Ball python

Profile

Length

usually 90–120 cm, females larger, some individuals up to 180 cm

Weight

adults about 1–2.5 kg, females heavier than males

Life span

20–30 years, more than 30 is possible

Activity

active at dusk and at night, spends the day in tight hides

Source [1]

Climate and light

Day

26–32 °C (79–90 °F)

Night

23–25 °C (73–77 °F)

Basking spot

32–35 °C (90–95 °F)

Humidity

60–80%

Light

About 12 hours of light all year, on a fixed day-night schedule. Heat from above with a heat lamp behind a guard, plus a low-output UVB lamp with shaded places to retreat to.

Around 80% in the humid hide, a little more during a shed. Not below 23 °C (73 °F) at night. Austria requires 29–31 °C (84–88 °F) during the day and 60–90% humidity.

Sources [1] [2] [3] [4]

Enclosure

For an adult of about 120 cm, at least 150 × 60 × 90 cm (L × W × H). This meets the minimums in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Young snakes feel safer in a smaller enclosure at first, and the rules expressly allow this while they grow. Ideally visible only from the front and in a quiet spot.

Substrate

Moisture-retaining and dust-free, such as soil, humus or bark mulch.

Setup

At least two tight hides (warm and cool), one of them humid. A water bowl the snake fits into completely, branches for climbing, a thermometer and a hygrometer.

Sources [1] [4]

Minimum sizes

• GermanyGuideline

  Length 1 × total length, width 0.5 ×, height 0.75 ×, for up to two animals of about the same size. About 20% more volume for each additional animal. A guideline value: in individual cases the enclosure may be up to about 10% smaller.

  Source [3]

• AustriaLaw

  1–2 animals up to 50 cm: 0.2 m² floor area, 0.4 m high · 50–100 cm: 0.5 m², 0.6 m · adults: 0.9 m², 0.7 m. Add 0.1 m² (adults: 0.2 m²) for each additional animal.

  Source [2]

• SwitzerlandLaw

  For up to two animals: floor area 1 × 0.5 body lengths, height 0.75 body lengths (total length of the largest animal). Add 0.5 × 0.2 body lengths for each additional animal.

  Source [5]

Feeding

• Juvenileup to 6 monthsevery 5–7 days

  Pinky mouse, Adult mouse, Rat pup · no thicker than the thickest part of the body

• Subadult6 months to about 2 yearsevery 10–14 days

  Adult mouse, Rat · no thicker than the thickest part of the body

• Adultfrom about 2 years or 90 cmevery 14–21 days

  Rat · no thicker than the thickest part of the body

Prey size

10–15% of body weight

Rule of thumb from keeping practice: a feeder weighs about 10–15% of the snake's body weight and is no thicker than the thickest part of the snake.

Source [6]

Feed in the evening, freshly killed or thawed. Don't feed while the snake is in shed (cloudy eyes). Fasts of weeks to months are normal, especially for males in winter, as long as the weight stays stable. That is why you should weigh regularly.

Sources [1] [2]

Shedding

Juveniles about every 4–6 weeks, adults less often. The eyes turn cloudy 1–2 weeks before. The skin should come off in one piece. Stuck shed on the eyes or tail tip usually means the air is too dry.

Source [1]

Brumation

No true brumation. In winter, shorten the light by 2–4 hours and lower the temperature by 4–6 °C (7–11 °F), especially before a pairing.

Source [2]

Breeding

Sexual maturity

males from about 1–1.5 years, females usually not until 2.5–3 years and around 1,500 g

Clutch

usually 5–7 eggs, 1–11 in all

Incubation

55–60 days at 31–32 °C (88–90 °F)

After the ovulation, the clear swelling in the rear third of the body, females usually lay after 41–53 days. About 2–3 weeks after the ovulation they shed one last time; from then it usually takes another 24–33 days until they lay. Gravid females often refuse food. Below 30 °C (86 °F), incubation takes weeks longer. Better to pair too late than too early. Spider and some combinations show the “wobble” (unsteady head movements). The genetics calculator in HerpLabs warns you about such pairings.

Sources [7] [8] [9] [10]

Protection status and registration

As of October 20, 2026

• EU

  CITES Appendix II and Annex B of the EU Wildlife Trade Regulation. If you sell animals, you must be able to prove you acquired them legally.

  Sources [11] [12]

• Germany

  Specially protected, but exempt from the duty to register (Annex 5, BArtSchV). You must be able to show proof of origin (receipt or captive-breeding certificate) on request, so keep it safe.

  Sources [13] [14]

• Austria

  Report to the authorities within two weeks that you keep reptiles. Since July 1, 2026, you need to take a training course (at least 4 × 60 minutes) before your first reptile. A thermometer and a hygrometer are required.

  Sources [15] [2]

• Switzerland

  No permit needed. A permit is only required for giant snakes that grow longer than 3 m. The minimum sizes in the Animal Protection Ordinance are binding.

