Ball Python (Python regius) Care Sheet

Reviewed by Joshua Rodriguez, Owner of Modern Reptile
Last updated: August 2025

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Quick Reference Guide

Tub Size*: Only recommended for medium - large scale breeders.

Natural History, Ecology, and Culture

• Native to West/Central Africa: Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria

• Occupy grasslands, savannahs, and empty burrows
  

• Featured in spiritual and ceremonial use across cultures

• Wild populations affected by over-collection and habitat conversion

Captive Heating Strategy & Humidity

Ball pythons require a thermal gradient:

• Hot Spot: 88–92°F, measured on the surface of the basking area

• Cool Side: 80–82°F, measured on the surface opposite of the basking area

• Ambient Air Temp: 78–82°F

• Night Drop (Optional): Down to ~75°F. We do not recommend long exposure of temperatures lower than the low 70°F for your ball pythons overnight temperature. However, your homes ambient temperature + it's hotspot staying on overnight could keep it's enclosure perfect overnight. Unless your home reaches temperatures in the 60's. Adjust accordingly.

Belly Heat or Overhead Heating: Which Should You Use?

• Belly heat (under-tank heat mats/heat chord/heat tape) is most commonly used, especially when keeping in racks. Here is some info on belly heating:

  • Must be regulated by a thermostat

  • Works well in cluttered enclosures

  • Make sure to properly place your heat probe with heat resistant tape for proper temperature readings.

• Overhead heat (CHE/DHP/halogen) are more naturalistic options, however they are not as commonly used for ball pythons. Each individual animal may react differently to these heat options so they should not be ruled out. Overhead heating provides better temperature gradients throughout the enclosure, but should very rarely be paired with belly heating.

Never use heat rocks or unregulated mats! They can burn your snake.

Humidity, Ventilation & Mold Prevention

Risks of poor ventilation:

• Respiratory infections (wheezing, open-mouth breathing)

• Mold, scale rot

• Ammonia build-up

Average Temperature Humidity Gradient Year Round in their Natural Habitat: 

Average	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Highest Temp	89°F	90°F	91°F	90°F	88°F	85°F	82°F	82°F	84°F	87°F	89°F	89°F
Avg Temp	82°F	84°F	84°F	84°F	83°F	80°F	78°F	77°F	79°F	81°F	83°F	83°F
Lowest Temp	77°F	79°F	79°F	79°F	78°F	76°F	75°F	75°F	75°F	76°F	78°F	78°F
Relative Humidity	79%	77%	77%	80%	82%	85%	85%	83%	82%	83%	80%	79%

 

Please note that this chart is just for reference and attempting these temperature/humidity ranges in inclosed environments can do more harm than good. You can offer these temperature/humidity ranges in large more naturalistic enclosures that truly resemble their natural environment. 

Enclosure Sizing & Style Options

Sizing by Life Stage (Pet Owner-Mid Sized Breeder)

Sizing by Life Stage (Mid Sized Breeder-Large Scale)

*Also see rack section

Enclosure Setup by Style

Their world is your oyster. Offer what you can and what their care requires while managing their enrichment, behavior, and monitoring signs of stress.

 

Substrate Deep Dive

Avoid sand, gravel, or small-particle wood (like pine or cedar) — they can be harmful if ingested or emit toxic oils.

Our recommendation for ball python bedding are coco products.

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Feeding Guide, Overfeeding & Troubleshooting

Feeding Frequency

Breeder Feeding Practices

• We primarily feed live, but offer frozen/thawed prey is possible

• Assist feeding is sometimes used early on to help newly hatched animals get started. This practice should be done by those who have experience. If you already purchased an animal, chances are it is already feeding so you will not have to assist feed. If your animal is not eating, contact the breeder.

Overfeeding Warning

• Leads to obesity, fatty liver disease, and potential infertility

• Adults should not exceed healthy weight just for breeding value

• Avoid large prey and frequent feeding post-adulthood

If Your Snake Won’t Eat

• Check husbandry (temps, hides, stress)

• Wait for post-shed period

• Offer prey at night 

• Skip handling during feeding week

• After 4 weeks of refusal, monitor weight & vet visit if declining

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Behavior, Handling, and Choice-Based Interaction

Normal vs Abnormal Behavior

Handling Tips

• Wait a few days after feeding before handling

• Start with short, gentle sessions

• Support the full body — avoid restraining the head. Ball pythons are head shy, they will swiftly move their head if they feel it is compromised.
  

Choice-Based Handling & Desensitization

• Let the animal approach your hand voluntarily
  

• Reptile brains (limbic-driven) focus on pattern recognition, not bonding

• Repeated positive experiences = reduced defensive behavior

Human-Animal Bond & Anthropomorphism

Ball pythons do not bond like dogs or cats. Their interaction with humans is driven by:

• Familiarity with environment

• Food association

• Lack of threat stimulus

Avoid Anthropomorphism:

• Reptiles do not feel emotions the way humans do

• Don’t interpret tongue flicking or climbing as affection — it’s exploration

• Assigning human traits can lead to misreading behavior and neglecting needs

Color Morphs, Genetics & Ethics

What Are Morphs?

