If previously a terrarium in an apartment or office was a rare occurrence, today the number of exotic lovers has increased significantly.
Description and general characteristics of the species
The natural habitat of this reptile species is the western coast of the African continent. Pythons spend most of their lives underground, escaping the sweltering heat of the savannah. When choosing a shelter, they prefer large snags near the water, dark holes between tree roots, and wet moss of fallen trees. Like all snakes, the royal python is lazy and not aggressive, but this laziness is deceptive - a hungry snake is a dangerous enemy. The activity time of this type of reptile occurs in the evening; it is with the onset of darkness that the python crawls out to hunt. They eat small birds, lizards, mice, etc.
The royal python is not picky and is well bred in captivity; with proper care and proper nutrition, it is quite friendly, attacks only in cases of extreme threat, it usually curls up into a spherical ball and thus spends all the time free from absorbing food.
Royal pythons are long-lived - twenty to thirty years is the norm, of course, in the natural environment this figure is halved, which is directly related to the difficulties of obtaining food and encountering natural enemies. They become sexually mature at the age of 3-5 years.
What is the superiority of this species over others for breeding at home?
- compact dimensions;
- aesthetic appearance;
- unpretentiousness of content;
- friendly, relatively not dangerous.
But there are also disadvantages, namely:
- Pythons are nocturnal animals, therefore, during the daytime they are extremely passive.
Description
Royal pythons have a strong physique, the body diameter reaches twelve to fifteen centimeters, the head of the snake is decorated with a yellow triangle - a crown. The combination of black, bright yellow and beige in coloring contributes to the fact that this type of reptile has a memorable and original appearance. Oddly enough, the female sex differs from the male sex in quite impressive sizes, for example, females grow up to one and a half, and sometimes two meters, and males - up to a meter.
Conditions of detention
Royal pythons are terrestrial animals, so the area of the terrarium is a hundred times more significant parameter than its height.
A container the size of a shoebox will suit a baby, but an adult needs a larger home. The minimum parameters of a terrarium are 0.8 by 0.5 meters, but if you can increase the size, then you should not miss this opportunity. However, it must be remembered that the larger the area, the more difficult it is to care for the pet, creating the microclimate necessary for this species.
Material for the terrarium:
- Glass.
- Tree.
- Plastic.
If previously glass was the optimal material in terms of parameters, today plastic terrariums with a sliding glass facade are gaining the greatest popularity. The inside is covered with a waterproofing layer, the edges and corners are rounded - this greatly simplifies cleaning and disinfection. Plastic terrariums, unlike glass ones, are much lighter and less scratchable. Another advantage is that they can be purchased at a specialized store, but glass is a rather expensive material, fragile and impractical.
One of the prerequisites is a top cover to prevent the reptile from escaping. The lid should not only be present, but be tight and with a sufficient number of ventilation holes. The bottom is lined with cypress shavings, torn paper or artificial substrate; it is better not to use ordinary sawdust, especially cedar, as they are very toxic to snakes. Remember, whatever you use as bedding, always keep a fresh supply. Arrange several secluded corners in the snake’s home (depending on the space occupied), do not overdo it, so as not to unnecessarily clutter the space. A simple piece of driftwood or an empty tree trunk can help you with this; in the end, you can use an ordinary cardboard box or flower pot. Make sure that the objects in the terrarium are free of chips and sharp corners in order to avoid injury to your pet. Living greenery looks unusually exotic in a terrarium, but this is extremely impractical, because... complicates animal care.
Another most important condition for keeping a royal python is maintaining the temperature and humidity in the terrarium. Daytime temperatures can fluctuate between 25-29°C, while night temperatures should be slightly lower – 20-24°C. Of course, the ideal option for heating is a thermostat, but not everyone can afford it, so you can use a regular incandescent lamp or an electric rug placed under a glass bottom as a heater. Moreover, there is no need to heat the entire terrarium; it is enough to place the heating element in one of the corners to allow the animal to choose the optimal temperature for it. Remember, under no circumstances should you use heated cobblestones for heating! This may injure the snake.
