Ball Python Care Page

Reptiles aren’t like dogs and cats that can simply roam around your house. They are very sensitive to their environment, and need their own enclosure set up according to their specific needs. This guide covers everything you will need to care for your pet ball python properly.

Ball pythons should be housed in an enclosure that is no smaller than 4’L x 2’W x 2’H. This is the bare minimum, based on the formula for calculating a snake’s minimum space needs:

Enclosure Width ≥ snake length
Enclosure Length ≥ ½ snake length
Enclosure Height ≥ ½ snake length

If your ball python is any longer than 48”, you will need at minimum a 5’x3’x3’ enclosure.

However, if you can provide an enclosure with more floor space and height, do it! Housing your ball python in a larger enclosure will encourage it to be more active and demonstrate more natural behaviors. Males in particular are known to be enthusiastic climbers! Contrary to popular belief, ball pythons don't just coil up and hide for 24 hours a day - limiting their space can actually be quite stressful. For this reason, we strongly recommend an enclosure with a height of 3 to 4 feet.

Zen Habitats 4’x2’x2’

Zen Habitats 4’x2’x4’

Kages 5’x3’x3’

Substrate is the material that you use to cover the floor of the enclosure. Ball pythons are healthiest and happiest when they are housed on a loose soil substrate, at least 2-4” deep. Although ball pythons don’t naturally burrow, a deeper substrate is better able to maintain humidity.

The best substrate for ball pythons is a DIY mix of roughly 40% untreated topsoil + 40% Zoo Med ReptiSoil + 20% play sand. Mix well, soak until muddy, then pack it firmly at the bottom of the enclosure, but allow it to dry out overnight before introducing the snake to the setup. For best results, layer with sphagnum moss and leaf litter to retain moisture.

You can also use a pre-packaged substrate, though this can be more costly. Depending on the brand, you may still need to add some topsoil (if too dusty) or sand (if too muddy) to reach desired consistency. Here are some recommended commercial substrates appropriate for ball pythons:

The BioDude Terra Firma

Josh's Frogs Coco Select

Lugarti Reptile Bedding

Coconut fiber based substrates can become dusty when dry, these should be keep moist at all times.

Bioactive substrate
Another option is a bioactive setup. Bioactive enclosures are designed to mimic a reptile’s natural environment and stimulate natural behaviors. The DIY mix and BioDude substrates can easily support bioactivity with the addition of a “cleanup crew” of isopods and springtails that clean up uneaten food, fallen leaves, and fecal remains, making bioactive setups incredibly low maintenance.

Reptiles are much more intelligent than we humans tend to give them credit for, and that means they need things to entertain them. Otherwise they exist in a state of perpetual boredom, which makes them dull, inactive, and overall less interesting as pets. When reptiles have objects to interact with in their enclosure, they become less stressed and more engaged with their environment. This practice is called environmental enrichment.

It’s important to choose enrichment items (a.k.a. enclosure décor) that are appropriate to your pet’s natural behaviors. Since ball pythons like to hide, feel free to clutter it up! Here are some other objects that serve a vital function in a ball python terrarium:

UVB is important for healthy metabolism, specifically vitamin D synthesis and calcium metabolism, improving skin health, and strengthening the immune system. UVB can be replaced with an oral vitamin D3 supplement for ball pythons, but this method is less effective and more difficult to regulate, so we strongly recommend using a proper UV lamp instead.

UVA is beneficial to eyesight and is sensed by their pineal gland to regulate a circadian rhythm. UVA is emitted by both UV lamps and halogen bulbs.

Infrared radiation (i.e. heat) is important for reptiles' thermoregulation. As ectotherms, they rely on the heat of the sun to warm their bodies and stimulate their metabolism, digest their food, and stay alert and active. The shorter the wavelength, the deeper it can penetrate their muscle tissue. In captivity, we can provide this with specific heat bulbs that emit the most beneficial infrared wavelengths (IR-A and IR-B).

