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Research on the way these snakes behaved under bright light determined that ultraviolet activity may be a factor in capturing prey. Vision plays an important role in a ball python’s ability to secure prey. Status: captivity 8.7 years Max Planck Institute for Demographic Researchīall pythons move by way of rectilinear locomotion, whereby bilateral symmetrical contractions propel them forward as they push against the surface.īall pythons are known for the protective mechanism of “balling,” where they form a tight ball with the head at the center in response to threats, earning them their common name, "ball python." ( Bustard, 1969 De Vosjoli, et al., 1995 Greene, 1997 McDonald, 1996 Sillman, et al., 1999) Status: captivity 30.5 years Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research ( Gorzula, et al., 1997 Bartlett and Bartlett, 2000 Bartlett, et al., 2001 Gorzula, et al., 1997) Average life span in the wild is reported to be 10 years. Reports document the maximum lifespan in captivity ranges from 28 years (at the Oakland Zoo) up to 50 years (reported by the Philadelphia Zoo). The average lifespan of ball pythons in captivity is 20 years. Ball pythons also stay in close proximity to eggs to protect them from predators. Once female ball pythons lay their eggs, they consistently ball around the eggs for protection. Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male) 16 to 18 months.Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female) 27 to 31 months.Breeding season Breeding is from mid-September through mid-November, correlating with the minor rainy season.Breeding interval Breeding occurs yearly.The probe will travel deeper into the base of the tail for male ball pythons, spanning 8 to 10 subcaudal scales in contrast to females in which the probe may be only inserted a distance of 2 to 4 subcaudal scales. Humans can determine python sex by placing a probe through the cloacal spur and into the inverted hemipenis. Both male and female ball pythons have large cloacal spurs. Males reach reproductive maturity at 16 to 18 months. Female ball pythons reach reproductive maturity from 27 to 31 months. Weight at birth is 65 to 103 grams, with an average of 86 grams. After the eggs are no longer attached and are ready to hatch, baby ball pythons slit the shells with their egg tooth and work their way out. A few days before hatching they lose their adhesion. The breeding season is primarily from mid-September through mid-November, correlating with the minor rainy season.
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( Aubret, et al., 2002)īall pythons have long reproductive lives that last from about 27 months to 30 years. Hatchlings are immediately independent, but remain in the vicinity for months after. ( De Vosjoli, et al., 1995) ReproductionĪfter laying their clutch of eggs, female ball pythons coil around their clutches until hatched (after approximately 2 months). Approximately 3 weeks after ovulation, a female ball python begins to shed its skin. Eggs are then hatched from mid-April to mid June. Most ball pythons lay their eggs during the second half of the dry season, from mid-February to the beginning of April. The gestation period is about 44 to 54 days. Range length 1 to 1.83 m 3.28 to 6.00 ftīall python hatchlings range from 25 to 43 centimeters adults from 0.9 to 1.5 meters.( Aubret, et al., 2005 Barker and Barker, 2006 De Vosjoli, et al., 1995) The resultant increase in swallowing capacity may improve their hunting ability. Adult females also have longer jaws than their male counterparts. This sexual dimorphism is not present in neonates, but is apparent in adults. Adult female ball pythons are larger than adult males. They may also have yellow stripes from the nostrils through the eyes. The typical ball python has large brown markings with lighter medium-brown spots interspersed between the darker spots. Their heads are larger than their relatively slender necks and they are considered heavy-bodied. There are some reports of ball pythons found in the wild at 1.83 meters in length. ( De Vosjoli, et al., 1995)Īt birth, ball pythons range from 25 to 43 centimeters in length and grow to 1 to 1.5 meters as adults. They inhabit savanna grasslands or open forests and are found in areas that have been cleared for farming. ( De Vosjoli, et al., 1995 Sillman, et al., 1999)īall pythons spend most of their time on or under the ground in burrows. They are native to the Sudanese subprovince west of the Nile, in southern Sudan, the Bahrel Ghazal and Nuba Mountains Region, from Senegal to Sierra Leone in West Africa, and in the Ivory Coast and some parts of Central Africa. Ball pythons ( Python regius), also known as royal pythons, are found in the grasslands and open forests of West and Central Africa.