Temperature is measured with a conventional thermometer near the heating source. Do not place the terrarium near radiators or other heating devices, as they can become additional sources of high temperature, which can lead to overheating of the reptile.
I don’t think it’s worth saying that the larger the terrarium, the more heat is needed and the more powerful the heater should be. It is worth noting that wooden structures retain heat better, unlike plastic and glass ones.
In addition to heating, you also need to take care of additional daylighting (especially in the autumn-winter period), for this purpose full fluorescent spectrum lamps are used. The optimal length of daylight for the royal python is 12 daytime and 12 night hours. In summer, daylight hours are increased to 14 hours, and in winter they are reduced to 10.
To maintain an optimal level of humidity inside the terrarium, you can and should arrange an artificial pond. The optimal water temperature for a snake is 22.5-26°C. Snakes are happy to take water treatments every day, and the water is changed daily
Nutrition of the royal python
Royal pythons are predators that feed on mice, rats, hamsters, chickens or quails (depending on the size of the reptile). As a rule, they use dead and frozen carcasses, defrosting them first.
How often do you feed your snake? The frequency of feeding is determined by the age of the latter, its activity, conditions of detention, and the size of prey. Young individuals feed once or twice a week, adults - once every 7-14 days. Feeding occurs in the dark. In winter, snakes eat less often, and sometimes go completely hungry for several weeks. Refusal to feed occurs during molting and during pregnancy until the hour when the female forms a clutch. And, despite their rather ascetic lifestyle, royal pythons are prone to obesity.
In any case, if your pet refuses to eat for a period of one to four months, you need to monitor its weight. If the snake loses too much weight, it is necessary to offer live prey (usually a small mouse is chosen to avoid injury). If she continues to refuse the food offered, then it is worth checking whether she is suffering from stomatitis.
Breeding the Royal Python
The royal python reproduces without problems in captivity. Moreover, this process can be controlled and even stimulated by lowering night temperatures to 21°C in autumn. A decrease in temperature promotes the onset of mating season.
The mating process lasts for two to three weeks. With a successful combination of circumstances, pregnancy occurs and, after 4 months, the female lays eggs. Clutch size varies from three to twelve eggs. Baby snakes can be hatched naturally (by a female) or artificially (using an incubator). When maintaining a constant temperature of 32°C, the eggs hatch into baby snakes after 55 days.
In conclusion, I want to say that if you decide to get a royal python, then it is better to opt for a young individual, preferably bred in captivity, because this does not cause damage to the natural population, and snakes born in captivity do not have problems with acclimatization, were not injured during capture and fed well. When choosing a baby snake, pay attention to its weight and muscle tone. He should not suffer from dehydration, and also have remnants of previous shedding on his body. Ask to feed the snake; it should feed itself.
The royal python is a non-venomous snake belonging to the genus of true pythons. Widely distributed in Africa. The reptile is often kept at home due to its unpretentiousness. She is not at all aggressive, has a peaceful character and calmly treats people. A snake can attack only in exceptional cases when it is in serious danger, but this happens extremely rarely. The royal python can be successfully bred in captivity.
Description
The royal python can be found in nature in tropical forests with high humidity. Its activity is most often observed at night. During the day, the snake hides in shelters (hollows, holes, fallen leaves), and at dusk it goes out to hunt. Loves water and swims well. Capable of climbing trees. When threatened, it curls up into a tight ball, hiding its head inside.
According to the description, the royal python is a small snake, the length of which is 1.5 meters. Her body is thick and powerful, and her tail is short. The muscles of the body are so well developed that when a snake squeezes and squeezes its victim, it is impossible for it to escape. The head is large, wide, with a pronounced demarcation from the cervical region. The snake's body is covered with golden and black scales that shimmer beautifully. There is also a piebald color, which was obtained as a result of breeding work. On the head is a golden-yellow triangle called the crown. The branched tongue acts as a tactile organ. Puberty occurs at the age of 3–5 years. The royal python lives for about 45 years.
