The pythons are small in Pythagoras family, with an average adult size of about 1 m and a maximum size of about 2.2 m. The figure is characterized by short and thick. Tender and timid. The head and neck are distinct, the snout is flat and round, and there are lip pits. The stripes from nostril to head and back and nose and mouth are yellow. The back is black with irregular yellow circles or patches. The characteristics of talus hindlimb marks on both sides of anus (especially in males) are the same as those of other snakes.
Ball pythons have high ornamental and exhibition value because of their unique body shape and beautiful patterns. In the process of localization, we should pay attention to the following points:
Temperature: Ball pythons have high requirements on temperature, like warmth and are afraid of cold. The optimum temperature is 25-30 degrees. In this temperature range, pythons eat and grow normally. When the temperature is lower than 24 degrees, the food intake decreases and the activity decreases. Stop eating when the temperature is below 15 degrees, and you are more likely to get sick. 10 degrees below the possibility of death.
Attraction: In the wild, pythons mainly feed on small mammals (rodents) and birds. In the experiment of artificial domestication, we found that it is more suitable for feeding live bait such as mice and rabbits. For the newly introduced ball pythons, rats should be used to lure them. Ball python is a snake with a unique "neurotic response" and is very sensitive to various external stimuli. If the first lure is not done well, it will easily lead to anorexia, refusal to eat and even death. Therefore, the mice fed for the first time should be small and medium-sized individuals without pollution and special smell. Before feeding, feed the mice to prevent them from eating the ball pythons. Observe at any time during feeding to prevent pythons from being bitten by white rats. The trial feeding time is 30 minutes. If the python hasn't started feeding by then, take out the bait immediately and feed it again a week later. Smoking, flash photography and other external stimuli are strictly prohibited during the whole feeding period. When a ball python preys, it can directly and accurately bite the head of a mouse, then quickly wrap its body around it, and then slowly swallow it after the mouse is completely dead. If you don't bite the mouse's head accurately when hunting, the python will be bitten by the mouse. At this time, drop some water into the mouth and nose of the mouse with a straw to accelerate its death. If you want to move your position during its predation, you can pick up the tail of the mouse with long tweezers and move it. It is forbidden to touch pythons directly with hands or tools when feeding. Feeding attraction is one of the important factors for the successful domestication of ball pythons, and it is also the most likely process to induce the unique "neurotic reaction" of ball pythons and lead to the failure of domestication. If the first feeding is successful, it will enter the normal feeding stage.
Attention should be paid to feeding in the future: feeding should be continuous and the amount of feeding should be sufficient. Drinking water should be given 2 hours after the feeding behavior, and the size of the drinking device should be suitable for accommodating the whole python, so that the ball python can drink and soak in time and reduce the oppression and burden of bait in the body. Vitamins and calcium powder are regularly added to the live bait.
Disease prevention and control: The diseases that are easy to occur in ball pythons mainly include body surface injury, stomatitis, pneumonia and so on.
For the body surface injury caused by eating and molting, we use medical alcohol disinfection and Yunnan Baiyao or chlortetracycline eye ointment to wipe it until it is cured. For pustules on the body surface caused by parasite bites and fungal infections, due to the uniqueness of python skin, it is necessary to cut it decisively and scrape the skin to induce pus. The medication method is the same as above. Soak in 0.2 ‰ potassium permanganate solution and rinse.
Stomatitis is generally caused by unclean bait, hard objects stuck in the fur of live bait, and the bite's hand pulling fast when attacking the breeder. The sick snake's mouth is moist, drooling, red and swollen, with white slag and secretions. In addition to strictly preventing the above situation, if stomatitis has occurred, it should be treated immediately. Clean the wound with110000 potassium permanganate solution, take out the necrotic and exfoliated skin tissue and concentrated secretions with cotton swabs and long medical forceps, and check whether there are any teeth left in the mouth to prevent further damage. Tetracyclines were used for feeding, supplemented by watermelon frost spray.
Pneumonia is often induced by air turbidity, drowning and sudden change in the temperature of the feeding environment. Patients often look up and have difficulty breathing when they leave the group. If you have pneumonia, you should move the sick python to an environment with constant temperature, visible sunlight and ventilation. Mildly feed compound sulfamethoxazole and cephalosporin, and heavily inject gentamicin.
Enteritis and digestive tract deworming. When enteritis occurs, normal water is replaced by normal saline, oxytetracycline or phentoline is fed, the light time is prolonged, and the feeding place is disinfected. In general, insect repellent is used once every six months.
The dosage of the above drugs is 0.5-2 times that of the adult per kilogram multiplied by the python's weight (kilogram).
