The Enclosure

Getting the enclosure set up correctly is the most important aspect of ball python care. Ball pythons’ enclosures are fairly simple to get right, but ideal husbandry is essential for this sensitive species. Make sure the enclosure is locked and secure, all snakes can be escape artists.

Size and Material

First and foremost is obtaining an adequately sized enclosure. Some keepers prefer to have a smaller enclosure initially if they adopt a young snake, and obtain a larger enclosure later on. This is not necessary if the enclosure is properly set up and provides appropriate hiding opportunities, but it may be easier to achieve good husbandry in a smaller enclosure. A good rule of thumb is to purchase or build an enclosure that allows the snake to stretch the length of its body inside the enclosure. Males normally max out in size around 4ft, and are typically smaller than females which can grow as large as 6ft. 

The material the enclosure is made of is also important. There are numerous wood materials that emit fumes that are toxic to ball pythons. Glass can be very heavy and unmanageable in large enclosures. PVC enclosures are good options as they are reasonably lightweight and promote appropriate humidity levels. 

Covering three of the four enclosure walls with black paper or a curtain will help the snake feel less exposed and more secure.

Substrate

The substrate, or flooring, of the enclosure is an essential component of the snake’s environment. Appropriate substrate allows the snake to exhibit natural behaviors such as burrowing, promotes plant growth if live plants are being used in the enclosure, and perhaps most importantly - facilitates proper humidity levels. There is a balance to be achieved between temperature and humidity, and the substrate is a key factor in this. We’ll get into details on this in later sections. 

There are a huge variety of appropriate substrates and substrate mixes for ball pythons. Some examples of good substrate options are:

• Coconut fiber

• Cypress mulch

• 70/30 mix of organic topsoil and children’s play sand (specifically because it does not have added chemicals, and is more safe to ingest if accidentally swallowed)

These are ideal substrates for ball pythons because they can hold a lot of moisture without getting moldy. Aspen bedding is not preferred for ball pythons because it does not maintain humidity levels without getting moldy. Aspen is better for lower-humidity species such as corn snakes. 

Having a section on one side of the enclosure with a deeper layer of substrate promotes the species’ natural instinct to hide in burrows. Ball pythons spend a lot of time in termite mounts in their native environment, and are ill-equipped to create burrows themselves. They like to be in these spaces to help regulate their temperature, which gives us a perfect segue to the next section.

Temperature

Achieving ideal temperatures in your snake’s enclosure is essential to your pet’s health and comfort. Since ball pythons are cold-blooded, they rely on their environment to thermoregulate - or cool down and warm up. Appropriate temperatures are essential to digestive health. Any cold-blooded animal will constantly be seeking different temperatures to keep its body temperature stable, so providing a temperature gradient in an enclosure is required. This is part of the reason why we recommend larger enclosures, so that a hot side and cool side can be achieved. 

During the daytime hours, the hot side of the enclosure should have ambient temperatures in the high 80’s Fahrenheit. The cool side of the enclosure should have an ambient temperature around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. night, the temperature in both the hot and cold sides should be as close to 80 degrees Fahrenheit without falling below 80. 

A basking spot, which is a particularly hot area of the enclosure, should be provided during the day. A broad, flat surface that holds heat, such as a large rock, is best suited for this purpose. The surface temperature (not ambient) of the rock should be around 100 degrees Fahrenheit. This should be measured using a heat gun.

There are three main items you need to achieve proper temperatures - a heat source, a thermostat, and a thermometer. 

Heat Source

It was previously thought that a heat mat was ideal for ball pythons, but studies have shown that these animals benefit more from overhead heat from a source like a lamp. Options for overhead heat sources include:

• Halogen bulbs

  • Flood style bulbs with wide beam angles spread their heat across more surface area perfect for daytime use. Wattage varies by enclosure size - a good starting point is 50-75W par38 for a 4x2x2ft enclosure

  • Requires a fixture

• Deep Heat Projector (DHP)

  • A non-light producing heat source that is perfect for nighttime use

  • They produce more of the natural type of heat (IR-B) emitted by the sun than CHE’s

  • DHP’s are more energy efficient than CHE’s

• Ceramic Heat Emitter (CHE)

  • A non-light emitting heat source that is inferior to DHP’s

  • Good for a backup nighttime heat source if necessary

A dimming thermostat will regulate the amount of heat emitted by these heat sources. A thermostat is absolutely required for the safety of your pet. A guard of some sort should be placed around the heat source as well, to prevent direct contact with it which can cause severe burns. 