The snake's character is balanced. She rarely bites, and her bites are not poisonous. Can exist peacefully with members of its own species. A python living at home is calm and obedient.
Morphs
As a result of long-term selection work, numerous morphological changes have occurred in the color of the python. The most popular morphs of the royal python include the following:
| Morphs | Description |
Lesser Platinum  | This snake has a unique coloration, combining platinum and brown. |
Butter  | In this morph, instead of platinum, an ash-sand shade predominates, which combines beautifully with the smoky color. Sometimes there are copper or bronze options |
Regius  | The snake's body is covered with brownish and black scales |
Super Lesser  | The albino morph is a solid white color without any spots. His eyes are bright blue |
Orange Ghost  | It differs from the others in its bright orange body color with white streaks. Eyes golden or black |
Woma  | The morph is of an unusual color, reminiscent of a leopard or tiger skin. The main color is sand or brown. The entire body is covered with asymmetrical stripes of darker spots. Head and eyes are black |
Conditions of detention
Although royal pythons are unpretentious animals, they need to be provided with comfortable living conditions.
The terrarium should be chosen in a large size. For young individuals, purchase a tank of 40–80 liters. When the pet reaches a length of one meter, the terrarium is replaced with a new, larger one. Snakes often crawl out into the wild. To prevent this from happening, the lid must be made of glass or strong wire.
The bottom of the terrarium is covered with fillers. It can be:
- special artificial substrate;
- paper or torn newspapers;
- cypress shavings.
In the terrarium, they must arrange secluded places for the reptile, where it will hide if necessary. You can use a shoebox or flower pot for this. In addition, you can purchase a rocky mound, an empty tree trunk, driftwood and other items at a pet store. In this case, the pet needs to have room to move.
The terrarium is illuminated with wide-spectrum fluorescent lamps. They allow light to spread as much as possible throughout the entire area of the home. For heating, use a regular incandescent lamp or a special mat placed under the tank. The temperature during the day is +25...+27 degrees, and at night it should drop to +20...+22 degrees. This is necessary for the normal well-being of the pet.
Snakes love to swim. The humidity in the terrarium is maintained at the required level using an artificial pond, which is installed inside the tank. The water temperature in it should be +25 degrees, it needs to be replaced every day.
Feeding
In nature, the python's food is small mammals and birds. A reptile that lives at home should be fed small rabbits, chickens, mice and rats. The young are mostly fed mice. It is recommended to take non-live food for snakes. It is advisable to first freeze it and defrost it before giving it to the python. The snake's eating time is twilight or night.
Due to their physiological characteristics, pythons are prone to obesity, so their diet must be balanced.
Young reptiles are offered food once every 5 days, adults - once every 10 days. This is due to long digestion of food. Special vitamins and minerals designed for snakes can be added to the diet.
Reproduction
Royal pythons can breed in captivity in June - November. This process can be further stimulated by reducing the temperature in the terrarium to +21 degrees. This lowering of the regime has a beneficial effect on the reptiles, and they begin mating games.
If everything goes well, the female lays 4–6 eggs in 120–140 days. After this, the incubation period begins, which lasts up to 90 days. The female can warm the offspring with her body, otherwise the eggs should be placed in an incubator with a temperature of +35 degrees. Hatched pythons weigh 46 g and their body length reaches 43 cm.
Diseases
Due to improper care, the snake can be susceptible to various diseases. The first signs that your pet is sick are refusal to eat and weight loss. If the body weight has decreased quite significantly, the reptile must be force-fed. If the python still refuses to eat, it most likely has stomatitis, a fairly common disease.
To cure the disease, dead tissue, pus and blood clots are removed from the oral cavity with a gauze swab, which is moistened with hydrogen peroxide. First, the mucous membrane is treated with an antiseptic (an aqueous solution of potassium permanganate, furatsilin), and then with an antibacterial drug. An effective result was shown by a 0.5% solution of Dioxidin together with Septefril.
