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Royal Python or Ball Python ... Python regius
:: Care difficulty
Not a beginners snake though a popular second snake. They don't
grow to a large size and are generally placid. They can be
tricky to feed at times and will undergo long periods of fasting.
:: Distribution
Most Royal Pythons in captivity are originally sourced from
the south-western areas of Africa though their natural range
extends,sub-saharan, across to the Nile.
:: Description
A fairly chunky short-tailed python. Colouration is a mixture
of brown, black and white with quite complex patterning. A
noticeable feature is their heat-detecting pits (or holes)
around their upper lip. Most individuals also show hind leg
remnants (spurs) sited on either side of their vent. Occasionally
individuals show a variance in brightness of colouration and
some true genetic colour types are available.
:: Size
As a hatchling they are around 20-25cm (6-8ins) and weigh between
50-120gms. Adult females are generally longer and heavier than
males, perhaps reaching 1.8m (5.5ft) and 3.5-4kg (6-8lbs) at
the larger end of the scale.
:: Housing
Hatchlings can be reared in geo-flats, crystal tubs or similar.
An adult will have sufficient space in a vivarium 100x50x50
cms. Although a larger space with climbing branches will definitely
be appreciated by your python. Royals can be housed together
however at some times of the year males will fight eachother,
Reliable feeding may be achieved more easily if they are kept
in individual vivariums.
All bulbs and heaters must be fitted with a mesh guard as
royals can and do burn themselves if given direct access to
a heat source.
The choice of substrate for the vivarium is dependent on your
own preference. Bark chippings, wood shavings, corncob, newspaper,
or natural wood cat litter are all absorbent and easy to maintain.
For hygiene reasons remove waste matter as soon as practicable,
this will also ensure that there are no unpleasant odours from
your vivarium. The entire substrate should be replaced every
few months or so.
The vivarium should be heated with a hot-spot at one end of
around 30 C (90F.) The heat source should be positioned at
the extreme end of the cage, allowing for a thermal gradient
between the two ends. Hide boxes on both the warm and cool
ends should be available to allow your python to hide away
and a water bowl large enough for the snake to soak in is probably
best placed somewhere in between the hide boxes. Artificial
and UV light are not required although daytime lights can be
effective, as long as the enclosure does not overheat. At night
the temperature should be kept as per the day, unless a breeding
season is being emulated in which case a slight night time
temperature drop is acceptable but should not go under 25 C
(75 F.) Humidity, easily achieved by light misting with a hand
spray, helps to keep the royals skin in good condition and
will be of use in assisting the snake to cleanly shed its skin.
Provide clean water at all times.
:: Diet and Feeding
In the wild royals take a variety of prey including small mammals
and birds. In captivity they will accept a diet of mice and
rats, often reluctant feeders will show a preference for gerbils.
It is recommended that you get an idea of the feeding history
when you purchase the animal and that you have access to suitable
food items. Hatchlings should be offered food every 6-8 days,
adults every 10-14 days. Being heavy bodied strong snakes they
will eat relatively large food items, hatchlings will quickly
progress from fuzzy mice up through to adult mice in their
first year. Adult females will ultimately be eating small adult
rats, weaned rats being suitable for adult males. (A set of
scales weighing in at least 10g intervals is a useful thing
to have access to as royals can refuse food for quite long
periods of time (months!) and it is helpful to be able to check
if it is losing weight.)
:: Breeding
Unlike temperate region snakes, royals must not be hibernated.
Most breeding successes seem to use a night-time temperature
drop to around 25 C (75 F) with full temperature being retained
in the daytime period. This is undertaken for 2-3 months usually
during our winter. Gradually turn the night-time temperature
down over a period of a couple of weeks. Once they are "cooled" in
this way most breeders then introduce two males together to
induce male combat. After a day in together place each male
in with a female and see if mating takes place. Mating can
last for up to 36 hours and is obvious to observe as the snakes
will coil their tails together. Only healthy snakes should
be cooled and used for breeding. In the spring raise the night-time
temperature back up to normal and feeding can commence.
If mating has been successful, the female will eat well and
obviously gain bulk. She will also get herself into strange
positions in order to get heat to the developing eggs, "sunbathing" on
her back is fairly common. At some point around this time a
nest box should be placed in the vivarium, a plastic container
such as a large ice-cream tub lined with damp sphagnum moss
will suffice. Once the eggs have been laid the female will
tightly coil around them, though it is advisable to remove
the eggs into a plastic box with 100% humidity and a substrate
of moist vermiculite or perlite and kept at a constant temperature
of 30 C. (90 F.). The average number of eggs laid is around
5-6, they are about 100mm long, 60mm in diameter. Unlike bird's
eggs they must not be turned. The eggs are normally ivory white
and for most of the incubation period will be firm to the touch,
as hatching nears (after 55-65 days) they may become slightly "baggy".
When the juveniles arrive they should be placed into individual
warm humid containers with a heat gradient as per the adults.
They will slough after about 10-14 days and should then be
offered suitable food. Sexual maturity can be reached at 3-5
years.
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