Ball pythons have a relatively long lifespan for a snake, usually living to be around 20 years old in captivity, although some have even lived to be over 40 years old.
In the wild, however, ball pythons only live to be ten years old on average. Unlike many animal species, female ball pythons grow much larger than their male counterparts. The ball python has a thick, stocky body and a small head. In captivity, ball pythons have been selectively bred to produce a wide variety of colors. Still, in the wild, ball pythons typically have a dark brown base color with light brown or golden blotches on the top side of their body and ivory-colored bellies.
Check out our ball python growth guide for some great visual data and tables to learn how quickly these snakes grow. The type that before you say yes to getting it as a pet you must be ready for the responsibilities that follow. You must be ready to give it your time and finances. Your care determines how long. Thus, to be physically present for your pet means early detection of faults and correction.
Wild ball pythons do not enjoy the luxury of living long like their captive counterparts. They live for a good number of years and then die. On average, wild ball pythons live for 10 years. They can go to 15 or 20 years but with much precaution. This is because in the wild they are predisposed to many dangers such as predators and diseases.
As earlier stated, wild species of ball pythons have a shorter life expectancy of 15 years because of some factors. These factors include:. In some cases, their predators might not be a snake but other larger wild creatures. Babies and juveniles that are still small are much more vulnerable than adults. Because of this, a large number of wild ball pythons die before they reach adulthood.
However, once they attain adult size, their chance of being killed by predators becomes slim. Nobody cares for wild ball pythons. Whether they could survive their environment during harsh weather conditions or could fight diseases is determined by nature. It is a matter of who fits and lives long. In the wild, ball pythons are predisposed to a lot of diseases. These diseases take a toll on them.
Since they rely on their environment for health and survival, it becomes a challenge to fight diseases for a longer time. Moreover, wild ball pythons fight diseases naturally with their immune system.
Thus, when their immune systems are weakened or become stressed, they can no longer fight off diseases. The effect is that they end up dying before reaching their life expectancy.
Ball pythons are non-venomous snakes. Which means that they pose no health risk if consumed as food. In its native home in Africa, wild ball pythons are hunted for their beautiful skin colors. Their skins are used as leathers for belts and small bags.
They are also hunted for food. This wildlife haunting reduces their life expectancy as well in the wild. As mentioned earlier, captive ball pythons live longer than wild species. The reason is simple, good care. With all these care, captive ball pythons have a life expectancy of 30 years.
This is because just as wild ball pythons are vulnerable to predators and diseases; captive-bred are predisposed to stress. Stress comes as a result of many factors which will be discussed shortly. These factors to be discussed play significant roles in determining their longevity.
And you must understand how these factors can affect them negatively. Very stressed ball pythons have been known to bite out of fear. Once your ball python learns you can be trusted, they are usually very tolerant of handling and may even learn to enjoy it! Ball pythons are hardy snakes and usually stay pretty healthy. The best way to keep them healthy is to make sure their cage is clean, safe, and the right temperature and humidity and that you are feeding the right diet.
A few common health concerns of ball pythons are:. If you are worried your ball python might have one of these health issues, consult a veterinarian experienced with reptile health care. As we learned, your ball python will be a part of your life for an average of at least years. Before you get a ball python , make sure you are prepared for a long-term commitment to your new pet. Owning any pet is a big responsibility and the ball python is no exception.
Your snake deserves quality care and in return, you will get to enjoy your ball python for many years! She has a strong love for all animals of all shapes and sizes and particularly loves a good interspecies friendship and wants to share her animal knowledge and other experts' knowledge with pet lovers across the globe. Skip to content. Oct 28 Respiratory infections Parasites Burns from cage heating tools Shedding issues Mouth infection.
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