  Source [5]

This is not legal advice. Rules change, so check with the responsible authority if in doubt.

Health

No substitute for a vet. If your animal seems sick, refuses food for an unusually long time or loses weight, see a vet with experience in reptiles.

• Respiratory infection

  Signs wheezing or bubbling when breathing, mucus in the mouth or at the nose, open-mouth breathing

  What to do Check temperature and humidity and see a vet soon. Can be contagious (for example nidovirus), so keep affected animals separate.

• Stuck shed

  Signs skin comes off in pieces, remnants on the eyes or tail tip

  What to do Raise the humidity and offer a humid hide. Don't pull off retained eye caps yourself.

• Mites

  Signs tiny black dots, often around the eyes and chin, the snake soaks for unusually long

  What to do See a vet. Clean the enclosure thoroughly and replace the decor.

• Mouth rot

  Signs redness, coating or swelling in the mouth, refusing food

  What to do See a vet. Don't wait.

• Burns

  Signs discolored, blistered scales on the back or belly

  What to do Put guards on all heat sources and use no heat rocks. See a vet.

• Weight loss during a fast

  Signs weight drops clearly over weeks, the snake looks sunken

  What to do Check your temperatures and humidity and have a vet examine the snake.

Source [1]

Sources

1. Heimtier-Info KönigspythonGeorg Thieme Verlag, vet.thieme.de · 2020 · retrieved October 20, 2026
2. 2. Tierhaltungsverordnung, § 5, § 8 und Anlage 3 (Mindestanforderungen an die Haltung von Reptilien)officialRepublic of Austria, BGBl. II Nr. 486/2004, last amended by BGBl. II Nr. 144/2026 · Version of October 20, 2026 · retrieved October 20, 2026
3. Gutachten über Mindestanforderungen an die Haltung von ReptilienofficialBundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft (now BMLEH), Sachverständigengruppe tierschutzgerechte Haltung von Terrarientieren · January 10, 1997 · retrieved October 20, 2026Spells out § 2 of the German Animal Welfare Act. Not a law, but the standard veterinary offices in Germany go by.
4. Reptilien – passende Gehege und die richtige EinrichtungSchweizer Tierschutz STS · June 2018 · retrieved October 20, 2026
5. Tierschutzverordnung (TSchV, SR 455.1), Art. 89 und Anhang 2 (Vorbemerkungen, Tabelle 5 Reptilien)officialSwiss Confederation · As of February 1, 2026 · retrieved October 20, 2026
6. Ball Python Care GuideHudson Valley Reptile and Rescue (USA) · retrieved October 20, 2026Care guide from a rescue, not veterinary guidance. Source of the rule of thumb of 10–15% of body weight.
7. Follicular Growth Evaluation, Oviposition and Egg Hatching in the Ball Python (Python regius)Rota, Lorini, De Filippo, Manetti, Tesi (University of Pisa), Animals 16, 2555 · 2026 · retrieved November 7, 2026Journal article. Ovulation to laying 47.1 ± 6.1 days (22 females, 35–62), incubation a median 58 days at 31.5 °C.
8. Monitoring the reproductive activity in captive bred female ball pythons (P. regius)Bertocchi et al., PLoS ONE 13, e0199377 · 2018 · retrieved November 7, 2026Journal article with 129 females. Pre-lay shed 28.8 ± 4.4 days before laying.
9. Python regiusAnimal Diversity Web, University of Michigan (Graf 2011) · retrieved November 7, 2026Teaching page written by students. Shed about 3 weeks after the ovulation, clutches of 1–11 eggs.
10. Metabolism, temperature relations, maternal behavior, and reproductive energetics in the ball pythonEllis and Chappell, Journal of Comparative Physiology B 157 · 1987 · retrieved November 7, 2026Journal article. Gravid females did not eat; 71–76 days of incubation at 29–30 °C (84–86 °F) without the female.
11. Verordnung (EU) 2026/1383 zur Änderung der Anhänge der Verordnung (EG) Nr. 338/97 (CITES-Vertragsstaatenkonferenz 2025)officialEuropean Commission · June 22, 2026 · retrieved October 20, 2026
12. Verordnung (EG) Nr. 338/97 über den Schutz von Exemplaren wildlebender Tier- und Pflanzenarten durch Überwachung des HandelsofficialEuropean Union · retrieved October 20, 2026
13. Bundesartenschutzverordnung (BArtSchV), § 7, §§ 12–13 und Anlagen 5 und 6officialFederal Republic of Germany · Last amended January 21, 2013 · retrieved October 20, 2026
14. Bundesnaturschutzgesetz (BNatSchG), § 46 NachweispflichtofficialFederal Republic of Germany · retrieved October 20, 2026
15. Tierschutzgesetz (TSchG), § 13 und § 25officialRepublic of Austria · Version of October 20, 2026 · retrieved October 20, 2026

Values without a source are common experience from keeping and breeding. Every animal is different, so watch yours and adjust its care. As of October 20, 2026.