Harmless · Native to West and Central Africa · Kept as a pet

Ball python

Python regius (Shaw, 1802)

Also called royal python
Data updated October 2026

Ball python resting on a log, showing brown body with tan rounded blotches and a pale-edged head
Fig. 1 — Adult resting on a log. Dark brown with tan blotches is the natural, wild-type pattern.
Close view of a ball python head with a dark stripe through the eye and a pale stripe above it
Fig. 2 — The head has a dark stripe through the eye bordered by pale lines.

At a glance

A small, heavy-bodied python from the grasslands and open woodlands of West and Central Africa. It hides in burrows by day and curls into a tight ball when frightened. It is one of the most widely kept pet snakes.

01

Identification

The ball python is a stout snake with a small head and a short tail. Wild-type animals are dark brown to black with large tan or gold blotches, many with a dark center. A dark stripe runs from the snout through the eye, with pale lines above and below it. The belly is pale. Captive-bred color forms vary widely.

  1. 01Rounded blotches. Tan or gold patches on a dark brown body, often with dark centers.
  2. 02Head stripes. A dark band through the eye, bordered by pale lines.
  3. 03Balling posture. When nervous it coils tightly with its head tucked inside.

02

Size

02 ft4 ft6 ft8 ft Typical adult · about 4 ft (1.2 m)

Adults are usually 3 to 5 feet (0.9–1.5 m) long; one zoo gives 36 to 48 inches (92–122 cm) as the usual range.

03

Range & habitat

Ball python reaching forward from a coil against a green leafy background
Fig. 3 — Ball pythons climb as well as move on the ground at the edges of forest.

Ball pythons live in West and West-Central Africa. They use grassland, savanna, open and sparse woodland, rainforest edges, plantations and farmland.

By day they rest out of sight in old rodent burrows, termite mounds or under vegetation, coming out to bask when they need warmth.

04

Diet

Ball pythons kill by constriction. They eat small mammals, birds, amphibians, lizards and snakes. They can go a long time without food; wild-caught animals have refused food for a year or more.

Feeds on

  • Rodents and other small mammals
  • Birds
  • Amphibians
  • Lizards and snakes

05

Behavior & seasons

This is a nocturnal snake that spends daylight hours hidden. Its name comes from its main defense: it rolls into a tight ball with the head protected in the middle. It is generally calm and rarely bites.

06

Reproduction

Ball pythons lay eggs. One zoo reports breeding from mid-September to mid-November, with 3 to 11 eggs per clutch that hatch after about 90 days. Females usually mature at 2 to 3 years old; males mature sooner, at 12 to 18 months.

07

Conservation

Zoo sources list the species as Least Concern or Near Threatened. It is taken from the wild in large numbers. A 2022 study in Benin found that 21 hunters together collected roughly 576 to 5,083 ball pythons a year, mainly for bushmeat and traditional uses, and 97 percent said the snakes were less common than 30 to 40 years ago. Pregnant females held on export ranches are sometimes sold into local markets instead of being released.

08

In captivity

Ball pythons are among the most commonly kept pet snakes. In general terms they need a secure enclosure with snug hiding places at both the warm and cool ends, steady warmth and moderate humidity. In care they are fed rodents of a suitable size. Captive-bred animals are widely available and spare wild populations.

They are long-lived: one ball python in human care lived more than 48 years. Read more about reptile care

Keep reading

Sources

Data updated October 2026 · How we build these pages