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Caring
for Your New Ball Python |
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Pet World Visit |
 LASix two-week-old ball pythons. Pretty obvious why they call them "ball" pythons.
Cage: You can keep your
ball python in a 10-gallon aquarium for a while. We
recommend larger quarters so they get the exercise they need. Balls
prefer evening and night exercise periods. They rack out during the
day. Hide Box. Always provide
a hide box. At the very minimum, give your ball python a cardboard box with a
hole in it. You can do better than that esthetically.
Temperature: Ball
pythons
prefer 80o to 90o days.
Keep them 10o cooler
at night. When the temp falls
into the low 70s, they usually stop eating.
The lower temp feels like winter (Dec and Jan) in Temperament: Think of
these guys (and gals) as almost shy. Rather
than bite a potential attacker, they will coil into a defensive ball –
thus the name, ball python. This
defensive trait makes them very susceptible to rat bites. If
you feed your ball python live prey, whack your rat before you give it to your
snake. If you leave a live rat in his cage overnight, you may wind
up with one very chewed up snake. Maximum Size. In theory,
ball pythons grow as long as six feet. Most
balls mature at a much shorter length.
Foods: A weekly feeding
of a right-size rodent suffices. Feed a food item no larger than the
diameter of your ball’s body. Too
large a rodent can cause your ball python to vomit its half-digested meal.
Cornered rats bite like crazy. Freshly
killed or frozen (thawed, of course) rodents will keep your snake free of
unnecessary wounds. Frozen
foods also help keep your ball python free of parasites. Supplements: None
needed.
Lighting: Ball pythons
don’t need full-spectrum light, but they do appreciate a regular day and
night schedule – without bright lights.
Careful. Make sure your
ball python cannot reach any bare bulbs. Water: Give your ball a
large water bowl. Fill it only
half full or it will slop onto your cage’s carpet.
Excess water gives ball pythons a blister-like skin infection that
often proves fatal. Limit Handling:
Excessive handling
causes ball pythons to feed poorly -- especially young ones.
Avoid handling your ball python after it eats.
If you just handled or cleaned your rats, your ball may want
to see if you taste like a rat. Also, they see very poorly when shedding.
Don’t handle or feed until they finish shedding. Otherwise, the
larger ones seem to like handling.
Last Word: Always wash
your hands thoroughly after handling any reptile -- and before feeding
your snakes. LA.
Linda Samano, October 8, 2010
A: Doesn't sound like typical ball python behavior. They
usually just roll into a ball when picked up. However, they do like
warmth and perhaps you're just warmer than your friend. I'll add your
report to my "bare minimum" ball python page. LA
A: Thanks for your report. I'll add it to my ball
python page. Back in the olde days, we found that "cheap" ball pythons
were not a very good deal. They were wild-caught balls and were often
reluctant to feed -- not to mention picking the ticks off and the probable
parasite infestations. I had one shipment where every ball died.
We only sell Iowa-bred ball pythons these days. Still, if a rat chews
on a snake (which I can't blame the rat for), the ball (or most snakes) will
be reluctant to approach another rat. We recommend feeding non-living
prey to all snakes. If a double cheese burger bit you on the face, it
would be a long time before you snacked on a double cheese burger again.
LA A: I agree with your agreement. LA
A: I added your input to my
ball python page. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
I'll probably leave my page on the internet, even if your boyfriend's snake
does not fit exactly into the parameters I've enumerated.
LA
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