All light and heat should be kept on a regular schedule using outlet timers or done manually. This allows for a predictable day/night cycle which the snake can follow, allowing for natural hormonal rhythms and good mental health. We recommend the following schedule for ball pythons, based on their natural environment:

Ball pythons benefit greatly from a UV lamp in the enclosure. They have been proven able to survive without UVB if they receive sufficient supplementary vitamin D3 in their diet, but simply surviving is not thriving. The problem with using a supplement is that dosing is extremely imprecise and oral D3 is less efficiently absorbed by the body. Experts don't know much vitamin D3 snakes actually need, but they do know how much UVB is needed for them to self-regulate their own D3 production, so providing a UV lamp is far more beneficial to promote optimum health.

UVB Bulb
Ball pythons should have a low-to-medium strength T5 HO linear fluorescent bulb. The appropriate UVB % output for your enclosure is calculated by the distance between the lamp and the basking surface (see our chart in the Distance and Mesh section below).

We recommend Arcadia or Zoo Med bulbs, as these brands produce the best and most reliable UVB lamps on the market. This lamp should be roughly half the width of the enclosure and placed on the same side as the heat lamp. So if you have a 4’ long enclosure, you will need a 22” T5 HO UVB bulb.

Best 2.5-6% UVB bulbs for ball pythons (2’ HEIGHT enclosure):

Arcadia ShadeDweller MAX 2.5%

Arcadia ProT5 6%

Zoo Med Reptisun T5HO 5.0

Best 10-12% UVB bulbs for ball pythons (4’ HEIGHT enclosure):

Arcadia Desert 12%

Zoo Med Reptisun T5HO 10.0

Distance and Mesh
The bulb you choose will depend on your enclosure setup. The strength of the UVB lamp’s output varies according to distance from the bulb — stronger when closer, and weaker when further away. If you are using a Solarmeter 6.5 to measure your UVB lamp’s output, the UVI (UV Index) reading should be between 2.0-3.0 at the height of the python’s back when sitting on the basking platform, and down to zero on the cool side. Mesh will cause a 30-40% reduction in the bulb’s output.

If you don't have a Solarmeter, here is an estimate of how far the surface of your basking platform should be from the lamp, based on which bulb you are using and whether the lamp is mounted above or below mesh:

These measurements are based on Vivarium Electronics T5 HO / Arcadia ProT5 fixtures. If using a Zoo Med hood fixture, please reference this chart.

Fixture
To optimize your UVB bulb’s performance, you will need a high-quality reflective T5 HO fixture. Some lamps come in kits that already include a fixture, such as the Arcadia ShadeDweller MAX kit shown above. Otherwise, Josh's Frogs, Zoo Med, and Vivarium Electronics make various fixtures for T5 bulbs (NOTE: the Vivarium Electronics fixture comes with a daylight bulb that should be removed and replaced with an appropriate UVB bulb).

Josh's Frogs 24” T5 Fixture

(for 22” bulbs)

Zoo Med 24” T5 Hood

(for 22” bulbs)

Vivarium Electronics

T5HO Fixture (24”)

T5 bulbs last 12 months before requiring replacement, as their UVB output decays over time. Off-brand UVB bulbs are likely to have shorter lifespans and unreliable output. Avoid “compact” and coil UVB bulbs, as these cannot properly distribute a UV gradient across the enclosure.

Ball pythons need access to a variety of temperatures within a certain range in order to properly regulate their metabolism:

1. Basking surface: 95-104°F
2. Warm side ambient: 86-90°F
3. Cool side ambient: 72-80°F
4. Nighttime: 72-78°F, but no lower than 65°F

Ambient (air) temperatures in a ball python enclosure should never exceed 95°F!

All heat lamps should be turned off at night and kept on a regular day/night cycle that matches the same schedule as the UVB and daylight lamps, allowing for a natural temperature drop and a healthy circadian rhythm.

To track the temperatures in your ball python's enclosure, you will need a good thermometer. Temp gun-style infrared thermometers are useful for measuring surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure. However, digital probe thermometers are useful for being able to track local air temperatures at a glance. It's best to have at least 2 thermometers to measure temps on each end of the heat gradient. Here are some devices we recommend for measuring temperatures:

Zoo Med Digital Thermo & Humidity Gauge

Etekcity Lasergrip 774

Ball pythons need an average enclosure humidity of 60-80% during the day, rising to 80-100% at night, though occasional small dips and spikes are not likely to be harmful. A humid hide in the central or slightly cooler area of the enclosure should always be available and kept moist.

