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The '''ball python''' ('''''Python regius'''''), also commonly called the '''royal python''', is a [[Python (genus)|python]] species native to [[West Africa|West]] and [[Central Africa]], where it lives in [[Grassland|grasslands]], shrublands and open forests. This [[nonvenomous]] [[Constriction|constrictor]] is the smallest of the African pythons, growing to a maximum length of {{convert|182|cm|abbr=on}}.<ref name=McD99>{{cite book |author1=McDiarmid, R. W. |author2=Campbell, J. A. |author3=Touré, T. |year=1999 |title=Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference |volume=1 |publisher=Herpetologists' League |___location=Washington, DC |isbn=1-893777-00-6 }}</ref> The name "ball python" refers to its tendency to curl into a ball when [[stress (biology)|stress]]ed or frightened.<ref name=Meh87>{{cite book |author=Mehrtens, J. M. |year=1987 |title=Living Snakes of the World in Color |___location=New York |publisher=Sterling Publishers |isbn=080696460X |chapter=Ball Python, Royal Python (''Python regius'') |page=[https://archive.org/details/livingsnakesofwo00mehr/page/62 62–] |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/livingsnakesofwo00mehr/page/62 }}</ref>
== Taxonomy ==
==Description==
[[File:Python regius 070731 Portrait.jpg|thumb|Close-up of head]]
The ball python is black, or albino and dark brown with light brown blotches on the back and sides. Its white or cream belly is scattered with black markings. The colors usually get lighter as they go down the side, making for a gradient. This is more clearly seen in certain localities than others. It is a stocky snake with a relatively small head and smooth scales.<ref name="Meh87"/> ItFemales reachescan areach maximuman adult length of {{convert|182|cm|ftinft|abbr=on}}, with males usually only reaching {{Convert|107|cm|ft|abbr=on}}. Males typically measure eight to ten [[subcaudal scales]], and females typically measure two to four subcaudal scales.<ref name="Bar06">{{cite book |author=Barker, D. G. |author2=Barker, T. M. |year=2006 |title=Ball Pythons: The History, Natural History, Care and Breeding |series=Pythons of the World |volume=2 |publisher=VPI Library |___location=Boerne, TX |isbn=0-9785411-0-3}}</ref> Females reach an average snout-to-vent length of {{convert|116.2|cm|ftin|frac=16|abbr=on}}, a {{convert|44.3|mm|frac=32|abbr=on}} long jaw, an {{convert|8.7|cm|frac=16|abbr=on}} long tail andwith a maximum adult weight of {{convert|12.63505|kg|lboz|abbr=on}}. Males are smaller with an average snout-to-vent length of {{convert|111.3|cm|frac=16|abbr=on}}, a {{convert|43.6|mm|frac=32|abbr=on}} long jaw, an {{convert|8.6|cm|frac=16|abbr=on}} long tail and a maximum adult weight of {{convert|1.561|kg|lboz|abbr=on}}.<ref name=Aubret_al2005>{{Cite journal |author1=Aubret, F. |author2=Bonnet, X. |author3=Harris, M. |author4=Maumelat, S. |year=2005 |title=Sex Differences in Body Size and Ectoparasite Load in the Ball Python, ''Python regius'' |journal=Journal of Herpetology |volume=39 |issue=2 |pages=315–320 |doi=10.1670/111-02N |jstor=4092910|s2cid=86230972 }}</ref>
Both sexes have [[pelvic spur]]s on both sides of the vent. During [[Copulation (zoology)|copulation]], males use these spurs for gripping females.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Rizzo, J. M.|year=2014 |title=Captive care and husbandry of ball pythons (''Python regius'') |journal=Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery |volume=24 |issue=1 |pages=48–52 |doi=10.5818/1529-9651-24.1.48|s2cid=162806864 }}</ref> Males tend to have larger spurs, and sex is best determined by manual eversion of the male [[hemipenes]] or inserting a probe into the [[cloaca]] to check the presence of an inverted hemipenis.