My Basic Ball Python Care Guide
* Enclosure: Locking Lid Plastic Tub or aquarium (20 gal recommended for a baby, at least 40 gal for adult male, 55-75 gal for adult female. If you choose an aquarium, I recommend investing in clips, to prevent your ball python from escaping)
* Heating: Under Tank Heater (UTH)
* Heat Regulation: Thermostat
* Humidity Regulation: Hygrometer
* Substrate: Cypress Mulch mixed with Eco Earth (substrate is based on preference, I highly recommend a substrate that hold moisture)
* Enrichment: Fake Vines, Branches, Driftwood, etc.)
* Water Dish: any water dish your ball python can fit in
* Disinfectant: Chlorhexidine (there are other products you can use as disinfectant, this is what works best for me)
* 2 Spray Bottles (1 for misting, 1 for disinfectant)
* Feeders: mice or rats, depending on the size of your ball python. (I highly recommend frozen/thawed)
*Products can be found at Walmart, Amazon.com, and pet supply stores. Some products might be cheaper from other sources, compare prices as you wish.
Steps for Setting Up Plastic Tub
* Acquire all materials as seen in “Initial Costs”
* Drill holes for ventilation in the tub
* Deep clean and disinfect tub and let it air out (roughly 30-45 minutes)
* Deep clean and disinfect hides, enrichment, and water dish; let it air out (roughly 30-45 minutes)
* Set up enclosure, starting with substrate (2-3 inches worth), then placing hides, enrichment, and water dish in an organized fashion. Make sure the hides are evenly spread out, so the snake has the option to hide anywhere in the enclosure.
* Place the UTH to the far left or far right side of the enclosure (make sure it is UNDERNEATH the enclosure)
* Plug the UTH into the thermostat, and plug the thermostat into the wall. To set the temperature for the thermostat, press and hold the “Set” button until the numbers start blinking, then adjust the temperature to 90℉
* Install hygrometer and adjust humidity by misting the enclosure until the hygrometer reads 50-60%
*Steps for setting up aquarium are the same, except you don’t have to drill holes in it.
* Heating: Ball pythons, like all reptiles, are cold blooded, so they cannot regulate their body temperature. It is very important to provide a heat gradient for your ball python. This basically means having a warm side and a cool side. The warm side should be between 87-90℉ (to be regulated by the thermostat) and the cool side should not drop below 70℉, but typically room temperature will suffice. As long as your ball python has can access the warm side and the cool side at all times and have hides at both ends, they should be just fine. The best heating element for a ball python is a UTH, which should cover approximately ⅓ of the entire enclosure. If you cannot maintain at least 70℉ on the cool side, invest in a ceramic heat emitter (CHE).
* Humidity: Ball pythons like their humidity around 50-60%. It is highly recommended to bring the humidity up to 60-70% during shed. What I’ve found to be both effective and more convenient, is to maintain 50-60% during shed, but also provide a humid hide during shed, and only during shed. The humid hide is a plastic tupperware container that your ball python can go in and out of freely. The substrate within the hide should be able to hold moisture, such as sphagnum moss (I will use paper towels from time to time, that works for me as well). Humidity in the humid hide should not be too high, so as to avoid a respiratory infection (RI), but high enough to help your snake have a good, full shed.
* Shedding: Shedding happens every 4-6 weeks, give or take. When they shed, it means they’ve grown. Younger snakes will shed more than older snakes, as the growth rate decreases, but never stops. Shedding happens in stages. Stage one is pink belly. At this point, you want to start dampening the humid hide regularly (once in the morning and once at night), OR up the humidity to 60-70%. After a few days the pink belly will clear up and you’ll notice your ball python looks dull and their eyes get cloudy, also known as “being in blue” or “zombie mode”. Your ball python will become irritable and sensitive, so it’s best not to handle them. “Zombie mode” will last a couple days, and then your ball python will shed. The whole process lasts about 1 week. Your ball python may refuse to eat until shed is complete, so it’s best to wait until they finish shedding and feed them the following night.
