Ball Python History

History of the Python regius.
Common name Ball Python or Royal Python( in Europe).

Ball Pythons are a small, non-venomous species of python found in Africa. Ball Pythons are also the smallest of all African pythons, which makes them very good for people who are new to the hobby of keeping snakes. They are called "Ball Pythons" because they literally "ball up" as a defense mechanism when threatened.In the wild, they can be found in underground mammal burrows in savannahs or grasslands.

Ball Pythons reach lengths of 4 to 5 feet (5 being rare, even for the females who are bigger), males being the smaller of the two sexes. Ball Pythons have solid and stocky bodies, with a medium sized head. Both male and female Ball Pythons have anal spurs, with male Ball Pythons having the longer ones. Properly sexing a snake involves checking the length of the spurs through probing.

Important : always ask a vet or experienced hobbyist to sex your snake for you, DO NOT
attempt to probe your snake by yourself if you don't know what you are doing.

Here is a picture of a normal morph Ball Python from staugustinewildreserve.org



Their lifespan in captivity is around 20-40 years, with proper care. The longest living Ball Python recorded in captivity was 48 years old when she passed away.

In the wild, their natural prey are birds, small mammals, lizards, and sometimes other snakes. Wild caught Ball Pythons do not recognize some of the mice and rats being sold at pet shops, that's one of the reasons they refuse to eat. Ball Pythons like most other pythons can go MONTHS without food.

Ball Pythons are oviparous, which means they are egg layers. When a female Ball Python lays eggs, it wraps around them and will stay with them until they hatch. Sexual maturity is reached at around 3 plus years, also depending on the weight of the pythons.

When purchasing your Ball Python, always try to go with a breeder. Captive bred Ball Pythons are always better than wild caught Ball pythons. With a Captive bred Ball python, you'll have a better chance of getting a well established snake who regularly feeds, and you can avoid any parasites commonly found on wild caught Ball Pythons. Not only do captive bred Ball Pythons will make for better pets, you'll also help the Ball Pythons in the wild by not purchasing any of those commonly found in pet shops that usually are in poor health.

Once you have read enough about The Ball Python's history, don't forget to read the Ball Python Pet Care guide