A thermometer will allow you to monitor temperatures and make adjustments as needed. Avoid the type of thermometer that adheres to the walls of the enclosure, as snakes are liable to climb on it and get the adhesive stuck to them which can damage their scales.

Temperature plays a direct role in the humidity of the environment, with higher temperatures yielding lower humidity, which brings us to the next section of our care guide.

Humidity

Another pinnacle of a happy and healthy ball python’s enclosure is the humidity of its environment. Ball python’s humidity is not too difficult to achieve with proper substrate and heating equipment, but know that they are susceptible to respiratory infections if their humidity is too high or low. Shedding issues can also occur with improper humidity, especially if the humidity is too low.

Like temperature, there should be a gradient in humidity. In fact, it is difficult to not achieve a gradient in humidity if there is a temperature gradient! The cool side of the enclosure should have a humidity between 70-85%, while the hot side can sit around 60%. This species is fairly flexible with humidity on the hot side - as long as it does not drop below 50% they will generally thrive. 

The ideal way to achieve humidity is to mix water directly into the substrate, which is partially why we recommend a naturalistic material. Pouring water on the substrate and mixing it around is the best way to achieve good humidity levels. Avoid standing water in the substrate, or very moist substrate on the surface as this may cause a condition known as scale rot. Having water retained in the substrate also allows for easier burrowing opportunities, and burrows provide the most stable temperature and humidity areas in their environment. It is important to have your enclosure set up before you buy your snake, so you can experiment with how different amounts of water affect the humidity. The substrate will need water added to it whenever the humidity falls below an ideal threshold. It is important to have a hygrometer to provide accurate humidity readings. Like thermometers mentioned in the previous section, avoid the sticky ones.

Lighting and UVB

Ball pythons need to have a day/night cycle. Their lights should be on for 12 hours every day, and off for the other 12. Ball pythons are a nocturnal species, but that does not mean they should be deprived of light. Additionally, providing light in the form of a halogen bulb is not the only light source that will benefit your snake. UVB, or full-spectrum light, replicates a type of light from the sun and promotes regulation of vitamin D3 and calcium metabolism. There are other benefits that we will not dive into here and we encourage readers to do additional research on the benefits of UVB for ball pythons. 

The type of UVB lighting that works best for ball pythons is the strip-style UVB bulb. The bulb should cover half the enclosure length and be on the hot side. T5 and T8 strength bulbs are the type we recommend. Generally, T5 is stronger, and can sit on top of the enclosure. T8 can be mounted inside the enclosure. This may vary depending on the distance from the bulb to the surface. There are different percentages in UVB bulbs also, generally ball pythons will do well with 5-7% output. For a 4x2x2ft enclosure, a 24” T5 5% bulb is great for mounting above the hot spot in the enclosure.

Please see our Heating and Lighting Guide for a more in-depth guide on this topic! 

Decor and Hides

Now that we have the temperature and humidity correct, it’s time to start decorating. Ball pythons are a shy species, they find comfort in clutter and having places to hide when they feel unsafe. Feeling exposed often promotes high stress levels in this species, which can lead to a variety of health issues. For this reason, having a ball python enclosure with lots of cover in the form of plants (live or fake), leaves, rocks, branches, and other decor is essential. Ball pythons are a semi-arboreal species (another hot debate topic amongst ball python keepers) and will take advantage of climbing opportunities if provided. Different height levels in the enclosure provide enrichment, just be careful not to put anything too close to their heat source and use a guard around the bulb.

When ball pythons want to retreat into a hide, the best type of hide that can be provided is a dark, cramped space. These snakes engage in a behavior known as thigmotaxis, which essentially means they are most comfortable when they can feel the walls of the hide on all sides of their body. A snake in too big of a hide will not feel secure for this reason. Hides such as caves will need to be upgraded as the snake grows. Having a hide in the hot and cool side is required so they can retreat and also thermoregulate. But really, you cannot provide enough hides. Think of adding hides as a security gradient, like your humidity and temperature gradient. Fitting a comfortable number of hides to provide many opportunities to retreat is important.