Management and feeding of feeding places: the feeding places of ball pythons should be mainly carbonized bark and green space. There are water delivery devices, caves with wood and stone structures, and low plants with big crowns and big branches and leaves. Good lighting and ventilation. There is no nest or stagnant water in the breeding ground. Feeding equipment and medical equipment should be used exclusively. Smoking, wearing and using overalls and working tools contaminated by the smell of animals such as sheep, rats and rabbits are strictly prohibited in the feeding area. For domestic ball pythons, it is often necessary to fix their work clothes and wash their hands before playing to eliminate their fear of their owners.
Breeding: pythons lay eggs, laying 10- 15 every summer. Most female ball pythons have the habit of protecting their eggs. The incubation period generally does not exceed 60 days. If you are afraid of people during spawning and hatching, you should avoid external stimulation. During this period, aggression has increased. Under artificial domestication, the hatching rate can generally reach 80%.
When feeding, it is best to provide a small box for them to hide. You can put some slightly moist water moss in the box to keep the humidity of the feeding environment and help them shed their skin.
natural history
Pythons live in central and western Africa, from Senegal to Uganda, from grasslands to forests. They feel as comfortable in the tree as on the ground. They like the environment with poor light. They become active at dawn and dusk. In Europe, they are called "emperor pythons", while in America, they are called "ball pythons" because when they feel nervous, they will curl up into a tight ball and hide their heads firmly in the center. Like many other pythons, the ball python is a gentle snake.
Ball pythons can generally grow to 1.2M, and occasionally they can grow to1.5m. After proper feeding, the cross section of their bodies will become fine and round. Like all other pythons and pythons, they also have the residue of hind limbs. This residual hind limb appears on both sides of the anus. The residual hind limbs of male pythons are longer than those of female pythons, and the head of male pythons is smaller than that of female pythons.
In breeding, pythons can grow a foot every year for the first three years, and become adult individuals after three to five years. According to records, the oldest ball python lived to 48 years old. Female pythons will lay 4 to 10 eggs at a time and will hold them until they hatch. During the three-month incubation period, he won't leave or eat.
Start:
The selected individual must have clear and firm skin, round body cross section, clean drainage holes and clear eyes. Hold it in your hand, and his tongue will swing actively. All ball pythons naturally become shy when touched by strangers. It's normal for a python to retract its head quickly when it touches the ball. But when you hold him in your hand, he should stick to you gently and move his body steadily. He should always be alert to his surroundings. All baby snakes will become food for other bigger snakes, birds, lizards and mammals, so your baby CB will be nervous at first, but will soon return to calm.
Feeding box: Choose a suitable container to feed your ball python, such as an aquarium glass box with a lid. All snakes are masters at escaping. When the ball python tries to escape, it is more powerful and cunning. It is best to use 10 gallon (50*25CM) containers to feed pythons alone. Young people need a 20-gallon container, and adults may need a 30-gallon container (9 1*35CM).
Mat: It is recommended to use paper as a mat, because the paper can be changed conveniently and quickly after it is dirty, and the most important thing is that you can easily see the snake feces. Once your ball python has adapted to the environment, you can use some decorations as padding, such as cypress branches and fir skins. You can't use pine or poplar shavings, because when your python eats, these substances will enter the snake's mouth, causing breathing or other diseases. In the process of using padding, it is necessary to remove the padding contaminated by feces in time, because they will breed bacteria and fungi. As a cushion, it is best to use cheap astroturf [astroturf (refers to artificial turf made of green nylon and other materials for laying sports fields)]. Excess filler can be stored first, but it can be replaced when it is dirty and needs to be cleaned and dried (absorb 65,438+0 gallons of water containing two tablespoons of household bleach with ASTROTURF). Remember: use pads that are easy to clean and can be changed quickly.
Hidden location: the pet store has empty logs sawn in half for sale. Empty cartons or inverted plastic containers, semi-inverted flowerpots will do. Plastic is easy to clean. This container must be easy to move and replace, and there must be enough space for the whole snake to put in. You need to replace it, but when your snake grows to the wrong size. Ball pythons like to sleep in the dark, especially Nocturnal Animals. Even during the day, they like to sleep close to them, so don't use caves that are too big for your snake. Put one or two branches thick enough in the snake box and use some green plants. Your snake will like to entangle them.
Keep warm: Proper temperature is the most basic requirement for keeping your snake healthy. Temperature in the snake box: 80-85F(27-29℃) during the day and 90f (32.5℃) in the sunny area; The temperature at night shall not be lower than 73-75F(23-24℃), and it shall be kept at 80F(27℃) in the sun. Use a special heating pad for reptiles in the snake box to keep the temperature 20F higher than the air. Some people can use samples of heating pads. When using "high, medium and low" grade heating pads, you can directly pad them under the snake box. When the temperature is below 70 degrees Fahrenheit, the python will stop eating.
