We will outline what works for us. Research and experience will dictate what will work best for you.
There are plenty of resources and information related to ball python husbandry online. We highly recommend the VPI publication, “Ball Pythons, History, Natural History, Care and Breeding” by David and Tracey Barker. One of the best ball python books available. Visit www.vpi.com for details.
Care Details
- Ambient temp: 78 -80 °F (25.6 – 26.6 °C) — Hot spot: 90 °F – 95 °F (32.2 – 35 °C).
- We heat our hot spots with flexwatt heat tape controlled by Spyder Robotics Herpstat Pro thermostats.
- Water changes: weekly with municipal tap water.
- We utilize disposable water dish liners fitted into ceramic bowls. Bowls are disinfected bi-weekly with a diluted bleach solution.
- Substrate: shredded aspen. (Babies are started on paper towel).
- Quarantine – new arrivals monitored for three months in separate room from main collection.
- Tubs: babies < 500 grams – Vision V18
Grow Outs: 500 grams – 1000 grams – Rubbermaid 2220.
Adult Males: Rubbermaid 2221.
Adult Females: Vision CB70. - We are slowly changing over all our tubs in our racks to Visions. Vision tubs are thicker, slide well, and have a smooth inside which makes cleaning and disinfection a snap.
- Feeding: hatchlings every 5 days.
Subadults/Adults: food offered every seven days. If they don’t eat we offer again the following week
We offer sized food items for every snake. A sized food item once consumed, produces a slight visible lump in the snakes body. - Lighting: Natural daylight cycle.
- Humidity: 60% increased during shedding with damp sphagnum moss.