Ball Python

🗓️ The first week

The numbers a new owner needs in the first week, each taken from the article that explains it.

Legal check

Broadly legal across the US, and the federal and state rules aimed at invasive constrictors were deliberately written to exclude them. Hawaii is illegal statewide and New York City bans the entire family Pythonidae by name. New Jersey and Delaware require a permit, and Minnesota allows one from a permitted breeder. Everywhere else, check city and county exotic-pet ordinances since local rules can still vary.Legal guide →

Enclosure

The current standard for an adult is a 4x2x2 ft (48x24x24 inches, roughly 120 gallons, about 8 square feet of floor space) setup, with the enclosure at least as long as the snake itself. Hatchlings up to about 300 grams do well in a 10-gallon or 20x11x13 inch enclosure, and juveniles under 3 feet can move into a 36x18x18 inch setup. PVC holds humidity far more effectively than glass. House one snake per enclosure.Setup guide →

Temperatures

Warm side and basking 88 to 92°F, with air temp not exceeding 95°F anywhere. Cool side 75 to 80°F. Nighttime 72 to 75°F.Setup guide →

Heat

Every single heat source needs to run through a thermostat, no exceptions. It is what prevents burns and fire hazards. Skip hot rocks entirely.Setup guide →

Thermostat probe

For an under-tank mat the probe goes on the floor of the warm hide, the surface the animal actually lies on, held down with foil tape so it can't drift. The probe reads at the animal's level, not up in the airspace near the fixture.Heating guide →

Humidity

Ambient 55 to 65%, raised to 70 to 80% specifically during shedding cycles. Too dry leads to bad sheds and raises respiratory infection risk. Too wet without adequate ventilation swings toward scale rot. Check it with a real digital hygrometer, not a cheap analog dial.Setup guide →

Substrate

Cypress mulch or coconut coir/husk, 3 to 4 inches deep. Avoid aspen entirely, it tends to mold at the humidity level ball pythons require, and never use pine or cedar.Setup guide →

Hides and water

At least two hides, one on the warm side and one on the cool side, sized snugly so the snake's body touches the sides at multiple points. Add a heavy, tip-resistant water bowl large enough for the snake to soak in.Setup guide →

Cover

The whole floor should offer cover, so the snake can be somewhere other than inside a box without being exposed: cork bark tubes and flats, leaf litter, and enough plant cover to break up sightlines. Add a sturdy climbing branch braced firmly at both ends and it will use it.Enrichment guide →

Feeding schedule

Hatchlings (0-6 months) every 5-7 days, juveniles (6-18 months) every 7-10 days, adults (18+ months) every 10-14 days.Feeding guide →

Prey size

Prey roughly the same width as the widest point of the snake's body. For most adult ball pythons, that's a medium rat. Too large means regurgitation, too small means nutritional inadequacy.Feeding guide →

Thawing

Refrigerate until fully thawed, or seal it in a bag and submerge it in cool to lukewarm water. Never thaw on a counter for hours and never use a microwave. Don't feed it straight from the refrigerator: prey should not be fed cold but at room temperature, or preferably warmer.Feeding guide →

Not eating

A healthy adult ball python can go 3-6 months without eating. Worry if rapid weight loss, lethargy plus refusal, mucus around the mouth, or wheezing accompanies the fast.Feeding guide →

Winter appetite

Most pet-only keepers can skip brumation, it is primarily a breeder's tool. Ball pythons especially show a natural seasonal dip in appetite from roughly October through March even without any deliberate cooling.Brumation guide →

Handling

Don't handle a newly acquired snake for the first one to two weeks, and don't start until it's eating regularly. Then 2 to 3 sessions a week, up to 3 to 5 for a snake that handles well, 15 to 30 minutes at most. Wait 48 to 72 hours after feeding, and never during a shed.Handling guide →

Weight checks

Weigh rather than measure. Monthly is a reasonable default for a growing juvenile, less often once an adult has leveled off. A well-conditioned snake reads as a rounded loaf in cross-section, and a triangular cross-section with a visible ridge down the spine points to underweight.Body condition guide →

Budget

A standard or wild-type ball python runs $40 to $100. Total setup typically lands at $300 to $800. Most owners land around $200 to $500 a year in ongoing costs once the setup is finished.Cost guide →

Adult size

3 to 5 feet, females significantly larger.

Lifespan

20 to 30 years, up to 48 years recorded in captivity.

Quarantine

A new snake is quarantined for 3 to 6 months. Mites usually show themselves within weeks, while inclusion body disease can sit with no visible signs for months to years, and pythons are one of the two groups it affects.Quarantine guide →

Hygiene

Wash hands with soap and running water immediately after any contact with the animal, its enclosure, its water, or anything that's touched either. Never clean an enclosure, water dish, or equipment in a kitchen sink or a bathtub people use.Hygiene guide →

Power outage

72-75°F is the cold floor. Below this range for more than a day or two is the classic winter trigger for respiratory infection.Emergency plan →

📰 Where to go next

🛒 What to buy

Prices and the reasoning behind each item are in How Much Does a Ball Python Really Cost?.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions