{"topic_id":"exotic_pet_profile_ball_python","category":"exotic-pet-profile","context":"---\ntopic_id: exotic_pet_profile_ball_python\ncategory: exotic-pet-profile\ntitle: \"Ball python (Python regius) — species profile (taxonomy, origin, lifespan, husbandry basics)\"\nlang: en\nsource: \"Animal Diversity Web (animaldiversity.org, University of Michigan) — species account Python regius\"\nsource_file: pdf-raw/exotic-profile-2026/ball_python.txt\ndate_parsed: 2026-07-28\ntokens_estimated: 0\nverified: true\nverification: c1_substring\nsource_document: \"Animal Diversity Web species account (Python regius)\"\ncitation:\n  authority: \"Animal Diversity Web (animaldiversity.org, University of Michigan)\"\n  title: \"Ball python (Python regius) — species profile (taxonomy, origin, lifespan, husbandry basics)\"\n  url: \"https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Python_regius/\"\n  retrieved: \"2026-07-28\"\n  ref: \"ADW species account Python regius\"\n  doc_type: \"expert species account (.edu, compiled from primary literature)\"\n  needs_review: false\n---\n\n# Ball python (Python regius) — species profile (taxonomy, origin, lifespan, husbandry basics)\nAuthoritative first-hand species account (Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan). All bullet facts are verbatim from the cited source and C1-substring verified.\n## Natural History & Origin\n- also known as royal pythons, are found in the grasslands and open forests of West\n- They are native to the Sudanese subprovince west of the Nile,\n- are found in areas that have been cleared for farming.\n## Habitat\n- Ball pythons spend most of their time on or under the ground in burrows.\n- They inhabit savanna grasslands or open forests and\n- are found in grasslands and open forests, and in areas with some cover.\n## Size\n- At birth, ball pythons range from 25 to 43 centimeters in length and grow to 1 to\n- Ball python hatchlings range from 25 to 43 centimeters; adults from 0.9 to 1.5 meters.\n- Hatchlings are immediately independent,\n## Lifespan\n- Ball pythons have long reproductive lives that last from about 27 months to 30 years.\n- The average lifespan of ball pythons in captivity is 20 years.\n- maximum lifespan in captivity ranges from 28 years (at the Oakland Zoo) up to 50 years\n## Behavior & Social Structure\n- They are primarily nocturnal and active during the wet season.\n## Reproduction\n- The gestation period is about 44 to 54 days.\n- Approximately 3 weeks after ovulation,\n- The breeding season is primarily from mid-September through mid-November, correlating\n## Diet\n- exclusively on rodents and eat infrequently.\n- heat from other organisms in its environment.\n- dietary divergence in royal pythons (Python regius) from the rainforests of southeastern\n","sources":["exotic-pet-profile — Ball python (Python regius) — species profile (taxonomy, origin, lifespan, husbandry basics) (retrieved 2026-07-28)"],"source":{"authority":"exotic-pet-profile","title":"Ball python (Python regius) — species profile (taxonomy, origin, lifespan, husbandry basics)","url":"https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Python_regius/","retrieved":"2026-07-28","ref":"","doc_type":"official PDF","source_document":"Animal Diversity Web species account (Python regius)","verification_file":"pdf-raw/exotic-profile-2026/ball_python.txt"},"source_document":"Animal Diversity Web species account (Python regius)","source_file":"pdf-raw/exotic-profile-2026/ball_python.txt","tokens_estimated":490,"generated_at":null,"tip":"Use /api/v1/topics to discover more topics. /api/v1/nutrient for precise single-point queries. /api/v1/cross_compare for 2-3 standard comparisons."}