Ball Python Presentation Facts

how long do they live?

20-25 years in human care, record is 48

home range?

western to central africa

habitat?

dry grassland, savannah, forest edges

diet in the wild

they hunt rodents (rats, gerbils, and gerboas). they kill them by wrapping them in their constricting coils or pressing them against burrow walls. since they’re heavier they hunt by ambushing their prey

diet in the museum

2 frozen and thawed mice every two weeks

how do they kill their prey?

they squeeze them so tight until the blood stops moving making the heart stop

how many eggs do they lay?

4-10 eggs, they will curl around their eggs if it gets too cold and tense her muscles. pythons are some of the few snakes that incubate their eggs

can they climb?

yes but they are usually on the ground

when are they active?

dawn and dusk (crepuscular)

predators?

humans, large carnivores, large birds of prey and black cobras. young ball pythons are vulnerable to birds of prey and hedgehogs.

cool season?

they fast and become inactive because the temperatures don’t allow their bodies to digest food

defense?

To defend itself, this python rolls into a ball with their head tucked in the middle, a trait that gives it its American name, ball python!

hunting?

ball pythons can easily hone in on prey in utter darkness. Along a ball python's upper jaws, several scales cup inward, each forming a deep pit containing nerves that sense infrared, or body heat. The snake can tell which direction warmth is coming from because the pits open at different angles, like an open fan of folded paper.

status?

This species of snake has a high, stable population and is not considered threatened. In some parts of its range, the ball python is considered sacred and is fully protected. People from these areas are usually aware of the ball python's contribution in controlling rodent populations. However, as many as 20,000-30,000 ball pythons are exported from Africa every year, and if the trend continues these snakes could be threatened in the future. They are legally protected from trade under CITES Appendix Il so many of the snakes that exported from Africa are done so illegally.

conservation message

do research before adopting a pet and spread positive messages about snakes