Ball Python FAQ: Feeding & Care Questions

Ball pythons often refuse food around a shed, after a move, in breeding season or in the cooler months. Low temperatures, too few hides and handling too soon before feeding are other common causes. Check your setup with digital gauges, wait a week and try again, perhaps at night or with a different prey size. See a reptile vet if your snake loses more than about 10% of its body weight or shows signs of illness.

Hatchlings under about 200 g eat every 5–7 days, juveniles up to about 500 g every 7–10 days, sub-adults up to about 1,000 g every 10–14 days and adults about every 14 days. Weight is a better guide than age, so weigh your snake regularly. The snake feeding calculator gives a schedule and prey size for your snake’s exact weight.

Choose prey weighing about 10–15% of your snake’s body weight while it is growing and 5–10% once it is an adult. The prey should also be no wider than the widest part of the snake’s body. A small lump after eating is normal; a very large bulge means the meal was too big. The ball python feeding chart matches snake weights to rodent sizes.

Frozen-thawed prey is the standard recommendation. It cannot bite or injure your snake, it is easier to buy in bulk and store, and it comes in exact sizes. Thaw prey in the fridge overnight, then warm it in a sealed bag in warm water until it reaches about body temperature. Never microwave prey. Offer it with tongs and a little movement to trigger a feeding strike.

Healthy adult ball pythons can go weeks and sometimes months without food, especially in winter or breeding season, while losing very little weight. Young snakes have smaller reserves and should not fast for long. Weigh your snake every couple of weeks during a fast and keep a log. Loss of more than about 10% of body weight, or any signs of illness, means it is time for a vet visit.

Many ball pythons, especially adult males, naturally eat less or stop eating in the cooler months, even when enclosure temperatures are correct. This is often linked to seasonal breeding behavior. As long as your snake is not losing much weight and looks healthy, keep offering food every couple of weeks and keep temperatures and humidity stable, particularly at night when rooms cool down.

The skin looks dull and the eyes turn cloudy or blue for several days, then clear up a few days before the shed itself. Many snakes refuse food, hide more and may be defensive during this time because their vision is poor. Raise humidity slightly, make sure the humid hide is damp, and avoid handling until the shed is complete and you have checked that it came off in one piece.

First raise humidity and offer a humid hide. For stubborn patches, let your snake soak briefly in shallow lukewarm water under supervision, or place it in a ventilated tub with damp towels, then let it crawl through a damp cloth to loosen the skin. Never pull hard on stuck shed. Retained eye caps, the clear scales over the eyes, should be checked by a vet rather than removed at home.

Watch for wheezing or clicking breaths, open-mouth breathing, bubbles or mucus at the nose or mouth, and holding the head raised for long periods. Respiratory infections are often linked to temperatures that are too low or humidity that is too high with poor airflow. They do not clear up on their own and need diagnosis and treatment by a reptile vet, usually with medication.

Soaking is often normal shortly before a shed. Frequent soaking at other times can mean the enclosure is too hot or too dry, so check temperatures and humidity first. Less often it is a sign of mites, tiny dark specks that move around the eyes, chin and water bowl. If you see mites, clean the whole enclosure and contact a reptile vet for safe treatment.

An adult ball python needs at least 48 × 24 × 24 inches, about 120 gallons, and large females do better in a 72 × 24 × 24-inch enclosure. PVC enclosures with solid tops hold heat and humidity far better than glass tanks with mesh lids. Fill the space with hides and clutter so your snake feels secure. See our enclosure setup guide for a full layout.

Aim for a basking area of about 88–92°F, a cool side of 75–80°F, nights no lower than about 72°F, and humidity of 50–70%, about 60–65% during shed. Measure at snake level with digital gauges and run every heat source on a thermostat. Our temperature and humidity guide includes a checker that tells you what to change.

Adult ball pythons usually measure 3–5 feet and weigh 1,000–2,500 grams, with females typically larger than males. They grow fastest in their first two years and reach adult size at about three to five years. With good care, ball pythons commonly live 20–30 years, so plan for a long commitment. See the ball python growth chart for typical sizes by age.

Most ball pythons tolerate calm, short handling well once they are settled. Leave a new snake alone for about a week first. Support its body, let it move through your hands rather than gripping it, and keep sessions short at first. Avoid handling during shed, when vision is poor, and for at least 48 hours after a meal, because handling a snake with a full stomach can cause regurgitation.

Ball pythons usually bite when they are startled, when they smell food on your hands, or during shed when their vision is cloudy. Feeding with tongs, washing your hands before handling, and approaching calmly from the side all help. Young snakes are often more defensive and usually calm down with gentle, regular handling. A bite from a ball python is rarely serious; clean it with soap and water.

It is not recommended. Ball pythons are solitary animals that do not form social bonds and do not get lonely. Housing two together can cause stress, competition or accidents at feeding time, and makes it hard to notice health problems such as a refusal to eat or unusual droppings. Each snake should have its own enclosure with its own warm and cool hides.

Ball pythons can live without UVB, and many have been kept this way for decades. Low-level UVB with plenty of shade is increasingly recommended, because it may support overall health and natural day–night behavior. If you add it, use a low-output tube, cover only part of the enclosure, and make sure your snake can always retreat into a shaded hide.

Set up and run the enclosure for several days before the snake arrives, and check temperatures and humidity with digital gauges so you can fix problems early. Buy frozen-thawed prey of the right size, feeding tongs and a kitchen scale. After bringing your snake home, leave it alone for about a week to settle, then offer its first meal and start a feeding and weight log.