Ball python (Python regius) — species profile (taxonomy, origin, lifespan, husbandry basics)
Authoritative first-hand species account (Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan). All bullet facts are verbatim from the cited source and C1-substring verified.
Natural History & Origin
- also known as royal pythons, are found in the grasslands and open forests of West
- They are native to the Sudanese subprovince west of the Nile,
- are found in areas that have been cleared for farming.
Habitat
- Ball pythons spend most of their time on or under the ground in burrows.
- They inhabit savanna grasslands or open forests and
- are found in grasslands and open forests, and in areas with some cover.
Size
- At birth, ball pythons range from 25 to 43 centimeters in length and grow to 1 to
- Ball python hatchlings range from 25 to 43 centimeters; adults from 0.9 to 1.5 meters.
- Hatchlings are immediately independent,
Lifespan
- Ball pythons have long reproductive lives that last from about 27 months to 30 years.
- The average lifespan of ball pythons in captivity is 20 years.
- maximum lifespan in captivity ranges from 28 years (at the Oakland Zoo) up to 50 years
Behavior & Social Structure
- They are primarily nocturnal and active during the wet season.
Reproduction
- The gestation period is about 44 to 54 days.
- Approximately 3 weeks after ovulation,
- The breeding season is primarily from mid-September through mid-November, correlating
Diet
- exclusively on rodents and eat infrequently.
- heat from other organisms in its environment.
- dietary divergence in royal pythons (Python regius) from the rainforests of southeastern