Ball Pythons are some of the most common snakes within the reptile community. They can be easy to care for, affordable, and come in a variety of morphs! However, there can also be a few drawbacks to owning them. Humidity and temperatures need to be on the higher end, they require a decent amount of space, and they can be finicky.
Ball pythons. Where to start?
The first few things you'll need to ensure are met are humidity, temperature, and cage size. Humidity is important. It controls how well they shed, their respiratory health, and where they're going to hang out in your cage. Their humidity should be around 70-80%. Anything lower has a chance to cause respiratory issues. But be careful, you may have the humidity but lack airflow. This can also cause respiratory issues.
Their temperature is also important. Their basking spot should be around 92°. Their ambient temperature should be in the 80s, and the cool side should be no less than 75°. Following these parameters will ensure your snake is warm, happy, and healthy.
What about cage size? An adults cage should be 4'L x 2'w x 2'h. Because most ball pythons will get between 4 and 6 feet, they need room to explore and stretch out in. Along with cage size, they should also have clutter. Ball pythons are considered semi arboreal, so they like to climb, explore, and hide in foliage. Whether fake or real plants is up to you. But make sure that the decorations you put in there are plentiful.
Now that you've met the 3 basic requirements you get to look at some of the more optional things such as bioactive or not, uvb, etc.
Bioactive. Is it worth it?
Simply put, it's worth it. Bioactive look amazing and, after the initial setup, can actually reduce your list of snake chores. If you go bioactive there is no deep clean, at least in the sense of cleaning out old bedding. And usually a mix of playsand, topsoil, and reptisoil or jungle mix is actually more beneficial for your animal as other bedding like Aspen can't hold moisture very well. I highly recommend doing at least partial bioactive, as having a few cleaners in your tank will help with bacteria and fungi.
Uvb, what is it and is it essential?
Uvb is a form of light wave that animals use to create D3. D3 helps animals absorb calcium better. Is it essential for a ball python? No. However I've seen substantial improvements in my animals life. They seem more vibrant in color, more active, even friendlier! Now, you may not see all of these affects in your animal but it's definitely something to consider having.
Uvb is seen as an option for many snakes, but the truth is everything on this earth benefits from it. And snakes may not get metabolic bone disease like some other reptiles, improving their health and overall care is the best thing we can do for them as their owners.
What morph to get?
While most morphs are beautiful and healthy, some are not. For instance it's widely known that spider morphs have neurological issues such as cork screwing, a round motion they do with their head usually spiraling down, and star gazing, a snake thats head and part of its body may be upside down but it can't right itself. Bumble bee morphs are a part of the spider gene. Scaleless snakes tend to have issues shedding and are more sensitive and prone to scraping themselves. I would research a breeder, ask them how they keep their snakes, what morphs they have, etc. Their answers can be very telling as to if they're trust worthy.
What about food?
A very basic rule of thumb is to weigh your snake. Your snake should be eating a rat that is 10-15% of its body weight while they are still growing. Once they're full sized however, you can drop them down to 8-10%. Ball pythons can be picky when it comes to live or frozen foods. I recommend switching your snake over to frozen thawed as it's safer and easier than caring for rejected live prey. And don't be too worried if they don't take to frozen right away, some ball pythons don't like rats wet, may want a bugger or smaller meal, may reject it due to lack of smell (use a hairdryer to warm up the prey item, that way the smell is in the air long before you go to feed them). You can feed them a multitude of things like rats, chicken, quail, etc. As long as they fall within the weight percentage.
Ball Pythons also tend to go through hunger strikes. It's a time, usually in the colder months, where they simply don't eat. Usually it only lasts a month or two. But don't fret, as long as they aren't losing weight you're perfectly fine. But if you see that weight start to decline I would think about a vet visit, just to be safe.
Don't be worried if your ball python also doesn't eat the first couple weeks home. They are nervous about a new place. Don't handle them until you've gotten a successful meal or two, and always wait 24-48 hrs after feeding them to handle them.
Well, I think that's just about it. Every fact you need to begin your journey with keeping ball pythons. They are a calm, beautiful snake species and I hope your new pet loves the tips and tricks I showed you today.
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