Royal Python

matty · #1 (**permalink**) 14-01-2008, 12:33 AM

This is my first care sheet, all my own writing.

Constructive criticism welcomed

Royal Python (Python Regius)

Background Information
Royal Pythons (also known as ball pythons) are shy pythons averaging in size at around 4-5 feet. They are quite stocky snakes and belong to the boidae family.

They are native to Africa, more precisely the Western areas, and will usually be found in rodent burrows and such like. Royal pythons, like most snakes, are a nocturnal species meaning they are more likely to be found awake at night time. They are terrestrial meaning that most of their time is spent on the ground or even underground, although if provided with low, sturdy branches, they can often be found climbing in captivity.

Royal pythons can sometimes have problems feeding but I personally believe they make a perfect first snake.

Lifespan
A royal python’s life span in captivity is usually around the 25 year mark, although the oldest recorded captive specimen was 48 years old.

Housing
Royal pythons will be reluctant to feed if their set up isn’t absolutely spot on, so it is extremely important that you ensure the enclosure and temperature is perfect before bringing your royal home.

There is much debate among hobbyists as to what the “perfect” environment for a royal python is. Some keepers prefer to house their royals in tubs whilst others prefer vivariums.

They prefer smaller enclosures due to their shy nature and a “cramped” environment would suit most royals well. They should ideally be housed singularly as royals are solitary animals and will not befriend others.

Hatchling royal pythons should be kept in a smaller enclosure than adults. A 9 litre Really Useful Box will do perfectly for a young royal, gradually increasing the size as the python grows. It is down to your own personal judgement as to when to move the snake up an enclosure size, when the length of the royal exceeds the length of 2 sides of the box, it is safe to say the snake requires a larger box.

An adult royal python would be happy in a 50 litre Really Useful Box, although it is recommended by some to provide a 3 foot by 2 foot by 2 foot vivarium, it really is personal preference. A tub will be easier to clean out and is more convenient as the environment can be kept sterile. However, a vivarum can be a fantastic home for a royal and can be made to look very attractive indeed.

No special lighting is required for royal pythons due to the fact that they are nocturnal.

A royal python’s enclosure should be heated to around 88*F at the warmer end and around 80*F at the cooler end. A night time temperature drop of a few degrees is recommended. These temperatures can be achieved by a number of methods, if using a plastic storage box (such as a Really Useful Box) then a heat mat is the most efficient way of heating the enclosure. If a vivarium is being used, then either a redlight buld or a ceramic heating element are the best ways of heating, however, both should be guarded to minimise the risk of burns to the snake. Whichever method of heating you choose, they should all be attached to a thermostat, to prevent the temperature becoming too high.

Humidity for royal pythons should be around 50-60%, and a little higher whilst shedding.

Temperature and humidity is best measured with a good quality digital thermometer/hygrometer.

Due to royal pythons being shy and secretive snakes, it is strongly recommended that many hiding places are provided for them. These can either be commercially bought caves designed for reptiles, or anything which you can find around the house, but remember to clean the said object thoroughly beforehand.

Many substrates are accepted for royal pythons, wood chips (not pine or cedar, it is toxic to reptiles), aspen, newspaper and paper towel are just some of the substrates used by hobbyists today.

Food
Royal pythons are carnivorous reptiles and so feed solely on other animals, usually rodents.

A hatchling royal python would be best fed on fuzzy mice, gradually increasing the prey size as the snake grows. As a general rule, the snake should be fed a prey item no wider then 1.5x that of the snakes widest point on it’s body.

Rats are more nutritional and so it is best to encourage to get your royal to feed on rats at an early stage as possible, probably moving from fuzzy mice onto rat pups.

Frozen thawed rodents are best fed to your royal as live prey items can cause injury to your snake. They are also readily available cheaply from pet shops and online suppliers.

A royal pythons food should be warmed up slightly (after defrosting totally) before being offered to the snake. This is because they have heat pits on their face which sense the heat off animals, thus telling them what is food and what isn’t. So if the food is warmed up beforehand, the snake will be more inclined to eat the prey item.

Royal pythons are renowned for being “fussy feeders”. This should not really pose a problem to the keeper unless the snake starts to lose weight rapidly, they can go for months on end without food. If your royal starts to lose weight and it is vital that s/he gets some food into it’s system then there are many methods which could be explored to aid your snake to feed. These include braining, scenting with gerbil, scenting with chick, left in a small space with prey item overnight, frozen thawed mouse, frozen thawed rat, frozen thawed gerbil, frozen thawed hamster, frozen thawed chick, live mouse, live rat, live gerbil, live hamster, live chick and assist/force feeding. Force feeding should only be done by an experienced hobbyist and should only be used as a last resort as it can be stressful for the snake and can also damage the snake if done wrong.

Do not handle your royal until about 48 hours after feeding as this can lead to regurgitation and the snake could also be in “feeding mode”, and attempt to bite you.

Handling
To handle a royal python, simply pick the snake up around its middle and allow it to wrap itself around your hand.

There isn’t really much to say as regards to handling royal pythons, try not to scare your snake by making fast movements whilst handling.

Royal pythons are generally gentle, docile snakes, meaning they are easy to handle as they aren’t likely to be skittish and flighty.

Shedding
A young royal python will shed it’s skin around once a month. As the snake matures, sheds will gradually become less regular.

When in shed, a royal pythons eyes will turn a cloudy blue and their colouring will become dull and washed out. After a few days the appearance of the snake will go back to normal and then a few days later the snake will shed it’s skin.

A royal may not feed during a shed so if this is the case then do not be alarmed.

Humidity should be raised slightly during shedding and a moist hide should be provided with either damp sphagnum moss or paper towel inside. Also, a rough surface would be much appreciated by the royal to aid in the removal of the old skin.

A royal python should shed in one whole piece, or thereabouts. Sometimes however, eye caps can be retained during a shed (they shed the skin over their eyes). If this happened, I would recommend placing your royal in a damp pillowcase for a couple of hours, after this time the eye caps should have removed themselves from the snake.

After a she, a royal python should look bright and “fresh”.

Health
A royal python should not really get ill as such if kept in the correct conditions and new arrivals are quarantined for an appropriate amount of time. Mites can be a problem though, with any snake. However, there are many commercially available products to prevent/kill mites if this problem should arise. If you suspect your royal to be unwell at all you should seek veterinary advice.

Cleaning
Cleaning should take place around every week-fortnight, Although regular spot cleans are a must. However, royals have extremely slow metabolisms, so you will be cleaning out clean substrate sometimes, but it is always best to keep the substrate fresh.