A morph is a genetic variant resulting in altered color, pattern, or structure. These mutations are selectively bred.

Key Genetic Terms:

• Recessive: Needs 2 copies to express (e.g., Albino, Piebald, Clown)

• Incomplete Dominant (Co-Dom): One copy alters appearance; two copies often intensify it (e.g., Super Pastel, Blue Eyed Lucy)

• Polygenic: Traits influenced by many genes — not reliably predictable (e.g., color saturation, striping) These traits are usually "line-bred" for the specific change of it's natural phenotype. Line-breeding is the selective breeding of a desired feature by mating an animal with others that share a similar feature in hopes to sustain or show higher expression of the feature.

🧬 Common Popular Morphs

• Banana

• Piebald

• Clown

• Albino

• Puzzle

• Monsoon

• Desert Ghost

Ethical Issues with Certain Morphs

Morph Investment Ethics for Breeders

Ball Pythons are the worlds leading pet snake for many reasons. One, because they are the best pet option for keepers of all levels. And two, because they hold a strong hold on the reptile market making them an investment opportunity that can lead to becoming a full time job. Or at least, thats what many people think. The truth is that, yes, you can make a living off of breeding ball pythons if you make the right investments into certain projects and meticulously watching your overhead costs. But, the start up costs can be very high which makes some new breeders cut corners and develop a road map that is sure to fail.  

I say all that to say, there is space for new breeders to make an impact in this part of the industry and potentially participate in this as a full-time gig. We recommend following this information for those looking to working with ball pythons as an investment oppurtunity:

• Transparency in sales and honest marketing builds trust long-term
• Avoid producing animals with known structural or internal defects
• Be honest about what you can handle based on your current availability
• Do not chase the biggest breeder with the aim of solely making similar animals
• Be passionate and have a goal that can set you apart from the competition
• Research the costs of your local wholesale rodent, bedding, and supply suppliers to estimate your costs
• DO NOT "count your chickens before they hatch". Ball python breeding is pretty much down to a science, but what we know are just variables that we aim to manipulate in our favor. Nature has it's own course of actions that we can't control. Assuming the amount of eggs and anxiously obsessing over morph odds will quickly burn you out as your results may not equate to your dreams.
• Understand your clientele in order to not over produce mutations that are oversaturated and may not meet your markets needs.
• Have a discipline and consistent care routine before considering expaning your ball python collection. This will assist you when scaling an operation and will help you understand where your limitations are. 

• Financial motivation must be paired with ethical breeding decisions

As more and more people aim to lead the ball python charge, hold power over the domain, find financial freedom, and create never before seen world first ball pythons, more and more impatient decisions have been made. For example, it is now common for some breeders to breed animals that are too young or under desired weight in order to speed up their projects. This can potentially shorten your ball pythons life. Of course, just like humans and other animals, there will be shorter or smaller individuals that exist but the main goal is to allow your animal to properly reach maturity. That requires you to understand each of your animals individually. Having more animals than you can handle can lead to bad ethical choices and will result in more harm than good. Do not horde these animals. I don't believe that science has followed the full life cycle of a ball python to truly understand their exact maturity stages. So, we can only rely on the most reputable breeders and sources for proper information of what to do and not to do when breeding ball pythons professionally.

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Breeding Practices 

Breeding Age & Weight

Season & Triggers

• Optional cooling (ambient temps down 3–5°F) in fall

• Pair after observing follicular growth (ultrasound ideal)

• Multiple lockings improve fertilization odds

• Ovulation = tail suck, mid-body swelling, behavioral change

Incubation:

• Eggs laid 25–45 days post-ovulation

• Incubate at 88–90°F, 55–60 days

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Biosecurity & Disease Prevention

Crypto (Cryptosporidium)

• Fatal and incurable protozoal infection

• Causes regurgitation, weight loss, lethargy

• Quarantine all new animals for 90 days

• Use separate tools and equipment

Other Common Threats:

• Inclusion Body Disease (IBD): more common in boas but serious risk

• Mites: visual inspection & regular cleaning needed

Prevention is always cheaper than treatment. Maintain logs, sanitize tools, and practice “clean before contact.”

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Common Health Issues

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Debunking Common Myths

 

Ethical Stewardship & Long-Term Commitment

Ball pythons are a 20–30 year commitment. Whether you’re a hobbyist or breeder, you’re responsible for:

• Sourcing from reputable, captive-bred sources

• Providing more than just survival conditions

• Avoiding the mindset of “low maintenance” = “no maintenance”

Reptiles aren’t toys or decorations. They’re complex animals with needs rooted in millions of years of evolution.

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Supplies You’ll Need

Heating

• Deep heat projector / ceramic heat emitter / belly heater

• Digital thermostat (Herpstat, Inkbird, VE-300)

• Infrared temp gun & digital probe

Enclosure & Decor

• Appropriately sized enclosure

• Hides (warm/cool/humid)

• Water bowl (tip-resistant)

• Cork bark, climbing decor

Feeding

• Tongs

• Rat supply (appropriately sized)

• Prey scale (for accurate weight-to-prey ratio)

 

*Check back here for future updates! Our care is always changing and growing. As new resources and knowledge becomes available we plan on updating this sheet with new info as available.