Other python diseases include:
- dystocia;
- chronic or acute respiratory syndrome;
- exhaustion;
- disekdis.
The royal python, unlike the boa constrictor, does not pose a danger to humans. It has a peaceful character, which is why this reptile is most often kept at home.
Name: royal python, ball python.
The royal python's habitat ranges from western to central Africa (north of the equator). Pythons are found in open forests and shrouds, near water, where the snakes cool off in the heat. The royal python spends most of the day in burrows. It is a crepuscular animal that is most active at dawn and dusk. In the wild, royal pythons hunt lizards, small snakes, amphibians, birds and small mammals.
On the python’s head there is a large dark triangular spot on top; on the side there are lateral oculotemporal stripes, between which lies a yellow stripe.
Females and males have "anal spurs" that resemble small claws on either side of the anus. Like other snakes, royal pythons have a very sensitive, branched tongue, which they use as a sensory organ.
Females of the royal python are larger than males and reach a length of up to 1.8 m, although the most common snakes are 1.2 m in size. The royal python has a very muscular body, 10-15 cm in diameter, males are thinner and have smaller heads, than in females. Male royal pythons have larger "anal spurs" than females. Young pythons grow 30 cm every year (during the first three years). Puberty occurs at the age of 3-5 years.
In the wild, pythons live up to 10 years, in captivity 20-30 years.
Royal pythons rarely bite; if something threatens them, they curl into a tight ball, hiding their heads inside. It is because of this feature that the python got its name “ball python”. They can be kept with other snakes as these pythons are docile and easy to keep.
When choosing a terrarium for a royal python, you need to remember that they grow large, so the terrarium should be quite spacious, preferably horizontal. Young pythons can be kept in 17-35 liter terrariums; after they grow to 90 cm, they are moved to a terrarium with a glass or acrylic front wall. The perimeter of the terrarium should be at least twice the length of the snake.
The terrarium must be closed with a lid on top, as the snake can escape. A mesh lid is desirable to ensure good ventilation. Cypress mulch, paper towels, newspapers or Astroturf artificial substrate are used as bedding. You should always have clean bedding on hand. Do not use sawdust as bedding.
Create many secret places in the terrarium where the snake will hide, for example, put flower pots without soil, cardboard boxes. Place several strong branches. All objects in the terrarium must have no sharp corners. The royal python will hide in shelters for most of the daylight hours.
The temperature of keeping a royal python should be around 25-29.4°C during the day, with a heating zone (in this zone the temperature should reach 32°C) and 20-24°C at night. Additional heating can be provided by placing a ceramic heater under half the bottom of the terrarium, a heating pad, or on top of the terrarium. During the day, the terrarium is illuminated with 75-watt (or lower) light bulbs placed at the top of the terrarium.
Do not use hot stones to heat the terrarium!
Measure the temperature in several parts of the terrarium day and night using a thermometer. Don't forget to measure the temperature under the light bulb and near the bottom of the terrarium.
To maintain the proper temperature, it is better to use thermostats for this purpose. The terrarium should be placed away from the heating system, batteries, and other objects that can be additional sources of high temperatures.
For daytime lighting, full-spectrum fluorescent lamps are used.
For the royal python, you must always maintain a certain length of daylight hours: 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness. In summer, daylight hours can be increased by 2 hours, and reduced by 2 hours in winter.
In the terrarium you need to create a spacious pond in which the python will swim. The pond must be stable so that the python cannot overturn it. The water temperature should be 22-26°C. The water is changed every day. Spraying water from a spray bottle is not recommended, since royal pythons need low humidity, since pythons quickly get sick with high humidity.
Royal pythons are carnivores; in captivity, young pythons eat small mice; adult snakes feed on mice, rats, hamsters, chickens or quails. Food must be killed and frozen. Before feeding, food is thawed. Avoid feeding live food, as it can cause serious injury to snakes, and rodents can also become infected with various diseases.
