Male Ball Python names

Ball Python

Python regius

Class: Reptilia; Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes; Family: Pythonidae
Other names: Royal Python

Brandywine Zoo Ball Python

Scrappy - 1.0 H: 1999-2000. Acq. 5/3/2002
Scrappy was a relinquished pet.

Status

Least Concern; CITES Appendix II [1]

Geographic Region

Sub-Saharan central Africa. Ball pythons are found in the grasslands of the Sudanese sub province, which is west of the Nile, Southern Sudan in the Bahrel Ghazal, Nuba Mountains (Southern Kordofan), and in West Africa from Senegal to Sierra Africa.

Habitat

Grasslands, savannas and sparsely wooded areas. Termite mounds and empty mammal burrows are important habitats for this species. [2]

Characteristics

Size: 5-6' max, but 3.5-4.5' is more average [2]
Weight: Scrappy weighs ~4lb
Longevity: Wild - 10 years [3], Captivity - more than 20-30 years, but some estimates list up to 50 [4]

Physical Description

• The color pattern is typically black or dark brown with light brown or gold sides and dorsal blotches. The belly is a white or cream that may include scattered black markings. [2]
• Ball pythons vary considerably in their color and pattern. Some snakes are tan, brown or reddish. Others may be pale yellow or orange yellow.
• The patterns of these snakes also vary greatly. Some are spotted, some have stripes and others are spotted and striped.
• Boas and pythons, which are more primitive snakes, possess tail/anal spurs, located next to their cloaca.
  

Dimorphism

There is no obvious secondary sexual characteristic that allow for instant determination of sex, as sizes of individuals can vary greatly. But, in general:

• Males: usually average around 90-107 cm (3.0-3.5 ft). Both sexes have anal spurs on either side of the vent, and although males tend to have larger spurs, this is not definitive [2]
• Females: tend to be slightly bigger than males, maturing at an average of 122-137 cm (4.0-4.5 ft). [2]
  

Diet: Carnivore

Nonvenomous constrictor

• Diet in the Wild: Ball pythons eat rodents almost exclusively. They feed primarily on several species of native African rodents, including rats, gerbils, shrews and gerboas. Ball pythons generally do not eat during the times of the year when...