Incandescent light bulbs can be used to provide extra heat in the sunning area, and all lights should be covered to prevent snakes from being scalded. All pythons, especially ball pythons, are easy to burn, so don't use kindling stones. There is a new product on the market-ceramic heater, which heats down and does not emit light. It is reported that it can last for a long time. Connecting the thermostat can ensure that the snake box keeps a proper temperature when the seasons change.
Buy at least two thermometers: one is placed 2.5CM above the ground of the snake box, and the other is placed 2.5CM above the solar area. Don't try to estimate the temperature, or your snake will stop eating or digesting food because of the low temperature, or get sick or die because of the high temperature.
Lighting: Full spectrum lighting is not required. Ball pythons are nocturnal snakes. In the wild, they will hide safely and avoid predators during the day. In order to observe your python conveniently during the day, you can use a light tube or a low wattage electric light. Make sure your snake can't touch the light bulb directly. Try to consider the needs of your ball python. Anyway, please provide a hidden box and expect them to use it.
Feeding: Please give your snake a few weeks to get used to its new home. Feeding artificially hatched pythons (about 15'') can be used for young mice that are just fluffy from one week to ten days old. Smaller pythons need to feed smaller mice, so try feeding 5-day-old mice. Ball pythons of different sizes should be fed to mice of the right size. Please don't do that if you don't have any feeding experience. If you feed, you can push the mouse into the snake's stomach with a syringe with a catheter, which will make your snake feel great pressure (not much fun for the breeder). If your new ball python has not eaten for several months, and its weight begins to drop obviously, please take him to the reptile clinic or contact the local reptile association, so as to find someone with experience in this field to solve this problem for you. The Care and Maintenance of Ball Python written by Philip de Vosjolly or the updated edition of Ball Python Handbook written by De Vosjolly, Dave, Tracy Barker and Roger Klingen Berg are all good books with good quality and low price, which sum up some effective skills to solve the hunger strike problem of ball pythons.
Drinking water: always provide clean water for your snake with a container of suitable size. Your snake will drink and soak there. Check the water quality every day, but replace it as soon as possible after being polluted by feces. Soaking is good for molting. When his eyes turn from clear to gray or blue, soak your snake in warm water for ten minutes or more, then gently dry it and put it back in the snake box immediately. Your ball python will shed its skin cleanly within 24 hours.
Health problems: It is necessary to have a routine veterinary examination of your snake. Many parasites will multiply in large numbers in reptiles such as pythons, and also infect humans or other reptiles. If left untreated, parasites will kill your snake. Collect the excrement that your snake pulled out for the first time in a clean plastic bag, seal it, write down the date, your name, telephone number, the kind and name of the snake, and then take all these things with your snake to the veterinarian who treats reptile diseases. If there are parasites or protozoa, they can be detected and treated with appropriate drugs.
At the same time, the problem of molting deserves the attention of breeders.
Humidity: In Africa, pythons grow in warm areas, not hot and dry places. Many people will make this mistake. They put pythons in an excessively humid environment: they use wet sphagnum as bedding and spray it all day to increase humidity. Excessive humidity will cause blisters on the skin, usually in the abdomen, which will cover the blisters. This will cause bacterial infection of the skin and seriously affect the health of the whole snake.
It can be kept dry in the snake box, and a suitable size vessel can be provided for the snake to soak in water to meet the humidity requirements of the ball python. In fact, the humidity of the indoor environment is enough for the ball python. But if you want to ensure safety, you can supply a box with sphagnum, which is big enough.
Capture: After a period of time to adapt your ball python to the new environment, you can start to capture it and hold it in your hand. It may crawl away from you, shaking its tail and hissing to threaten you. At this time, don't be afraid, just scare you. Snakes, like other reptiles, are very good at scaring others Your movements should be gentle and lasting. Daily contact can build a certain degree of trust between you and the snake. When he is comfortable with your movements, you can show him around your home. At the same time, avoid sudden movements. If your snake entangles your neck or arm, you should untie it from its tail with gentle movements, and remember not to untie it from its head. Some snakes are sensitive when they are picked up after eating. If you feed your snake outside the feeding box, put him back in the snake box after he has finished eating. Don't touch him for the next few days. If your friend wasn't so nervous about you, he wouldn't spit.