The frequency of feeding a python depends on its age, temperature, size of prey and activity of the snake. Young snakes eat 1-2 times a week, adults can eat once every 1-2 weeks. In winter, if the temperature is low, the snake eats even less or refuses to eat at all for several weeks. Pregnant females do not feed until they lay eggs. Snakes that shed do not eat at all. Royal pythons are prone to obesity. Pythons are fed in the evening or at dusk.
If your python has not eaten for more than 1-4 months, carefully monitor its weight. If the royal python has lost too much weight, you have to force feed it, or try placing the snake in a small space and putting a live mouse in there (not a baby mouse, but already a little independent, which cannot harm the snake). The mouse will run around the snake and irritate it. In most cases, reptiles eat the food offered. If the python continues to refuse food, check its mouth to see if it has stomatitis. This is an oviparous species. There are 2-9 eggs in a clutch. The incubation period is 66-75 days.
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The royal python is known to many exotic reptile owners as the ball python or ball python. This completely non-venomous and non-aggressive snake belongs to the genus of true pythons, which are widespread throughout Africa.
Description of the royal python
Royal pythons are one of the smallest pythons, and the length of an adult individual, as a rule, does not exceed one and a half meters. The reptile has a thick and fairly powerful body with a short tail. The head is wide and large, has a well-defined, noticeable demarcation from the cervical region.
The pattern on the body is represented by alternating irregular stripes and spots of light brown and dark brown color or almost black. Some areas of the body may have attractive white edging. The abdominal part is white or cream colored with rare and slightly pronounced dark spots.
Royal python morphs
In captivity, through long-term selection work, numerous interesting morphological changes in the coloration of the reptile's skin, which were the result of various genetic mutations, were obtained and fixed.
This is interesting! The most popular morphs in home keeping are “albino”, “orange ghost”, “spider” and “woma”, as well as “platinum morphism”.
Today, “morphs” with different colors and unusual patterns are very well known, as well as individuals that are almost completely devoid of integumentary scales, which gives the reptile a very original appearance.
Habitat in the wild
The zone of the main mass distribution of the royal python extends from the western territories of the continent to central Africa. Pythons live in open forest areas and in shrouds, next to large enough bodies of water in which the reptiles can cool off on too hot days.
Pythons spend a significant part of the day in burrows, and their most active hours are at dawn and dusk.
Prey, diet
In natural conditions, royal pythons most often hunt small lizards, as well as smaller snakes, earth rats and shrews. The diet may also include birds, their eggs and small mammals.
Lifestyle, enemies of snakes
Royal pythons swim very well and willingly take water treatments.. The reptile climbs trees quite quickly. The main threat to the species comes from large lizards and crocodiles, as well as large birds, including eagles and predatory mammals. In case of danger, the python is capable of relatively quickly curling up into a tight ball of body rings, for which it received its unusual name “ball python” or “ball python”.
Royal python at home
In recent years, more and more terrarium keepers have given preference to such a fairly unpretentious and very interesting reptile as the royal python. To be successful, you will need to purchase a good terrarium, and also carefully read the basic rules of care.
Construction of the terrarium
Before purchasing a terrarium, you should remember that a fairly spacious, preferably horizontal, home is suitable for keeping a royal python at home. For young individuals, terrariums with a volume of up to 30-35 liters are optimal. More adult pythons need to be provided with a “room” approximately one and a half meters long, equipped with a translucent front wall made of glass or acrylic. A prerequisite for proper maintenance is the presence of a mesh lid that can provide high-quality ventilation of the entire internal space.
Important! The minimum dimensions of a terrarium for baby pythons can be approximately 40x25x10 cm, and for adult royal pythons, the “dwelling” cannot be less than 60x40x20 cm.
