Post by Lee on Apr 3, 2007 1:20:39 GMT 1
Introduction
The royal or ball python (Python regius) is a small sized snake which are part of a group of snakes called pythons which are a group of non venomous snakes…they are increasingly popular as pets due to their general calm nature with exceptions to some individuals and nervous animals and small size that are available at many pet shops and bred with regularity so sourcing a royal python is quite simple and really make fantastic captives.
Being constrictors their prey is overpowered by constriction in which all non venomous do to dispatch of prey and the animal soon slips away due to asphyxiation(lack of oxygen) before it is eaten by the snake but being opportunist feeders in the wild they will eat birds and other animals.
The name royal python comes from its Latin name regius which could make reference to its markings but they are called ball pythons due to their defence of balling up their body and tucking their head in to resemble a ball shape
The best things to look for are:
1) check the royal is bright eyed and alert and has no signs of unshed skin or scarring and the mouth and nose are clean and free from discharge of any kind
2)check the snakes housing to check if its clean and its big enough for the animal to move around freely and is free from bits of shed skin and faeces
3)the royals body should look rounded which is a sign of a snake which feeds well and not triangular which can be an indication of poor health and feeding or freshly imported(captive farmed or wild caught) royals, captive farmed and wild caught aren’t just a cheap snake and come with a lot of problems like parasites and really should only be recommended for keepers experienced in problematic feeders as they can be a lot of work and distress for the beginner keeper
4)when buying a young snake try and avoid any handling until its had 5 feeds in a row as too much handling is a factor to reluctance to feed in many species and it can be hard for the keeper who wants to hold their new snake ASAP but its worth the wait to have a handleable snake and a good feeding snake but even then no handling 48 hours after a feed to stop regurgitations as persistent regurgitations can cause serious health problems in royals.
It is the better option to make the effort to find breeders or petshops who deal with captive bred royal pythons as the captive farmed animals are usually in poor health and only people who have previous experience in keeping royal pythons and other boids should only go for them and the extra price will ensure you end up with a good feeding python that grows to be a great adult snake and brings you years of happiness.
Distribution
the royal python comes from west Africa where they inhabit tropical and semiarid areas where they seek refuge in burrows and crevices during times of inactivity to keep away from predators and to keep out the sun with them being crespular animals(active only when light levels are low) and seek heat from rocks, being cold blooded which means they are unable to regulate their own body they have to find other means of warming up they do this by basking on warm rocks that have been warmed by the sun .
Appearance and size
The royal python is a thick bodied snake with a large robust head
Its scalation is unkeeled so is smooth to the touch and markings and patterning are variable to type and species.
Royal pythons attain lengths of 4ft -6ft but larger specimens are heard of quite occasionally so are a very easily managed species for people looking for a python that doesn’t get to giant lengths and be overpowering to handle.
The royal pythons come in many different patterning and colours which adds to their popularity
They include
Albino
These type lack any dark colouration(melanin) so are white in colour with yellow markings around its body and red/pink eyes
Axanthic
this gene causes an absence in light pigmentation, making them dark in appearance
Pied
These snakes have areas of white colouration on their body and can vary from small splodge to almost full white body depending on percentage and very desirable to collectors and breeders
Snow
Produced by breeding axanthic and albino resulting in a snake that lacks any dark or light pigmentation which is a all white snake with red eyes with light markings
Striped
These snake have a vertical stripe going all the way down their body
Many of these can be sourced through breeders if you have any difficulty finding the python you want but the above morphs can go into thousands so many opt for nice looking normal types but even they vary with patterning types such as granite, tiger banded, reduced etc.
housing in captivity
Royal python housing is relatively easy to get and set up and a large range of housing is available for snakes in many pet shops today….security is one of the most important things when considering your snakes housing as royal pythons are very good escape artists and very clever/inquisitive to the slightest hole/gap left and is amazing how little they are able to squeeze through.
Wooden vivariums are a good cage for adult royals being very securely built and with only the front viewable it has a calming effect on nervous/new snakes as it gives them a sense of security and with vents fitted allows good air circulation as well as coming in many different sizes
Plastic housing such as geoflats,conticos,large boxes are also used with high success with keeping neonates as they also have the advantage of variety of sizes and secure fitting lids many of which are clipped from the outside which means the snake cannot open it from inside the cage or try and squeeze out
Glass tanks used in fish keeping are very ill fitting with regards to lids and don’t really allow much air circulation but there are ranges that are suitable for reptiles like the perfecto range so worth looking out for.
