Although the Ball Python is one of the most common reptiles to have as a pet, the species is not adapted for habitats in the United States, coming from the plains of Africa it prefers grasslands and savannas. In the wild the python consumes mostly small mammals such as shrews which they can easily wrap around and consume with little difficulty. Although the pythons are carnivours they are easily frightened and will retreat into a ball for protection, earning them the name "ball" python. Females are oviparous commonly laying 4-6 large leathery eggs and keeping them warm underground by shivering her body, a unique egg brooding strategy seen in pythons. The eggs hatch at around 60 days and then take a little over a year before they have reached sexual maturity.
Although these are the most common type of snake to have as a pet they are still dangerous when fully grown and should be treated with care and respect. They are a powerful python who are often underestimated due to their docile nature. These gorgeous snakes are now becoming common in Florida due to pet owners releasing them into the wild, and if they proliferate and do well they may become an invasive species in the near future.
Monday, March 23, 2015
Natural History: The Ball Python
For a little over two years now I have had the pleasure of being a co-owner of a beautiful Ball Python Python Regius that is now nearly three feet in length. This friendly python named Gatsby showed me the personality that a snake can possess, despite common misconceptions and is perhaps my favorite pet I have ever had. The Ball Python is the smallest of all African pythons and is nonvenomous, relying on constriction to capture its prey rather then poison. Despite being the smallest of the African pythons, the snake can grow to up to six feet in length with females typically being larger than males. Both male and females have smooth scales and anal spurs making it difficult to tell the sex of a specimen without probing the cloaca. The Ball Python has a stocky dense build with a narrow small head relative to its body while its skin pattern is a dark brown with golden patches all along its body.
Although the Ball Python is one of the most common reptiles to have as a pet, the species is not adapted for habitats in the United States, coming from the plains of Africa it prefers grasslands and savannas. In the wild the python consumes mostly small mammals such as shrews which they can easily wrap around and consume with little difficulty. Although the pythons are carnivours they are easily frightened and will retreat into a ball for protection, earning them the name "ball" python. Females are oviparous commonly laying 4-6 large leathery eggs and keeping them warm underground by shivering her body, a unique egg brooding strategy seen in pythons. The eggs hatch at around 60 days and then take a little over a year before they have reached sexual maturity.
Although these are the most common type of snake to have as a pet they are still dangerous when fully grown and should be treated with care and respect. They are a powerful python who are often underestimated due to their docile nature. These gorgeous snakes are now becoming common in Florida due to pet owners releasing them into the wild, and if they proliferate and do well they may become an invasive species in the near future.
Although the Ball Python is one of the most common reptiles to have as a pet, the species is not adapted for habitats in the United States, coming from the plains of Africa it prefers grasslands and savannas. In the wild the python consumes mostly small mammals such as shrews which they can easily wrap around and consume with little difficulty. Although the pythons are carnivours they are easily frightened and will retreat into a ball for protection, earning them the name "ball" python. Females are oviparous commonly laying 4-6 large leathery eggs and keeping them warm underground by shivering her body, a unique egg brooding strategy seen in pythons. The eggs hatch at around 60 days and then take a little over a year before they have reached sexual maturity.
Although these are the most common type of snake to have as a pet they are still dangerous when fully grown and should be treated with care and respect. They are a powerful python who are often underestimated due to their docile nature. These gorgeous snakes are now becoming common in Florida due to pet owners releasing them into the wild, and if they proliferate and do well they may become an invasive species in the near future.
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2 comments:
Hey :D,
I'm quite surprised to learn that these guys are only the SMALLEST of its kind! How long can they live? Where have you been keeping it, and do you just feed it dead rats? How often do you have to get its tank/whatever cleaned? Does it make the room smell bad?
And finally, you seem to appreciate the beautify them, but what do you feel about people keeping these animals as pets? --Diana
I hope they don't turn out to be Florida's next invasive python.
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