Ball python care

A hatchling can start in a 60 cm enclosure, but an adult needs at least 120 × 60 × 60 cm. Ball pythons feel safest when the space is cluttered: two snug hides (one warm, one cool), cork bark, fake plants and a water bowl big enough to soak in.

Cypress mulch, coconut husk or a soil mix holds humidity well.

Provide a warm side of 31 to 33 °C and a cool side of 26 to 28 °C using a heat mat, ceramic emitter or deep heat projector on a thermostat. Night-time can drop a few degrees.

Keep humidity at 55 to 65 %, rising to 70 % when the snake is in shed. Dry air causes retained shed, especially over the eyes.

Offer a frozen-thawed mouse or rat about as thick as the widest part of the snake every 7 days for juveniles and every 10 to 14 days for adults. Warm the prey to body temperature and present it with tongs.

If a healthy adult refuses food for a few weeks, check temperatures and hides first. Fasting in winter or when breeding season arrives is common and rarely a problem in a snake of good weight.

Wait 48 hours after a meal before handling. Support the body with both hands and let the snake move slowly. Ball pythons rarely bite; if they feel threatened they tuck their head into their coils, which is where the name comes from.