Ball Python - The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Python regiusBall PythonClass: Reptilia. Order: Squamata. Family: Pythonidae.Other names: Royal pythonPhysical Description: Ball pythons are stocky, boldly patternedanimals. The pattern of ovoid blotches on a brown or bluishbrownbackground varies considerably but almost alwaysincludes some shade of yellow. Like other pythons, they haveshort tails, relatively smooth, small back scales and large,transverse, light-colored belly scales. Most have light-colored“racing” stripes that join at the snout and run along the side ofthe face to the rear of the animal’s head. The stripe is broken by the eye which is located at aboutmidpoint. Ball pythons can reach three to five feet in length.The Pythonidae, commonly known as pythons, from the Greek word python, are a family of non-venomoussnakes found in Africa, Asia and Australia. Among its members are some of the largest snakes in the world.The reticulated python has been recorded at over 22 feet in length! There are about 30 species worldwideDiet in the Wild: Rodents, small mammals, birds. Pythons are non-venomous constrictorsDiet at the Zoo: Rodents such as rats and mice.Habitat & Range: Grasslands (savannahs, sparsely wooded plains) of West Africa. Mammal burrows andsimilar subterranean retreats are used for aestivation during the dry season.Life Span: Average in captivity is 15 years.Perils in the wild: Predators such as birds of prey, small mammals and other reptiles all can prey on youngsnakes of any species. Human activity can also have a negative effect on snakes in the wild.Physical Adaptations:Ball pythons have a Jacobson’s organ, pair of pit-like organs on the roof of the mouth that are linedwith olfactory cells and nerves that interpret chemical stimuli in an animal’s surroundings.Their forked tongue, flickering through the air, picks up scent particles and conveys them to the roofof their mouthAlong the python’s upper jaws, several scales cup inward forming heat sensing pits. These pits arepacked with nerves that can sense infrared or body heat and are so deleicate that a temperaturechange of only 3/1000 th of a degree can send a signal to the snake that prey is nearby.Behavioral Adaptations:Ball pythons are nocturnal or active at night.Like most snakes, ball pythons are mainly solitary.Camouflaged in coloration and hisses to frighten predators, bites if necessary. Coils into a ball forprotection.04/2013

Jacobson’s organ- A pair of pit-like organs on the roof of the mouth that are lined with olfactory cells andnerves that interpret chemical stimuli in an animal’s surroundings.oviparity - Reproduction in which the eggs are released by the female; development of the offspring occursoutside the maternal body. Adj., oviparousSources:Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardenshttp://www.backwaterreptiles.comHickman, C.P. Roberts, L.S. 1994. Biology of AnimalsHalliday, T. Adler, K. 1986. The Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians.04/2013