Behavior & Temperament

The pied ball python is pretty calm and easy to handle, like most other types of ball pythons. Even though hatchlings and young birds can be scared at first, they get used to being handled quickly.

The morning and evening are when ball pythons are most active (dawn and dusk). During these times, they might be easier to handle.

Remember that there are times when you shouldn’t touch your ball python. This includes 12 hours before eating, 12 hours after eating, near sheds, and 3–4 days after moving to a new enclosure.

They may also be scared if something changes quickly outside their enclosure. For example, if you get a new dog or have a baby, your python may hide more.

Since ball pythons are naturally shy, it’s best to keep them in a quiet room with a moderate amount of noise. If there are too many people or too many loud sounds, they might not want to come out of their hiding places.

Lifespan

Pied ball pythons can live for 20 to 30 years if they are well cared for. With the right housing, food, and care, they can be a long-term friend.

Since this is the case, only serious pet owners should buy or take in pied ball pythons. There are other snakes that don’t live as long if you want a reptile but don’t want to commit to one for ten years.

Enclosure

Pied ball pythons need at least 60 gallons of space to live in. Since these snakes only climb sometimes, horizontal space is better than vertical space.

Pied pythons can live in terrariums, glass tanks, or on a rack. But there should be enough room for your snake to stretch out (with no curves or kinks in their body).

There are four primary components of any good enclosure: water access, substrate, hides, and enrichment.

Your pied ball python should be able to drink clean water all the time.

You can put different things in the bottom of your snake’s cage. These include bark from orchids, mulch from cypress trees, ground-up coconut husk, and other similar materials.

Temperature & Lighting

Pied ball pythons need a warm enclosure with a temperature gradient between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. This gradient should be made clear so that your snake can move between the “hot” and “cool” sides to regulate its temperature.

People often use day-and-night heat bulbs, ceramic heat emitters, and under-tank (UT) heaters to keep warm. Heat tape is better for rack systems.

Diet

Rodents, like rats or mice, are the best food for pied ball pythons. They like to eat live animals, like most pythons.

Since this is the case, it’s best to kill prey before feeding sessions. You can also buy frozen game and let it thaw.

This snake might only eat once every three weeks or once every month in the wild. But if you keep your pied ball python in a cage, it will need to eat more often.

Adults should be fed every two or three weeks, depending on how big they are and what they like to eat. Snakes that are 4 to 5 feet long might need to eat more.

Hatchlings and juveniles should be fed once per week.

Your snake’s food should never be bigger than its widest part. Make sure you buy and offer rodents that are the right size.

Remember to add calcium and Vitamin D to your python’s food as needed.