<ref name="McCurley">{{cite book |author=McCurley, K. |year=2005 |title=The Complete Ball Python: A Comprehensive Guide to Care, Breeding and Genetic Mutations |publisher=ECO & Serpent's Tale Natural History Books |isbn=978-097-131-9}}</ref> Sex can also be genetically determined and in some cases assumed to a high degree of accuracy based on some [[Sex linked genes|sex-linked genes]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mallery Jr |first=Christopher S. |last2=Carrillo |first2=Maira M. |date=2016-07-01 |title=Um estudo de caso ligado ao sexo em Python regius (Serpentes: Boidae), com novas ideias sobre a determinação sexual em Henophidia |url=http://www.revistas.usp.br/phyllo/article/view/117124 |journal=Phyllomedusa: Journal of Herpetology |volume=15 |issue=1 |pages=29 |doi=10.11606/issn.2316-9079.v15i1p29-42 |issn=2316-9079}}</ref>
==Distribution and habitat==
The ball python is native to west [[Sub Saharan Africa]] from [[Senegal]], [[Mali]], [[Guinea-Bissau]], [[Guinea]], [[Sierra Leone]], [[Liberia]], [[Ivory Coast]], [[Ghana]], [[Benin]], and [[Nigeria]] through [[Cameroon]], [[Chad]], and the [[Central African Republic]] to [[Sudan]] and [[Uganda]].<ref name=iucn/>
They prefer grasslands, [[savannas]], and sparsely wooded areas, where they mostly live in rodent burrows with some arboreal tendencies.<ref name="Meh87"/> There are theories of differences in size and appearance of ball pythons based on their locality.<ref>{{Cite web |first= |title=The Truth About Sub Saharan / Volta Ball Pythons |url=https://www.outbackreptiles.com/2018/09/the-truth-about-sub-saharan-volta-ball-pythons/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
It prefers grasslands, [[savannas]], and sparsely wooded areas.<ref name="Meh87"/>
==Behavior and ecology==
Ball pythons are typically nocturnal or crepuscular, meaning that they are active during dusk, dawn, and/or nighttime.<ref name="Luiselli and Angelici 1998" /> This species is known for its defense strategy that involves coiling into a tight ball when threatened, with its head and neck tucked away in the middle. This defensedefensive behavior is typically employed in lieu of biting, which makes this species easy for humans to handle and has contributed to their popularity as a pet.<ref name="Meh87"/> It is also more commonly seen in younger pythons.
In the wild, ball pythons favor mammal burrows and other underground hiding places, where they also [[Aestivation|aestivate]]. Males tend to display more semi-arboreal behaviors, whilst females tend towards terrestrial behaviors.<ref name="Luiselli and Angelici 1998" />
=== Diet= ==
The diet of the ball python in the wild consists mostly of small mammals and birds. Young ball pythons of less than {{cvt|70|cm}} prey foremost on small birds. Ball pythons longer than {{cvt|100|cm}} prey foremostmostly on small mammals. Males prey more frequently on birds, and females more frequently on mammals.<ref name="Luiselli and Angelici 1998">{{cite journal |last1=Luiselli |first1=L. |last2=Angelici |first2=F. M. |name-list-style=amp |title=Sexual size dimorphism and natural history traits are correlated with intersexual dietary divergence in royal pythons (''Python regius'') from the rainforests of southeastern Nigeria |journal=Italian Journal of Zoology |date=1998 |volume=65 |issue=2 |pages=183–185 |doi=10.1080/11250009809386744}}</ref> This is because females generally grow bigger and require more fat reserves for [https://www.terrariumquest.com/ball-python/not-eating/#:~:text=Seasonal%20Fasting,males%20and%20wild-caught%20individuals. seasonal fasts]. Rodents make up a large percentage of the diet; [[Gambian pouched rat]]s, [[black rat]]s, [[Oenomys|rufous-nosed rat]]s, [[Dasymys|shaggy rat]]s, and [[Lemniscomys|striped grass mice]] are among the species consumed.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Python_regius/ |title=''Python regius'' (Ball Python, Royal Python)}}</ref>
=== Reproduction= ==
[[File:Ball Python Eggs Incubating.jpg|thumb|Ball python eggs incubating]]