* Feeding: Feedings should happen once a week, or every 5-7 days for babies. Adults will eat either once a week, or every other week, depending on the size of your snake and its prey. Smaller snake and smaller prey = once a week. Larger snake and larger prey = every other week. Feeding schedules are subject to change. Prey should be about 1.5x the thickest part of your ball python. You should be able to see a little lump in their stomach after they eat. Ball pythons can be picky eaters, and sometimes go off feed for months at a time (typically November-February). This is no reason to panic, ball pythons have bizarre metabolisms and can go months without eating and barely lose weight. If your ball python is being picky and losing weight, there are tricks you can use to convince them to eat.
* Water: Fresh water should always be available for your ball python to drink or soak in. However, if they are frequently soaking, there might be an underlying issue you want to look into ASAP. At the bare minimum, change water once a week. Every other day is ideal, and 2-3 times a week is sufficient. You may never see your snake drink, as they get most of their hydration from their meals and the humidity. It is still essential to provide water.
* Lighting: Ball pythons are crepuscular, which means they are most active at dawn and dusk. It is not uncommon to see them up during the day and in the middle of the night, but they will be most active at dawn and dusk. Since they are crepuscular, you do not need to provide them with UVB, or any other type of lighting. Natural day and night cycles are the best option. If you cannot provide natural day/night cycles, provide a light bulb that produces little to no heat (so as not to mess with the ambient temperature in the enclosure), and use a timer to manage the day/night cycles.
* Cleaning: Spot clean everyday. Check for poop, urate, and shed everyday and remove as necessary. Deep clean once a month. Dispose of all substrate, disinfect enclosure, hides, enrichment, and water bowl. Let everything air out for 30-45 minutes before replacing substrate and hides, enrichment, and water bowl.
* Bathing: It is unnecessary to bathe your ball python regularly. The only time a bath is required is if your snake is stuck in shed, has slithered through poop and is covered in it, or if they have mites. Even if they are covered in poop, a “sponge bath” may be more appropriate. Bathing too frequently can cause respiratory infections. Some mite treatments don’t require frequent bathing, look into different treatment methods and choose one based on effectiveness and what’s best for your snake.
* Don’t require socialization
* Lifespan ~30 years (this is only a con because that’s a long commitment)
* Can sometimes be picky eaters
* IF they get sick, vet bills are expensive (ball pythons are hardly snakes, health issues are rare so long as husbandry is good)
* They don’t “love” their owners, they don’t form bonds like mammals do
* When replacing the cypress mulch, let it dry out for a couple hours so the humidity doesn’t get too high and you can avoid risking a respiratory infection. You can easily increase humidity, but decreasing humidity is far more challenging.
* Keep a bottle of Natural Chemistry Reptile Spray on hand. Snake mites are the most common ailment amongst ball pythons, and having a bottle on hand to start treatment ASAP is really helpful. You may never need it, but it doesn’t hurt to keep it as a precaution.
* Don’t handle your ball python for at least a week after getting it, let it get accustomed to its new environment.
* Don’t handle your ball python before it eats, sometimes handling can stress it out and it won’t eat.
* Don’t handle your ball python for a couple days after it’s eaten to avoid regurgitation. If your ball python does regurgitate, wait about 2 weeks before feeding again to allow its esophagus to heal from the stomach acid.
* Handle your ball python for 15 minutes a day (except before and after feeding) to get it used to handling.
* Do regular research, you may discover a better method of reptile keeping.
* Talk to other reptile keepers, everyone has their own method and you might learn what to do as well as what not to do.
* Change the arrangement of your ball python’s enclosure every once in a while. It’s added enrichment for them to explore, it’s good for their brains, and it’s fun to get creative.
* Ball pythons are semi-arboreal, so it may be helpful to provide them with something to climb on. While it is not necessary, it’s added enrichment and it’s pretty cool to watch them climb.
* You can never have enough enrichment!!! Obviously, don’t over-stuff your enclosure, but the more enrichment, the better.
***Disclaimer: Everyone has a different method of reptile keeping, this is what works for ME. I am NOT an expert. This is what I’ve learned over the last 2 years of ball python keeping. I’m still learning. Feel free to add your experience and what you’ve learned from reptile keeping and other research.
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