A good sized vivarium for a large sized royal python of up to 5ft in length would be a 3ft long cage which a good substrate needs to be used and is really up to personal preference to what to use but substrates such as newspaper and orchid bark are very popular but is worth looking out for with particle substrate such as small wood chips as they are very easily swallowed while feeding and can cause real problems to the snake even fatally injuring it so putting newspaper on top of the substrate during feeding days or even putting the food item on a plate or tray are good preventive measures
Heating the cage is either by heat mat for young hatchlings or CHE (ceramic heater) for older animals and adults of which must be controlled by a thermostat that is designed to control such equipment(pulse is best as high load and perfect for controlling non light emitting equipment and can be used to heat multiple cages dependant on wattage output) and if using ceramics a guard must be fitted….both of which will stop your snake sustaining injuries or overheating both of which are extremely fatal….royal pythons do well at a temperature of 85-88f and room humidity is fine as well as the water bowl being put nearer the hot end of your cage..
The interior of the cage is up to personal preference with regards to decoration but good additions include secure branches as although royals mainly are ground dwelling as wild animals they do enjoy the occasional climb if provided and cork bark and bits of wood make good hiding places for snakes but make sure all are free from sharp edges which could injure the snake and stable enough to hold the snakes weight comfortably and treated with miltons or any reptile disinfectants prior to be put back in the cage after thorough washing afterwards to kill germs and to keep your snake healthy and a good sized water bowl that is big enough for a snake to submerge is another good addition to the terrarium (large ceramic bowls are good for adult snakes as difficult to tip and very easy to clean)
Food and feeding
balls are easily got into feeding on defrosted rats at hatchling stage and are greedy feeders when not fasting so are generally not a problem and feeding from frozen is cheaper to buy as are available in many sizes and theres no danger of injury or suffering to the rodent if it was alive.
Defrosting before feeding can be done in many ways like defrosting them in a warm place naturally or submerging them in warm water until defrosted then dried which also has an advantage of raising the body heat of the prey
most snakes will take the food item if you wiggle it with a pair of forceps(you can risk being bitten if using your fingers and with larger animals be very dangerous) until the snake grabs it which is called ‘’strike feeding’’ whereas others prefer to feed off the ground of in the privacy of their hide box.
In some cases you get the odd reluctant feeder which will not take the mice/rats easily so hers a few pointers:
*braining the rodent which involves splitting the rodents skull and exposing the brain and the snake upon smelling this should take it with no problems
*splitting the stomach which involves splitting it and it does the same purpose as skull splitting
*washing the rodent and handling it as little as possible could be another way to get it feeding as it might smell you on there
*scenting it with chick or mouse in the case of rats could trigger a feeding response or rubbing lizard skin on there as snakes are opportunist feeders in the wild so worth a try to the captives
Once these methods have been exhausted pre killed is another option with the above methods used then and after this has been exhausted assist feeding and should only be attempted as a last resort as can cause added stress to the snake may be an option but all the above methods have proved successful so you should have no problems.
Handling your snake
When first acquiring a young python try and resist the temptation of handling the snake until it is feeding regular and it has fully settled into its new environment, many royals can be a little nervous when you handle them for the first time and shake their tail and strike but take things slowly and they calm down to accept handling very well but like everything you do the odd exception which is down to the individual really(like people)which can be aggressive and not take to handling as well as you’d hoped
Its best not to handle snakes 48 hours after a feed too as to not risk regurgitation or not being confident in handling the snake as you can risk injuring the snake even a fall from a small height can still hurt a snake
The best way to handle a snake of their size is to support the snakes body at two places and gently restrain it but is not recommended regular due to the nervousness of royal pythons and it could affect its willingness to feed so the occasional handle when cleaning and such is recommended.
Sexing your snake
Some breeders and experienced keepers can tell the snakes sex by tail length or popping the tails when they are a few days old or more but this should only be carried out by experienced keepers or reptile vets because in the wrong hands or done after that period you risk harming your snake and damaging the hermiphene in male snakes but the almost 100% way to definitely sex your snake is probing, this also should only be carried out by experienced keepers or reptile vets as again can cause serious injury or damage which ultimately could kill your snake in which involves a blunt steel rod being inserted into the cloaca/vent of your snake and depending how many sub caudal scales it goes up will determine the sex of your snake.