A large pump-action spray bottle can be used as a cost-effective option, but an automatic misting system is the easiest way to guarantee consistent, appropriate moisture levels in your enclosure. Adding a fogger to your setup will also help maintain ambient humidity, especially in drier climates, but the fogger should only be used at night. Proper loose substrate, adequately sized water bowl, good cross-ventilation, and overhead heating will all help to stabilize the enclosure's humidity levels.

Exo Terra Spray Bottle

MistKing System 5.0

Exo Terra Fogger

You can measure humidity with a hygrometer like the Zoo Med Digital Combo Gauge linked in the Measuring Temperature section. Hygrometers should be placed within 12” above the substrate towards the cooler end of the enclosure to give you an accurate idea of average humidity levels (or one on either side if using a thermo/hygro combo meter).

Here is a basic feeding schedule for a pet ball python:

This chart is intended to give a general understanding of an average feeding schedule for ball pythons - it is not a strict rulebook. Keepers should feed based on their individual snake's metabolism and needs. Understanding healthy body weight and fluctuations in a feeding schedule are vital to the proper keeping of any animal. Do not rely strictly on any one chart, as individual needs may vary.

You should offer an array of different prey items and sizes to your ball python - they need more than just rats to get a full spectrum of nutrition. The key to providing a healthy, balanced diet for your pet snake is variety. Here are some good feeder options:

Preparing Food
For frozen prey, thaw the feeder out in the fridge the night before feeding day. This allows it to thaw slowly in a cold environment, which discourages bacterial growth. About 15-30 minutes before feeding, put the prey in a BPA-free plastic bag like a Ziploc and submerge in warm, almost hot, water until it reaches optimal feeding temperature. Ball pythons rely primarily on their heat pits to hunt, so they respond best to a “live” mammal body temperature. Bring the prey to about 98-100°F before offering it to your snake. You can check the temperature with your temp gun.

Live feeding
We strongly recommend offering frozen-thawed prey, rather than live. This is much safer for the snake, as they can be seriously injured or even killed by live feeders. However, while frozen-thawed is always best, the goal is to make sure your python eats regularly. If live prey is the only way to accomplish that, just closely observe the entire interaction and immediately remove the feeder if it poses a threat to your snake or if it isn’t eaten within 15-30 minutes. NEVER leave your snake alone with live prey and try to avoid live feeding unless absolutely necessary.

All prey should be captive bred. Don’t feed your snake animals from the wild — this can make them sick! Here are some sites we recommend to buy safe, captive-bred, frozen feeders:

1. Perfect Prey
2. Layne Labs
3. Reptilinks

While in theory, ball pythons should get all the nutrition they need from whole prey, captive-bred feeder animals can be inferior to their wild counterparts when it comes to nutrition. You should lightly dust prey items occasionally with supplements to help fill in the gaps in your snake’s diet, about every 4th feeding. Since ball pythons do best with a 50/50 mix of calcium and multivitamin, we recommend using an all-in-one supplement for convenience and consistency.

The type of calcium+multivitamin your snake needs will depend on whether or not you provide UVB. Without UVB, reptiles cannot synthesize their own vitamin D3, so it must be provided via supplementation.

Best supplements for ball pythons:

1. Ball pythons with UVB: Arcadia RevitaliseD3
2. Ball pythons without UVB: Repashy Calcium Plus HyD

Aside from providing hydration and regulating humidity, a large, heavy water bowl also gives your snake a place to soak. Keep the water fresh and clean at all times and scrub the bowl once a week with a reptile-safe disinfectant such as chlorhexidine, F10SC, or Rescue.

Do not use distilled or softened water! Tap, spring, and even filtered water (assuming that it’s safe for humans to drink) contains minerals vital to your ball python’s health. You can dechlorinate tap water with a conditioner like ReptiSafe.

Handle you ball python at least 1-2x weekly, but no more than once daily. Snakes do not require social interaction for their mental health, but regular handling helps the snake stay tame and can be a good opportunity for exercise.

The most common illnesses and health problems in ball pythons are Inclusion Body Disease (IBD), Mites, Nidovirus, and Respiratory Infection. They can also suffer from husbandry issues such as burns, dehydration, and obesity. If your ball python is displaying potential symptoms of illness, it’s important to take them to an experienced reptile veterinarian right away for diagnosis and treatment. Do not try to treat them at home, as you could make the problem worse!