Females are [[oviparous]] and lay three to 11 rather large, leathery eggs.<ref name="Bar06"/> The eggs hatch after 55 to 60 days. Young male pythons reach sexual maturity at 11–18 months, and females at 20–36 months. Age is only one factor in determining sexual maturity and the ability to breed; weight is the second factor. Males breed at {{convert|600|g|abbr=on}} or more, but in captivity are often not bred until they are {{convert|800|g|abbr=on}}, although in captivity, some males have been known to begin breeding at {{convert|300-400|g|abbr=on}}. Females breed in the wild at weights as low as {{convert|800|g|abbr=on}} though {{convert|1200|g|abbr=on}} or more in weight is most common; in captivity, breeders generally wait until they are no less than {{convert|1500|g|abbr=on}}. Parental care of the eggs ends once they hatch, and the female leaves the offspring to fend for themselves.<ref name="McCurley" />
[[File:Albino ball python.png|thumb|An [[albinism|albino]] ball python]]
[[File:Ball python (Python regius), Bronx Zoo.jpg|thumb|A ball python in the [[Bronx Zoo]]]]
Ball pythons are the most popular pet snake and the second most popular pet reptile after the [[Bearded Dragon|bearded dragon]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Valdez |first=Jose W. |date=2021-03-03 |title=Using Google Trends to Determine Current, Past, and Future Trends in the Reptile Pet Trade |journal=Animals |volume=11 |issue=3 |pages=676 |doi=10.3390/ani11030676 |issn=2076-2615 |pmc=8001315 |pmid=33802560|doi-access=free }}</ref> According to the IUCN Red List, while captive bred animals are widely available in the pet trade, capture of wild specimens for sale continues to cause significant damage to wild populations.<ref name="iucn" /> Wild-caught specimens have greater difficulty adapting to a captive environment, which can result in refusal to feed, and they generally carry internal or external [[Parasitism|parasites]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2022}} This species can do quite well in captivity, regularly living for 15-30 years with good care.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ball Python Care Guide |url=https://reptifiles.com/ball-python-care-guide/ |access-date=2022-04-05 |website=ReptiFiles®, LLC |language=en-US}}</ref> The oldest recorded ball python in captivity is 62 years, 59 of those at the [[Saint Louis Zoo]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/11/a-new-squeeze-snake-mystery-after-lone-elderly-python-lays-clutch-of-eggs |title=A new squeeze? Snake mystery after lone, elderly python lays a clutch of eggs |website=[[TheGuardian.com]] |year=2020 |access-date=2020-09-11}}</ref>
=== Breeding= ==
Captive ball pythons are often bred for specific patterns, colors, and scale types that do not naturally occur as frequently in the wild,. These traits are commonly called "morphs." by enthusiasts<ref>{{cite web |website=Reptiles magazine |url=http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/A-Crash-Course-in-Ball-Python-Reptile-Genetics/ |title=A Crash Course in Ball Python/Reptile Genetics |date=2016 |author=Bulinski, S. C.}}</ref> Breeders are continuously creating new designer morphs, and over 7,500600 different morphs currently exist.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Morph List – World of Ball Pythons |url=http://www.worldofballpythons.com/morphs/ |access-date=2021-08-31 |website=World of Ball Pythons}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Yurdakul E. |date=2020 |title=Ball Python Morphs |url=https://reptilianworld.com/reptile/snake-reptile/ball-python-morphs/ |website=Reptilian world}}</ref> Most morphs are considered solely cosmetic with no harm or benefit to the individual animal. However, the "spider" morph genemorphs hashave been linked to neurological disease, specifically related to the snake's sense of balance.