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Ball Python - Snake
Ball python
The Ball Python (Python regius) is an attractive snake with a dark, brown-black pattern and yellow-tan skin. Ball Python (Python regius) called Royal Python in Europe. The "Royal" name was brought about in part by Cleopatra who reportedly wore these beautiful snakes as bracelets on her wrists.
Ball pythons are found at the edges of the forest land of Central and Western Africa. Mostly ground-oriented snakes, ball pythons are known to be semi-arboreal, and are crepuscular, being most active at dusk and dawn.
The "Ball" name derives from their habit of curling themselves up into a tight ball when they are nervous or stressed; they hide their head inside, pulled firmly into the center, and not move for long periods of time. Ball pythons are curious and gentle snakes.
Ball python eat a variety of prey in the wild, including lizards, small mammals, birds and other snakes. Ball pythons do not eat mice in the wild. Ball python are also reputed to be able to go for extended periods of time without food.
Like all pythons and boas, ball python have anal spurs. These claw-like structures are about 2 – 3 inches from the tip of the tail. Males have longer spurs than females; also, males tend to have smaller heads than the females.
Ball pythons are oviparous, laying an average of about 4 - 10 eggs per clutch. The females will protect the eggs from the time they are laid until they hatch. During this three month period, she will not leave the eggs and will not eat.It can take hours or even days for the young to fully emerge from their egg. Young ball python usually grow about a foot a year for the first three years.
Ball python typically achieve 4 ft (1.2 meters) in length; occasionally there are specimens that can reach 5 ft (1.5 meters). Their lifespan up to 30 years, with the longest living ball python on record was over 48 years.
