Ron's Ball Python Blog

I want to thank Jules Sylvester for his glowing remarks and for telling his friends and the wonderful folks in Hollywood that RCReptiles.com is the place to go for quality captive bred ball pythons. For those that don't know Jules, he's the one responsible for supplying the amazing snakes in the blockbuster movie, "Snakes on a Plane". You may have also seen him on the Jay Leno show or in his 2002 television series, "Wild Adventures".

Thanks again Jules!

Snakes on a Plane

Well, that statement is stretching the truth a bit but we are diligently working on a device that will allow ball python keepers to speak with their ball pythons, sort of how like a language translator works. You didn’t believe that statement either, eh? Oh well, guess I can’t pull the wool over your eyes with those mistruths but the honest truth of the matter is that ball pythons can actually speak, you just have to know how to “listen” to them speak.

We know that ball pythons can’t speak literally and they don’t have ears or vocal chords by which to hear or speak so what do I mean by, “ball pythons can actually speak?” Ball pythons can communicate with us using their body language and behavior. An astute ball python keeper will learn to read these body language cues over time. Lets discuss some body language expressed by ball pythons and try to understand what these expressions mean.

Hissing
Ball pythons are docile by nature but some will hiss at their keeper or at a prey item. Hissing usually means, “I don’t want to be bothered, leave me alone.” Hatchling ball pythons that hiss will oftentimes curl up into a ball and continue hissing louder as you approach or disturb it. Some will hiss and form the classic ‘S’ position with their neck and may strike if their warning is ignored. You can break the cycle of hissing from ball python hatchlings by disregarding or ignoring the hissing and pick them up. If they hiss and you leave them alone, they’ll learn that all they need to do is hiss and you won’t bother them. Some will on rare occasions strike at you but this striking behavior usually stops over time.

It’s very rare for adult captive born ball pythons to hiss at you but they sometimes do this as well. Adult female ball pythons that have been bred will sometimes hiss because their follicles are growing and they’re becoming moody and agitated. They will oftentimes strike at you as well so keep this in mind if you’ve been breeding your adult female and she starts hissing at you for no apparent reason. Females that have just laid a clutch of eggs will most certainly hiss and strike at you. She’s telling you to stay away from her and the eggs, hence defending or guarding them.

Soaking
Another body language gesture is soaking. It’s so basic and natural that most keepers pay no attention to them soaking and think it’s nothing more than it simply taking a bath or relaxing. Ball pythons usually soak for a few reasons and can speak to you if you listen to them and read their gestures.

Ball pythons will soak themselves in their water bowl for a number of reasons. One reason is that they know they will be entering their shed cycle pretty soon so they begin soaking their bodies to make it more wet and lubricated for the pending shed cycle. You may notice them soaking for a few days and just can’t figure out why they’re spending all their time soaking in their water bowl. Suddenly you notice that they’re starting to become dull or gray looking as they cloud up upon entering their shed cycle, several days later.

When you see a ball python soaking, you can’t assume that it’s soaking just because it knows it will be shedding in the coming days. They will also spend time in their water bowls soaking if there’s a mite problem on the snake. Soaking is its way of trying to drown the mites on it because mites cannot breathe under water. Take a look at the face area of your ball python and look for the presence of mites. You will usually find them around the eye sockets, the heat vent or under the chin. Since ball pythons usually keep their head above water while they’re soaking, the head is the safest spot on the snake for mites to congregate in an effort not to drown.

Ball pythons may also soak because it’s just too hot in the cage. Check the temperature of the cage to make sure the hot spot isn’t too hot. If it is, turn it down a bit and make sure it’s in an acceptable range (about 90F). You’ll also notice adult female ball pythons that have been bred either soaking or wrapped around their water dish. The theory is that they’re trying to bring down their body temperature for the follicular maturation process. This is still a theory and we’ve even seen males exhibit the same “wrapping around their water dish” behavior.

Peek-A-Boo!
Take notice of your ball python when you approach its tank or cage. They will oftentimes peek out at you or extend their heads somewhat to get a better visual. This behavior can mean that the ball python is hungry (believe it or not). Our ball pythons let us know when they want to feed by exhibiting this type of behavior. When either I or one of our staff members approach a cage, we look for this type of body language gesture. It’s very apparent if we bring a bucket full of rats or mice in the room or have just fed the animal. Some ball pythons will eat more than one food item and this simple gesture of them peeking from their hide is a pretty good indicator that they’re still hungry so we’ll offer them another meal. Once they’ve had their fair share, they will stop peeking and completely ignore us while they digest their meal (or meals).

Speed Racer
I know this might sound hard to believe but ball pythons can move at rapid speeds! You more than likely will never see a ball python move at top speeds because it’s quite content in its tank or by you handling it. If your ball python tries to bolt away when you’re holding it or it’s moving its body extremely fast in an attempt to escape, it’s more than likely very afraid of the situation and trying its best to remove itself from the situation. This type of behavior is most prevalent with younger ball pythons that haven’t been properly acclimated. You need to allow your new ball python some time to acclimate to its new environment by leaving it alone for a week or more “hands off” time so it can settle in.

Regurgitation
This really isn’t body language but you can still read this as a body language expression. If your ball python regurgitates, this is usually a sign that something might be wrong with it, the cage conditions may not be optimal or the prey item was just a bit too large for your ball python. First check to make sure the cage or tank conditions are optimal. If they are, you may want to consider taking your ball python to the vet for a fecal exam and overall checkup to make sure there are no underlying problems with the animal, especially if the prey item was not too large for the ball python.

Regurgitation can be mistaken for a prey item that is just too large for the ball python to swallow. Although they detach their jaws and consume prey that is larger than their head, some prey are just too big for a ball python to swallow. You can easily tell if the discarded prey item was regurgitated or if it was a bit too large by examining the prey item. If the head of the prey item is wet and the rest of the body is dry, it was more than likely too large for your ball python. Simply offer it a smaller meal when you feed it next time. If the entire body is wet, your ball python more than likely regurgitated the meal. Do not offer it another meal for at least fourteen (14) days because it has lost vital stomach acids used to digest the meal.

Ball Python Forum
I’ve simply scratched the surface about some of the body language gestures a ball python keeper should be aware of when observing his or her ball python. This topic can easily span an entire chapter of a book so I’ve merely touched on a few important body language gestures to look out for. Please start a discussion thread in our ball python forum if you’d like to talk more about this topic in greater detail. Thank you.

When I read posts throughout the Internet, I tend to think that reptile and herp vets are evil people that turn into horrible monsters when the moon is full. I might actually believe this nonsense if it weren’t for the fact that I have wonderful relationships with many vets myself so I know they aren’t evil at all. Reading posts on forums (including ours), one might get the impression that reptile and herp vets are evil monsters because most people seem to try to avoid them like the plague!

Vets have pursued many years of higher education in order to understand and treat an assortment of animals, including reptiles and herps. Just because your ball python or reptile is unable to bark or meow doesn’t mean you should not take it to the vet if you feel something is wrong with it. Forums (like our forum) are a great resource for information but it’s by no means a way to avoid taking your ball python or reptile to the vet if it needs attention.

The sad reality is that if you can’t afford a visit to the vet in the event that your animal sincerely needs the attention, you may have to ask yourself, “Should I really keep an animal or reptile as a pet, especially since it relies on me exclusively if it ever needs the assistance of a vet?”

You can now locate local Reptile & Herp Vets through our website. They’re there for your pet and are not evil people so seek their assistance if the situation warrants it.

Reptile and herp veterinarians are your friends