The optimal bedding would be cypress mulch, as well as paper towels or the Astroturf artificial substrate option. Do not use wood shavings or sawdust. It is very important to arrange a significant number of secret corners inside the terrariums under driftwood, branches or relatively large, but not sharp shards, where the reptile will hide throughout the daylight hours.
The standard temperature regime for keeping a royal python should be 25.0-29.4 o C during the daytime. In the heating zone, the temperature can be at 31-32 o C. At night, the temperature in the common area should be reduced to 21.0-23.4 o C. For additional heating, a heating pad or a modern ceramic-type heater can be used.
Important! A spacious and very stable reservoir with a water temperature of 22.0-26.0 o C should be created in the terrarium for bathing the reptile. Water must be replaced daily.
During the day, fluorescent lamps with a power of 60-75 W, located in the upper part of the terrarium, are used for lighting. It is necessary to maintain a certain daylight hours, which is approximately twelve hours. In summer, daylight hours can be increased by a couple of hours. It is not recommended to spray water from household spray bottles in the presence of an artificial reservoir. High humidity often causes many diseases in the royal python.
Royal python diet
A reptile of this species belongs to the category of carnivores, therefore, even in captivity, the diet should be represented by relatively small mice, medium-sized rats, hamsters, as well as chickens or quails. Food should be killed and frozen first. Immediately before feeding, the food must be thoroughly defrosted at room temperature.
The frequency of giving food should be based on the age of the pet, and also be sure to take into account the temperature of the keeping, the size of the prey and the level of activity of the reptile. As a rule, young and active individuals receive food a couple of times a week. It is recommended to feed adult royal pythons about once a week.
This is interesting! It should be remembered that a specific feature of the species is the predisposition of royal pythons to obesity, so the quantity and quality of food must be very carefully controlled.
In winter, especially in conditions of low temperatures, pythons eat little and reluctantly, or even refuse to eat for several weeks in a row, which is not a sign of illness, but refers to the physiological characteristics of the reptile. Females expecting offspring do not feed until they lay eggs. Pythons need to be fed in the evening or after dusk. The reptile should always have clean, fresh water in its access area.
Lifespan
The average lifespan of royal pythons when kept in comfortable conditions at home is approximately twenty to thirty years. Individuals living in natural, natural conditions rarely cross the ten-year threshold.
House snake diseases, prevention
Big problems can arise if a pet python does not eat for more than one month. In this case, you need to strictly control the reptile’s weight, and if it decreases significantly, force feed the pet. As a rule, pythons refuse to eat for a long time due to stomatitis, the presence of which can be determined by a careful examination of the reptile’s mouth.
In addition to stomatitis, the royal python is susceptible to the following diseases:
- dystocia is a disease associated with a violation of the oviposition process, and accompanied by the stoppage of the egg in the genital tract;
- exhaustion of various origins and severity;
- prolapse of organs from the cloaca;
- disekdis;
- acute or chronic respiratory syndrome;
- Cryptosporidiosis is a protozoal disease accompanied by significant depletion of the reptile.
Compliance with maintenance rules and timely prevention can minimize the risk of royal python diseases and also prevent the development of severe complications.
Python breeding
The royal python reaches sexual maturity at the age of three years in natural conditions, and one and a half years in captivity. The breeding season occurs from the first ten days of September to mid-November. The female's pregnancy lasts approximately one and a half months, and the incubation period takes about two months and occurs at a temperature of 32 o C.
There are no pronounced differences between males and females. Comparative visual inspection reveals a longer tail with thickening in the cloaca area in males. Females have a relatively short tail and a complete lack of thickening. The claw-like rudiments in the anal area of males are more powerful and longer. Females are distinguished by a fairly powerful physique and large size. The body length of baby pythons born is 41-43 cm, and their body weight does not exceed 46-47 g.
Shedding
Before the onset of molting, the royal python experiences a characteristic clouding of the eyes, on which a very peculiar and clearly visible film is formed. At this time, it is necessary to increase the humidity level inside the terrarium. It is allowed to supplement the reptile’s diet with special vitamin complexes.
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