The royal or ball python (Python regius) is a small sized snake which are part of a group of snakes called pythons which are a group of non venomous snakes…they are increasingly popular as pets due to their general calm nature with exceptions to some individuals and nervous animals and small size that are available at many pet shops and bred with regularity so sourcing a royal python is quite simple and really make fantastic captives.
Being constrictors their prey is overpowered by constriction in which all non venomous do to dispatch of prey and the animal soon slips away due to asphyxiation(lack of oxygen) before it is eaten by the snake but being opportunist feeders in the wild they will eat birds and other animals.
The name royal python comes from its Latin name regius which could make reference to its markings but they are called ball pythons due to their defence of balling up their body and tucking their head in to resemble a ball shape
The best things to look for are:
1) check the royal is bright eyed and alert and has no signs of unshed skin or scarring and the mouth and nose are clean and free from discharge of any kind
2)check the snakes housing to check if its clean and its big enough for the animal to move around freely and is free from bits of shed skin and faeces
3)the royals body should look rounded which is a sign of a snake which feeds well and not triangular which can be an indication of poor health and feeding or freshly imported(captive farmed or wild caught) royals, captive farmed and wild caught aren’t just a cheap snake and come with a lot of problems like parasites and really should only be recommended for keepers experienced in problematic feeders as they can be a lot of work and distress for the beginner keeper
4)when buying a young snake try and avoid any handling until its had 5 feeds in a row as too much handling is a factor to reluctance to feed in many species and it can be hard for the keeper who wants to hold their new snake ASAP but its worth the wait to have a handleable snake and a good feeding snake but even then no handling 48 hours after a feed to stop regurgitations as persistent regurgitations can cause serious health problems in royals.
It is the better option to make the effort to find breeders or petshops who deal with captive bred royal pythons as the captive farmed animals are usually in poor health and only people who have previous experience in keeping royal pythons and other boids should only go for them and the extra price will ensure you end up with a good feeding python that grows to be a great adult snake and brings you years of happiness.
Distribution
the royal python comes from west Africa where they inhabit tropical and semiarid areas where they seek refuge in burrows and crevices during times of inactivity to keep away from predators and to keep out the sun with them being crespular animals(active only when light levels are low) and seek heat from rocks, being cold blooded which means they are unable to regulate their own body they have to find other means of warming up they do this by basking on warm rocks that have been warmed by the sun .
Appearance and size
The royal python is a thick bodied snake with a large robust head
Its scalation is unkeeled so is smooth to the touch and markings and patterning are variable to type and species.
Royal pythons attain lengths of 4ft -6ft but larger specimens are heard of quite occasionally so are a very easily managed species for people looking for a python that doesn’t get to giant lengths and be overpowering to handle.
The royal pythons come in many different patterning and colours which adds to their popularity
They include
Albino
These type lack any dark colouration(melanin) so are white in colour with yellow markings around its body and red/pink eyes
Axanthic
this gene causes an absence in light pigmentation, making them dark in appearance
Pied
These snakes have areas of white colouration on their body and can vary from small splodge to almost full white body depending on percentage and very desirable to collectors and breeders
Snow
Produced by breeding axanthic and albino resulting in a snake that lacks any dark or light pigmentation which is a all white snake with red eyes with light markings
Striped
These snake have a vertical stripe going all the way down their body
Many of these can be sourced through breeders if you have any difficulty finding the python you want but the above morphs can go into thousands so many opt for nice looking normal types but even they vary with patterning types such as granite, tiger banded, reduced etc.
housing in captivity
Royal python housing is relatively easy to get and set up and a large range of housing is available for snakes in many pet shops today….security is one of the most important things when considering your snakes housing as royal pythons are very good escape artists and very clever/inquisitive to the slightest hole/gap left and is amazing how little they are able to squeeze through.
Wooden vivariums are a good cage for adult royals being very securely built and with only the front viewable it has a calming effect on nervous/new snakes as it gives them a sense of security and with vents fitted allows good air circulation as well as coming in many different sizes
Plastic housing such as geoflats,conticos,large boxes are also used with high success with keeping neonates as they also have the advantage of variety of sizes and secure fitting lids many of which are clipped from the outside which means the snake cannot open it from inside the cage or try and squeeze out
Glass tanks used in fish keeping are very ill fitting with regards to lids and don’t really allow much air circulation but there are ranges that are suitable for reptiles like the perfecto range so worth looking out for.
