A ball python in the wild

Interesting facts about Ball pythons

Blog

By

How much do you know about these fascinating snakes?

Ball pythons are sentient animals who lead complex and interesting lives in their wild habitats. How many of these facts did you know?

A wild Ball python among brown leaves on the ground

1. Fit for a king 

Ball pythons are also known as Royal pythons, as it said that ancient African tribal leaders would wear the snakes around their necks like jewellery. That’s quite a big necklace, as adult Ball pythons can be up to 1.5 metres long

2. What’s in a name 

The name Ball python, which is more commonly used in American English, draws from the fact that these snakes tend to curl up in a ball when they are scared or stressed. They are shy animals that are easily spooked. 

3. Farmer’s friend 

Ball pythons are ambush predators that feed primarily on birds and rodents, and therefore serve as important pest controllers in many rural communities. They are non-venomous, killing their prey via constriction. 

4. Homes in the wild 

In their natural habitat, Ball pythons typically spend the daytime in holes as they are mostly nocturnal animals. They leave their burrows and holes at night to hunt, climb trees and explore, providing them with stimulation and exercise. 

5. Mother knows best

Parental care of eggs is relatively rare among snakes, but female pythons have been observed to tightly coil around their eggs throughout the incubation period. In cool climates, they shiver to generate heat and keep their clutch warm.  

A Ball python slides over a white background

Ball pythons suffer in the exotic pet trade 

It’s easy to understand why such fascinating animals make popular pets. But even when bred in captivity, Ball pythons are wild animals whose full range of needs can only be met in the wild. Captivity is a lifetime of suffering.  

To fulfil the global demand for pet snakes, many Ball pythons are torn from the wild or farmed in squalid conditions: over 3 million of them have been exported from West Africa in the past 45 years. In Western markets, they are captive bred in cruel conditions to create designer ‘morphs’, risking their health.

Make a difference > Join our community

We campaign to improve animal's lives in Africa and around the world. Why not join us today?

Join Us To End Animal Cruelty