Scientific Name:
Python regius
Distribution
W & C Africa
Diet:
Carnivore. Rats, mice.
Facts
Habitat: Grasslands, open forests.
Incubation: 1-11 eggs, 44-54 days incubation
Social structure: Solitary
Weight: ~3.7kg max
Dimensions: 1.8m max
Lifespan: 10
IUCN Status: Least concern
Estimated population in the wild: Unknown
Threats: Locally killed for meat and leather, exploitation for the pet trade.
Did you know that:
- The economic importance of ball pythons to rural communities of central and western Africa is the control of rodents. The magnitude of this benefit is in the millions of dollars per year.
- Once female ball pythons lay their eggs, they consistently ball around the eggs for protection. Ball pythons also stay in close proximity to eggs to protect them from predators.
- Ball pythons are known for the protective mechanism of “balling,” where they form a tight ball with the head at the center in response to threats, earning them their common name, "ball python."
