Ball Pythons

## Housing

Buy a 10 gallon terrarium for neonets (babies) and as they get older move them up to a 20 gallon terrarium. A hidebox and climbing branches are crucial to the enclosure. Buy a heater (reptiles are ectotherms, meaning they're cold-blooded, meaning their temperature is the same as their environment, temperatures too low could kill the snake), and a light. If given proper equipment, ball pythons can live for 30 years. Also, remember fish tanks are designed for fish, not reptiles and should never be used for them. Also, the cheapest and most effective bedding is newspaper bits and torn up paper towels. You could also use cypress mulch and orchid bark if you're one of those "only the best for my baby" types of people, cypress and orchids are better for controlling humidity, while newspaper and paper towels are easier to clean and disinfect. Keep him away from other pets if you have any. Do not be afraid of getting a ball python, sure they have a bad rep from the Bible, but they are actually very nice at heart, and love being around people if properly cared for and handled.

## Heating and Lighting

Ball python terrariums should be kept at 79-81 degrees Fahrenheit (26-27 degrees Celsius.) As for lighting, leave the basking bulbs on for 12 hours, and turn them off for 12 hours. Or, instead of turning the light bulbs completely off, get nighttime bulbs and change them for the 12 hour period of dark.

## Feeding

A reptile may not eat if it is unhappy or unhealthy, if it doesn't know what you are feeding it is food, if it is too hot or too cold, if it is shedding, or if it is pregnant (last one only applies to females, obviously.) They don't feed because they feel they have to, they feed when they feel like it. Feed it dead, frozen rodents. Many ball pythons seem fine, everything's peachy and life's one big joke, but when it's lunchtime, they are as stressed as a worker bee (who work for 6 weeks until they are worked to death) and are more likely to see your hand as a part of the mouse and strike at it as well. To prevent getting bitten, lower the food into his/her cage with a feeding hook, don't be an idiot and feed it by hand. Sometimes, if your snake has babies, they won't eat. It could be that you are feeding them food way too big. They should be fed baby mice and rats. (If you don't have the heart to do this, you shouldn't own a snake.) Ball pythons should be fed every 1 to 2 weeks. (They prefer to go a long time without eating.) Do not handle your ball python for at least 1 day after feeding, they could get sick and throw up. As for water, always give them fresh, clean water and if you see it dirty or cloudy, take it out and change the water.

## Handling and playing

Ball pythons are very timid, and will initially see you as a predator. Try to establish a trust between you and your snake between you and your snake. When holding, remember the two S's, support and slow-moving. Support the body, and no fast movements, any fast movement could frighten the snake and bite you in his defense. Snakes don't bite to be mean, they bite because they're afraid. If someone tries to beat you up, and you beat him up, that was self-defense and no charges should be pressed against you. If after any snake bites you, and he won't let go, grab the head, making sure you don't crush his skull, and wiggle him off. Snakes not letting go is very rare, and you should not be afraid of this happening. They usually strike, like lunging in fencing (for those fencers out there.) If you are holding him for long periods of time, put hand warmers on your hands, so his body temperature remains at normal temperature for snakes. (As the temperature around them decreases or increases, so does theirs.) Hand warmers are like snake-heaven to them, they love it that much.

## Works cited

Barker, Dave, and Tracy Barker. "The Ball Python Care Sheet." *VPI*. VPI, n.d.
     Web. 10 Apr. 2015. <http://vpi.com/publications/
     the\_ball\_python\_care\_sheet>.

Berry, John. "Feeding Ball Pythons." *World of Ball Pythons*. N.p., n.d. Web. 10
     Apr. 2015. <http://www.worldofballpythons.com/articles/
     feeding-ball-pythons/>.

Foster, and Smith. "How to Create the Ideal Ball Python Enclosure." *Foster and*
*Smith*. Foster and Smith, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.
     <http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?articleid=2382>.

McCurley, Kevin. "Ball Python Care Sheet." *Reptiles Magazine*. New England
     Reptile, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2015. <http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/
     Care-Sheets/Snakes/Ball-Python/>.

## Image credits

http://www.worldofballpythons.com/morphs/mojave/

http://pythonregius.com/bananaktuluballpythons.aspx

http://pythonregius.com/bananaballpythons.aspx

http://www.worldofballpythons.com/morphs/pumpkin-pied/

http://pythonregius.com/blackeyedleucisticballpythons.aspx

http://small-pets.lovetoknow.com/ball-python-care-sheet