Reproduction: When the temperature is lower than 70F, the python begins to hunger strike, and enters estrus and mating period at the same time. In Africa, the breeding period of pythons is from 12 to 10 in the following year, and pythons generally only estrus once every two to three years. After mating and fertilization, the female snake will lay 4 to 10 eggs, depending on the size and situation of the individual. After laying eggs, the female snake has the behavior of protecting eggs. She wraps her body around the eggs and will always relax and tighten her body. During the incubation period of three months, the female snake will fast. If the female snake is healthy, the egg protection process will not have a negative impact on the body, but if the female snake is unhealthy, it may weaken and induce other diseases.
Predation: In order to facilitate hunting at night, the eyes of ball pythons are very adapted to the dark environment. Another organ that can help pythons hunt at night is the "heat source sensor", which is located at the edge of the mouth. These organs help to find food in the dark. When he bites the prey with high-speed movements and inverted teeth, he immediately wraps the prey quickly until the prey suffocates and dies. Then the whole prey is swallowed.
Several problems in the breeding of ball pythons
Ball pythons are one of the most suitable snake species for pet viewing. Although it is slightly more difficult to raise than Burmese pythons, it is moderate in size, small and lovely in appearance, gentle in temperament and strong in disease resistance. As long as it is patiently raised, it is still an entry-level snake species. The most common problem in ball python breeding is that the newly purchased larvae refuse to eat, which often makes the breeder at a loss. To meet such a problem, we must first have a general understanding of the living habits of ball pythons. There is a very detailed article about the feeding tank like a ball python. Here, I want to emphasize some problems to help you relieve some concerns and concerns about feeding.
The ball python is a small python, and its close relative is the Angora python. Shy and timid by nature, sensitive to external environmental stimuli. Newborn larvae must molt once before they gradually begin to prey. Because of their cowardice, they tend to stay away from larger mice, and smaller mice can give them the confidence to attack. After one or two successful preys, they will gradually prey on bigger mice. This process is long and short in different individuals. Just like other animals and humans, those who are strong, brave and have a good appetite may be able to adapt to the environment in a short time, while some weak and timid individuals need longer time. So don't worry too much about not eating for a week or two.
Many times, the breeder has to put a hiding place for the ball python. Ball pythons will feel safe and relaxed in hiding places, and when they are hungry, they will stick out their heads to find food. Some individuals even come out to hunt at night. Such an individual should stop playing with his hands near night so as to relax him and feed him at night. Sometimes changing the feeding box will achieve unexpected results. When the feeding box is big, some individuals feel nervous, while others are timid and inactive. Too large a feeding box is not conducive to food stimulation. If the feeding box is small, some individuals will feel nervous and lose their appetite. Some individuals are sensitive to light, and the transparent wall of the feeding box will make them uneasy, or stimulate them to escape from the top glass, which will also affect their predation. These conditions should be observed during feeding and the feeding environment should be adjusted in time.
Python was born in tropical Africa, and the temperature and humidity of the environment should meet its living requirements. Although pythons do not require high humidity, too low humidity can also cause discomfort and affect eating. Of course, temperature is more important, especially for larvae. In the north, the outdoor temperature reaches 20 degrees Celsius for more than three consecutive days at night, and it is generally not until mid-May that artificial heating facilities can be stopped. Otherwise, the temperature in the feeding box should be properly heated according to the climatic conditions until it reaches 25-30 degrees Celsius, and it reaches more than 30 degrees Celsius 12 hours every day. Some breeders only pay attention to reaching 30 degrees and ignore the time required for the temperature, so they can't start eating successfully.
Some individuals with poor appetite may have a headache all their lives and always can't eat. There is really no better way to meet such an individual, so we can only spend some time to create a comfortable and relaxed environment for it as much as possible. So when choosing, try to choose those individuals with good temperament and good appetite. Usually, such individuals have clear epidermal lines, strong muscles, round body cross-section, clean excretory holes and bright eyes. When he is in his hand, his tongue will swing actively. When a ball python is touched by a stranger, it will naturally shrink into a ball and feel tough and powerful when touched. The ball python will retract quickly when it hits its head. But when it unfolds in your hand, it will cling to you gently, move your body steadily, and be alert to the surroundings at all times.
In addition, don't feed the new ball in a hurry, 1-2 weeks later. Because the new ball is not in the best energy state, it is suitable for feeding suckling rats (WINSTAR, etc. ) who is easy to digest.
Noun explanation: stuffy-rest in a dark and ventilated container
I am happy to encourage those who like ball pythons or other common snakes to breed them. If more people can raise them, it will reduce the demand for wild individuals, thus alleviating the pressure of reducing the number of wild animals.