enclosure especially designed for housing snakes, such as
the Critter Cottages with the combination fixed screen/hinged glass
top. All snakes are escape artists; Balls are especially powerful
and cunning when it comes to breaking out. A good starter tank for
a hatchling is a 10 gallon tank (approx. 20"L x 10"W).A young adult
requires a 20 gallon tank, and a large adult may require a 30
gallon tank (36" x 12"W).
Suitable substrate
Use paper towels or newspapers at first. These are easily and
quickly removed and replaced when soiled and, with an import, will
allow you to better monitor for the presence of mites and the
condition of the feces. Once the animal is established, you can use
more decorative ground cover such as commercially prepared shredded
cypress or fir bark.
Pine and aspen shavings should not
be used as they can become lodged in the mouth while eating,
causing respiratory and other problems. The shavings must be
monitored closely and all soiled and wet shavings pulled out
immediately to prevent bacteria and fungus growths. The utilitarian
approach is to use inexpensive astroturf. Extra pieces can be kept
in reserve and used when the soiled piece is removed for cleaning
and drying (soak in one part bleach to 30 parts water; rinse
thoroughly, and dry completely before reuse). Remember: the easier
it is to clean, the faster you’ll do it!
Provide a hiding place. A half-log
is available at pet stores. An empty cardboard box or upside-down
opaque plastic container, both with an access doorway cut into one
end, can also be used. The plastic is easily cleaned when
necessary; the box can be tossed out when soiled and replaced with
a new one. The box or log must be big enough for the snake to hide
its entire body inside; if you start with a small one, you will
need to eventually replace it as your snake grows. Balls prefer
dark places for sleeping and, as they are nocturnal, they like the
dark place during our daylight hours. Place a nice climbing branch
or two in the tank with some fake greenery screening part of it;
your Ball will enjoy hanging out in the tree."
Temperature
Proper temperature range is essential to keeping your snake
healthy. The ambient air temperature throughout the enclosure must
be maintained between 80-85 F during the day, with a basking area
kept at 90oF. At night, the ambient air temperature may be allowed
to drop down no lower than 75 F. Special reptile heating pads that
are manufactured to maintain a temperature about 20 degrees higher
than the air temperature may be used inside the enclosure.
There are adhesive pads that can be
stuck to the underside of a glass enclosure. Heating pads made for
people, available at all drug stores, are also available; these
have built-in hi-med-lo switches and can be used under a glass
enclosure. You can also use incandescent light bulbs in porcelain
and metal reflector hoods to provide the additional heat required
for the basking area. All lights must be screened off to prevent
the snake from burning itself. All pythons, especially Ball
pythons, are very susceptible to thermal burns. For this same
reason do not use a hot rock. Buy at least two thermometers - one
to use in the overall area 1" above the enclosure floor, and the
other 1" above the floor in the basking area. Don’t try to guess
the temperature - you will either end up with a snake who will be
too cold to eat and digest its food or one ill or dead from
overheating.
Lighting
No special lighting is needed. Balls are nocturnal snakes, spending
their days in the wild securely hidden away from possible
predators. To make it easier to see your Ball during the day, you
can use a full-spectrum light or low wattage incandescent bulb in
the enclosure during the day. Make sure the snake cannot get into
direct contact with the light bulbs. Balls are very prone to
getting seriously burned.
Feeding
Allow your snake to acclimate to its new home for a couple of
weeks. Start your hatchling (about 15" in length) off with a single
pre-killed week to 10-day old "fuzzy" mouse. A smaller sized
hatchling may require a smaller mouse; try a pre-killed 5-day old.
Older Balls may be fed larger pre-killed mice or pinkie rats. If
you have not had any experience force feeding a snake, you may not
want to try it yourself until you have seen someone do it.
Force
feeding
Whether of a mouse or a formula inserted by catheter and syringe,
is very stressful for the snake (and it isn’t much fun for the
owner!). If your new Ball has gone several months without eating,
and is beginning to noticeably lose weight, take it to a reptile
vet or contact your local herpetology society and ask to speak to
someone who is knowledgeable about Ball Pythons and feeding
problems. A good inexpensive book that covers some of the tricks to
enticing reluctant Balls to feed is The Care and Maintenance of
Ball Pythons by Philippe de Vosjoli (1990, Avanced Vivarium
Systems, Lakeside, CA.)
Provide a bowl of fresh water at all
times; your snake will both drink and soak, and may defecate, in
it. Check it daily and change when soiled.
Handling your new
snake
After giving your Ball a couple of days to settle in, begin picking
it up and handling it gently. It may move from you, and may
threaten you by doing tail lashings and hissing. Be gentle but
persistent. Daily contact will begin to establish a level of trust
and confidence between you and your snake. When it is comfortable
with you, you can begin taking it around the house. Don’t get
over-confident! Given a chance and close proximity to seat
cushions, your Ball will make a run (well, a slither) for it,
easing down between the cushions and from there, to points possibly
unknown. Always be gentle, and try to avoid sudden movements. If
the snake wraps around your arm or neck, you can unwind it by
gently unwrapping it from around you starting from its tail end -
not the head.
Necessities
Some things you should have on hand
for general maintenance and first aid include:
- Novalsan (Chlorhexidine diacetate)
for cleaning enclosures and disinfecting food and water
bowls
- litter boxes
- tubs and sinks etc.
- Betadine (provodine/iodine) for
cleansing scratches and wounds.
- a food storage bowl
- feeding and water bowls
- soaking bowl or tub
