Royal Python (Python regius)

FAMILY    Boidae

DISTRIBUTION     Royal Pythons are found throughout central and western Africa.

SIZE     The average size of an adult royal python is between 3-4ft but they have been known to reach sizes of 6ft. Hatchlings are around 12-16ins in length.

LIFESPAN    Royal pythons can live in excess of 20 years with the record being held at Philadelphia zoo with an amazing 50 year old.

Introduction     The royal python is also known as the ball python due to its habit of curling up into a ball when it feels threatened. It is a very popular snake to keep in the reptile world due to its size and docility as these features make it an ideal vivarium pet. The Royal Python is now more commonly available as captive bred specimens and of course these are the babies that are most desirable and will undoubtedly make the best pets.

Housing     Juveniles can be housed in plastic storage containers which are readily available at any good reptile shop. For a single adult Royal Python the minimum size vivarium you should be looking at is one that measures 48in length by 18ins deep by 18ins high. Glass aquariums should be avoided as they don't offer the snakes a sense of security and are difficult to heat properly due to the poor insulation properties of glass. You should provide branches for climbing, at least 2 hides, and of course a suitable sized water bowl that is unlikely to be tipped over when the snake bathes. Other cage furnishings like plants etc can be added if you wish to provide better cover for the snakes as they tend to be quite shy by nature.

SUBSTRATE     There are a few types of substrate that you could use for your Royal Python and these include wood chippings,paper,bark chippings, leaf litter, aspen bedding and desert snow. Hatchlings can be housed on a substrate of paper towel for ease of cleaning.

HEATING & LIGHTING     Royal pythons should be kept at a ambient temperature of around 28-30°c (82-86°f) with a basking area temperature reaching 31-32°c (88-90°f). The cool side should have a temperature of around 28°c (82°f), these temperatures can be allowed to drop to between 26-27°c (80-81°f). If you decide to use a heat mat to heat your vivarium it should cover no more than a third of the floor area and because the royal python is a heavy bodied snake it should be placed on the back wall of the vivarium rather than on the floor as if it is on the floor it can lead to thermal burns caused by the mat. You could use a ceramic heater to heat the vivarium but it needs to be protected by a mesh guard to prevent the snake from climbing up to it and burning itself. 'Hot rocks' should be avoided as they may become too hot and cause burns to the snake. Whatever method of heating you decide to use it should be thermostatically controlled by using a thermostat with it. The royal python doesn't have any special lighting requirements but if you wish to place a incandescent light bulb in the vivarium you can do so but again this will need to be protected by a mesh guard. However royal pythons do tend to prefer dimly lit enclosures as they tend to shy away from intense light so you will need to take this into consideration when deciding about your light source choice.

Feeding     The royal pythons diet consists mainly of pinkie and fuzzy mice whilst at hatchling and juvenile stages and as they grow so do the prey items until they are eventually on large rats. Whilst at hatchling stage they should be fed every 3-5 days and then as they start to grow the frequency can be increased to a large rat every 10-14 days.

N.B It is not uncommon for this species of snake to refuse to feed for a period of time. If after a few months your snake still hasn't eaten there are methods that you can try to get them to feed, you could try varying the prey item maybe for chicks or different coloured rats or mice, you could also try keeping the tank in darkness for a couple of days, raising the temperature a couple of degrees, scenting the prey item with another animals scent. If all else fails and the snake it beginning to show signs of weight loss as a very last resort you could force feed but this should not be attempted by beginners or novices, it should be done by someone that has been shown and trained in  what to do as it could result in the snake being harmed. There are many reasons why your snake could be refusing to feed and these are if it is newly purchased it may not of settled in yet, it could be coming up to a slough, it could be breeding season, the environment isn't set up right, or the worst case scenario it could be ill. If you believe your snake could be ill then a trip to the vets is a must.

POTENTIAL PROBLEMS     If there is an insufficient humidity level in the vivarium the royal python can have problems shedding its skin along with having a poor appetite, however if the humidity level is too high it can cause the royal python to have respiratory diseases and skin infections. The humidity level should be around 60%.