Ball pythons (aka: python regius or “Royal pythons”) are the most popular pet snake in the world, with thousands of captive breeders and a wide array of “morphs,” which are minor genetic mutations that manifest some amazing patterns & colours. One of the other reasons ball pythons are so popular is because they are typically very docile & shy. In fact, their nickname “ball python,” is the result of their defensive behaviour of curling up into a ball in order to hide their vulnerable head.
Shy species, like ball pythons, are particularly susceptible to stress, and many ball python owners get frustrated when their beloved pet snake stops eating for seemingly no reason. Typically, however, these “fasts” are the result of stress, either from too much handling/interaction or improper husbandry. Snakes are at their most vulnerable while eating, and it doesn’t take a lot to make them unwilling to take that risk. Unfortunately, there’s a truckload of unhelpful information out there when it comes to ball python husbandry, and if you don’t give your pet the security & environment they crave, your snake may eventually stop eating. Stress is cumulative, building up over time, so a snake that may have eaten for months in an enclosure with the wrong environmental settings may suddenly refuse food as a result of cumulative stress.
I’ve had my own challenges with ball python fasts, but eventually connected with experts in the Ball Python People facebook group, and they provided the most comprehensive and effective free guide to ball python care available online. Following this guide helped me provide the security & comfort my ball pythons craved, and they’ve been content & eating ever since. I was initially quite sceptical, but the proof was in the results, so I recommend this guide to all ball python owners! Grab the PDF here, save it to your device and/or keep a copy on-hand: Download the Ball Python Care Guide.
Youtube and group admin, Caleb Anthony, has also created instructional videos based on this care guide, demonstrating how to properly set up a 10 gallon terrarium for young ball pythons and a 20 gallon for adults. You’ll find those videos below!
