Python regius: The ball python

A few years ago one of my little cousins got a ball python as a pet, and as a result I was introduced to this species of snake. I didn't know much about this snake nor did I ever really think about learning about it either, that is until I started taking herpetology. 

     The scientific name of this snake is Python regius and the common names that are associated with this snake are the ball python or the royal python. The common name, the royal python, is believed to come from stories of Cleopatra wearing this species of snake around her wrist as a bracelet. (http://www.worldofballpythons.com/python-regius/). This snake can be found in the wild primarily in western and central Africa. The habitats that these snakes inhabit can range from open forests to savannas and this species is "crepuscular, " meaning that they are most active at dusk and dawn. (http://animal.discovery.com/guides/reptiles/snakes/ballpython.html).  They are constrictors and as such are not venomous. In the wild they primarily feed on small mammals. These snakes have a life span of about ten years in the wild and can range anywhere from twenty to thirty years in captivity. Typically they grow to be three to five feet in length with the females being generally "larger and heavier bodied than [the] males." (http://www.a1pythons.com/ball.html). When threatened or stressed these snakes coil or ball themselves up into a tight ball with its head and neck tucked into its body. Due to this behavior this snake got the common name the ball python. These snakes are also a fairly docile species and as a result do not bite that often. When they reproduce they usually leave on average a clutch size of about six eggs, which would incubate for about 57 days at about 88-90F degrees. (http://www.a1pythons.com/ball.html). 

     Personally if I were to own any type of snake, this would be the snake that I would own. I say this simply because they are fairly simple to take care of, they don't get quite as big as some of the other constrictors, they don't bite that often, and to top it all off they are pretty cool to look at as well. 

Sources:

     http://animal.discovery.com/guides/reptiles/snakes/ballpython.html

     http://www.snakes-uncovered.com/Ball_python.html

     http://www.a1pythons.com/ball.html

     http://www.worldofballpythons.com/python-regius/

     http://www.sandfiredragonranch.com/images/Ball_python02.jpg 

                                  Photo of my cousins ball python.

 [This photo came from: (http://www.sandfiredragonranch.com/images/Ball_python02.jpg)]