Ball pythons are very talented in getting themselves into places you may not expect. Avoid decorations with gaps and openings, such as hollowed out decorations. Even if the gaps look small, you may be surprised how your snake can wriggle its way into something and get itself seriously stuck! 

A water bowl with fresh water should be accessible at all times. Properly setup enclosures should not have their humidity impacted by an appropriately sized water bowl. Some snakes enjoy soaking in water, but some do not. This behavior is very dependent on the individual.

Clean-Up and Health Check-Ins

Shedding

Ball pythons shed their skin regularly. Younger, growing ball pythons will shed more frequently than adults, and proper humidity is the key to a healthy, complete shed. A ball python should not shed in small sections, and all the shed should come off in one piece. If your snake’s shed is on their body and it looks dull, wrinkly, and dry, your humidity might be a bit low and you should increase it. As a general rule, it is recommended to bump humidity levels when your snake is about to shed. You can tell when your snake is about to shed when their eyes look blue and glassy. You may see this referred to as ‘in blue’ by keepers. Avoid handling them from when you notice their eyes have a blue hue to them until they complete their shed.

Ball pythons are susceptible to a condition known as ‘stuck shed’ which is typically caused by dehydration. The remedy we find most successful for this is providing a humid hide. To create a humid hide, make sure the bottom is snug against the ground to trap moisture. Add a damp material that retains moisture such as sphagnum moss (or paper towel if you’re in a pinch!) to the hide, and place it in the middle of the enclosure. The snake should go into this hide, and it is very likely the stuck shed will resolve. Soaking a snake in water is not recommended, as getting the water temperature wrong is very easy and can be very dangerous.

Daily Maintenance

Your snake should have access to fresh water at all times. If you notice your snake’s water bowl frequently has substrate in it, consider moving it onto a smoother surface.

Waste clean-up may be yucky to some, but waste production is natural! It’s important to spot-clean their enclosure of any feces or urates as soon as you notice them. Feces is generally excreted about a week after they eat. Ball python secrete kidney waste in the form of a solid mass called a urate rather than pure liquid. Healthy urates are soft, white, and chalky and may have small amounts of liquid around them. It is important to check daily for waste to ensure a clean environment. Additionally, often the first tell of a sick snake is seen in its waste.

Health Checks

Some health concern indicators include but are not limited to:

• Orange or dark yellow urates

  • Typically caused by dehydration - ball pythons primarily hydrate through air humidity

  • Check humidity and address as needed

• Watery stools

  • Can be caused by internal parasites, stress, or if the frozen/thawed food item was exceptionally wet

  • Cause for concern if watery stools happen twice in a row

  • Check temperatures - ideal temperatures are essential to digestive health

• Stuck shed

  • See shedding section

• Stuck eyecaps

  • Ball pythons’ eyes are covered by a transparent scale, which in cases of stuck shed may not come off properly

  • May be remedied by very gently rubbing the snake’s eyecap with a wet Q-tip

  • Do not attempt to pull off the stuck eyecap yourself, doing so may cause permanent eye damage or blindness. Always consult a professional if the eyecap is not coming off with the wet Q-tip method

• Scale rot

  • Look for discolored scales on the snake’s belly

  • A bacterial infection usually caused by the substrate being too wet or dirty

  • Requires veterinary attention

• Mouth rot

  • Look for swelling, discoloration, discharge, and other abnormalities in the mouth area

  • Numerous infectious causes

  • Diagnosis requires a veterinarian

• Respiratory Infections

  • Listen for whistling or wheezing noises when the snake breathes

  • May cause discharge from the nose or mouth

  • Often caused by improper husbandry, especially improper humidity levels

  • Requires veterinary attention

• Burns

  • Causes discoloration, usually pink to red patches

  • Can be caused by not having a dimming thermostat

  • More common with the heat mats and belly heat methods not recommended in this guide

• Mites

  • Small, external parasites typically transmitted from an infected animal

  • Will look like black specks in between the scales that move if touched

    • Some ball python morphs (color mutations) naturally have black speckling and can easily be confused with mites

  • Treatments are available but we recommend consulting a professional

Always consult a professional if you have concerns about your pet’s health. We are not veterinarians and these are guidelines.