kevs reptile house

 About royal pythons/ ball pythons

The latin name for this snake is Python reguis.they come from africa where they inhabit wooded areas and grasslands.They feed on small / medium rodants and generally hunt at night. They are a short but stocky snake reaching lengths of 3ft - 5ft with the occassional one getting slightly longer. Colour and markings vary but are generally shades and patterns of black, olive, and tan with gold / tan stripes from the tip of the snout to the rear of the head.they hunt and feed by striking out at pray and wrapping thier bodies around the prey item and constricting it, Tightening it's hold every time the prey breaths out until it no longer breaths. Then it locates the head of the prey and swallows it whole  head first as do all snakes. when threatened the snakes coil up into a ball with their heads tucked into the centre of the coil and this is how they come by their common name of " ball python".

How i keep my royal pythons

Hatchling royal pythons are best kept in small plastic boxes measuring around 20in x 12in with plenty of air holes! These boxes must be secure as royals are great escape artist. Keeping them in smaller boxes or enclosures make the snakes feel safer and more secure then in large enclosures. As they grow move them into appropriate sized enclosures, Remember as with most snakes royals dont do much moving around prefering to stay coiled up in a hole, under a branch or in a hide box, And only really moving about in search of food or during the mating season to find a mate. Although you should still exercise your snake regulary with handling sessions so it does'nt get over wieght and to keep it used to being handled. i line the bottom of my boxes with news paper and have a small bowl of water in with them to drink from and bathe in. In larger enclosures i cover the bottom with bark chippings have a couple of branches a hide box and a large bowl of water for the snakes to drink from and bathe in. The water container must be big enough for the snake to get all or most of it's body in for bathing. This water must be checked daily to make sure it is clean.Bathing helps keep the snakes skin soft when shedding and so makes this prossess easier for the snakes. I give my snakes a day time temperature of 28 - 31oC and a night time temperature of 26oC. these snakes are nocternal and there for dont need special lighting but the addition of a strip light will enhance the viewing of the snake. "Remember to cover all lights and sources of heat with a wire mesh guard to stop the snakes burning them selves.

curled into a ball hence the common name ball python

feeding royals 

Some royals can be difficult to feed!! This is because alot of the royal pythons in the pet trade have been wild caught! But there are alot of people breeding these snakes now so finding a captive bred snake should not be difficult. But you can still find the odd fussy one and it can take quite a while for them to settle into new surroundings and conditions. With plenty of patience most snakes will eat when they get hungry enough!so long as all the living conditions and needs of the snake are met. Offer appropriately sized food items ( food should be no bigger than the biggest part of the snake ) every couple of days until the snake takes it. i always feed my snakes on deforosted mice or rats depending on the size of the snake. Never try feeding live food to your snake as this can be very dangerous for the snake as they can be injured by the prey animal!! defrost the food and bring it upto room temperature before offering it to the snake. You may need to wriggle the food item "with a pair of long tongs " to get the snake to take it. Remove any uneaten food from the enclosure after a couple of hours as it will soon start to smell and the snake will not eat it. Remember a healthy snake can go long periods without eating, some royals have been known to go over a year without eating. But if your snake starts to lose too much weight  and still refuses to eat then take it to the vets! royal hatchlings are usually big enough to take mice hoppers or fuzzies as their first meal pinkies are generally too small and you would have to feed twice as many of them! my adult royals are fed once a fortnight on large rats. You can also sprinkle the food items with a vitamin suppliment to help guarantee good health.

an albino royal python