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Ball Python / Royal Python
scientific name: Python regius
| Cites status: | Cites Appendix II, obligation to keep records and to register! |
| Geographical Extension: | West Africa; From Senegal to Uganda |
| Habitat: | from moist to dry savannah, crepuscular and nocturnal |
| Size: | approx. 130 cm |
| Life Expectancy: | over 20 years |
| Reproduction: | lays 4-8 eggs, incubation period at 29-31°C approximately 70 days. |
| Temperature: | ground temperature 26-28°C, local heat spots up to 33°C. Night setback to 20-23°C. |
| Humidity: | 60-80%, temporarily also above 90% |
| Lighting: | Daylight fluorescent tubes e.g. "Sorry Link missing" or "Sorry Link missing" |
| Substrate: | loose, absorptive substrate (see "Sorry Link missing"). No grit or sand! |
| Cage Furniture: | climbing facilities, various hiding places and a large water bowl make up the basic configuration of the terrarium arrangements. A moist hiding box is recommended. |
| Terrarium Size (for long term care): | Minimum requirement 1x0.5x0.75 (LxWxH) of the overall length of the animal for one pair. We recommend at least 150x80x100 cm. |
| food: | mice, young rats and other rodents. After familiarisation feeding with dead (frozen) feeding animals is possible. As a rule young animals eat their food without problems. If the snake refuses the food, a freshly killed mouse should remain in the terrarium over night. Other options would be to vary the food range and the situation. |
| Comment: | The Ball Python is a docile animal to conspecifics, several of them can be tended together without problems. |
| Literature: | Kirschner, A. and H. Seufer 2003. The Ball Python. - Kirschner & Seufer Verlag, 94 p. |