A good sized vivarium for a large sized royal python of up to 5ft in length would be a 3ft long cage which a good substrate needs to be used and is really up to personal preference to what to use but substrates such as newspaper and orchid bark are very popular but is worth looking out for with particle substrate such as small wood chips as they are very easily swallowed while feeding and can cause real problems to the snake even fatally injuring it so putting newspaper on top of the substrate during feeding days or even putting the food item on a plate or tray are good preventive measures
Heating the cage is either by heat mat for young hatchlings or CHE (ceramic heater) for older animals and adults of which must be controlled by a thermostat that is designed to control such equipment(pulse is best as high load and perfect for controlling non light emitting equipment and can be used to heat multiple cages dependant on wattage output) and if using ceramics a guard must be fitted….both of which will stop your snake sustaining injuries or overheating both of which are extremely fatal….royal pythons do well at a temperature of 85-88f and room humidity is fine as well as the water bowl being put nearer the hot end of your cage..
The interior of the cage is up to personal preference with regards to decoration but good additions include secure branches as although royals mainly are ground dwelling as wild animals they do enjoy the occasional climb if provided and cork bark and bits of wood make good hiding places for snakes but make sure all are free from sharp edges which could injure the snake and stable enough to hold the snakes weight comfortably and treated with miltons or any reptile disinfectants prior to be put back in the cage after thorough washing afterwards to kill germs and to keep your snake healthy and a good sized water bowl that is big enough for a snake to submerge is another good addition to the terrarium (large ceramic bowls are good for adult snakes as difficult to tip and very easy to clean)
Food and feeding
balls are easily got into feeding on defrosted rats at hatchling stage and are greedy feeders when not fasting so are generally not a problem and feeding from frozen is cheaper to buy as are available in many sizes and theres no danger of injury or suffering to the rodent if it was alive.
Defrosting before feeding can be done in many ways like defrosting them in a warm place naturally or submerging them in warm water until defrosted then dried which also has an advantage of raising the body heat of the prey
most snakes will take the food item if you wiggle it with a pair of forceps(you can risk being bitten if using your fingers and with larger animals be very dangerous) until the snake grabs it which is called ‘’strike feeding’’ whereas others prefer to feed off the ground of in the privacy of their hide box.
In some cases you get the odd reluctant feeder which will not take the mice/rats easily so hers a few pointers:
*braining the rodent which involves splitting the rodents skull and exposing the brain and the snake upon smelling this should take it with no problems
*splitting the stomach which involves splitting it and it does the same purpose as skull splitting
*washing the rodent and handling it as little as possible could be another way to get it feeding as it might smell you on there
*scenting it with chick or mouse in the case of rats could trigger a feeding response or rubbing lizard skin on there as snakes are opportunist feeders in the wild so worth a try to the captives
Once these methods have been exhausted pre killed is another option with the above methods used then and after this has been exhausted assist feeding and should only be attempted as a last resort as can cause added stress to the snake may be an option but all the above methods have proved successful so you should have no problems.
Handling your snake
When first acquiring a young python try and resist the temptation of handling the snake until it is feeding regular and it has fully settled into its new environment, many royals can be a little nervous when you handle them for the first time and shake their tail and strike but take things slowly and they calm down to accept handling very well but like everything you do the odd exception which is down to the individual really(like people)which can be aggressive and not take to handling as well as you’d hoped
Its best not to handle snakes 48 hours after a feed too as to not risk regurgitation or not being confident in handling the snake as you can risk injuring the snake even a fall from a small height can still hurt a snake
The best way to handle a snake of their size is to support the snakes body at two places and gently restrain it but is not recommended regular due to the nervousness of royal pythons and it could affect its willingness to feed so the occasional handle when cleaning and such is recommended.
Sexing your snake
Some breeders and experienced keepers can tell the snakes sex by tail length or popping the tails when they are a few days old or more but this should only be carried out by experienced keepers or reptile vets because in the wrong hands or done after that period you risk harming your snake and damaging the hermiphene in male snakes but the almost 100% way to definitely sex your snake is probing, this also should only be carried out by experienced keepers or reptile vets as again can cause serious injury or damage which ultimately could kill your snake in which involves a blunt steel rod being inserted into the cloaca/vent of your snake and depending how many sub caudal scales it goes up will determine the sex of your snake.