<ref>{{Cite journal |author=Rose, M. P. & Williams, D. L. |year=2014 |title=Neurologic dysfunction in a ball python (''Python regius'') color morph, and implications for welfare |journal=Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine |volume=23 |issue=3 |pages=234–239 |doi=10.1053/j.jepm.2014.06.002 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262937861}}</ref> Due to the ethical concerns associated with intentionally breeding a color patternmorph linked to genetic disease, the International Herpetological Society banned the sale of spider morphs at their events beginning in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |publisherdate=International2017 Herpetological|title=Breeders SocietyMeetings – New Policy – June 2017 |url=http://www.ihs-web.org.uk/ihs-news.php?hash=d6ff9182701ee47dd9ebc5a38e05ba1f&mnid=24&page=3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508051212/http://www.ihs-web.org.uk/ihs-news.php?hash=d6ff9182701ee47dd9ebc5a38e05ba1f&mnid=24&page=3 |archive-date=2020-05-08 |publisher=International Herpetological Society}}</ref> Other morphs that change the size, shape or presence of [https://www.morphmarket.com/morphpedia/ball-pythons/?complexId=c-21 scales] are also controversial in the ball python breeding community. These types of morphs include "scaleless head" and "scaleless" which both occur due to the same allele, "microscale", which can also produce a form of scaleless ball python, and "zip belly". These snakes need special conditions to live<ref>{{Cite web |title=BreedersScaleless MeetingsBall –Python New|url=https://a-z-animals.com/animals/scaleless-ball-python/#:~:text=High%2C%20consistent%20humidity%20and%20soft,and%20bruises%20than%20other%20morphs. Policy|url-status=live}}</ref>, –and Junesome 2017argue that they are more susceptible to harm without their natural protective scales.<ref>{{Cite web |datetitle=2017Scaleless ball python |url=https://www.proherper.com/insights/scaleless-ball-pythons/}}</ref> Another opinion is that which concerns "Albino" ball pythons, as well as many [[hypomelanistic|melanin reducing]] morphs. It is common belief among snake keepers being that their eyesight is significantly worse than other morphs<ref>{{Cite web |title=Do ball pythons have good eyesight? |url=https://www.snakesforpets.com/do-ball-pythons-have-good-eyesight/}}</ref>, with ongoing debates regarding the ethics of breeding with the intention of producing hatchlings with albinism.
==In culture==
The ball python is particularly revered by the [[Igbo people]] in southeasternSoutheastern [[Nigeria]], who consider it symbolic of the earth, being an animal that travels so close to the ground. Some believe ball pythons to be messengers of the [[Ala (odinala)|goddess of soil]] or earth, who is also linked to fertility and morality. Even Christian Igbos treat ball pythons with great care wheneverwhen they come across one in a village or on someone's property; theythem, either letletting them roam or pickreturning them upto gentlythe andforest.<ref>{{Cite returnweb them|title=Python toregius a– forestThe orBall field(Royal) awayPython from houses|url=http://world-bird-sanctuary.blogspot.com/2015/02/python-regius-ball-royal-python.html}}</ref> If one is accidentally killed, many communities on Igbo land still build a coffin for the snake's remains and give it a short funeral.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Hambly, W. D. |author2=Laufer, B. |journal=Fieldiana Anthropology |volume=21 |issue= 1 |year=1931 |title= Serpent worship |url=https://archive.org/details/serpentworshipin211hamb}}</ref>{{Obsolete source|reason=This source is roughly 90 years old, and as a source of anthropology is likely to have been affected by attitudes towards non-Western cultures of the time. An updated source is required.|date=May 2020}} In northwesternNorthwestern [[Ghana]], there is a taboo towards pythons as some people consider them a saviorsaviors and cannot hurt or eat them. According to folklore a python once helped them flee from their enemies by transforming into a log to allow them to cross a river.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Diawuo, F. |author2=Issifu, A. K. |year=2015 |title=Exploring the African Traditional Belief Systems in Natural Resource Conservation and Management in Ghana |journal=Journal of Pan African Studies |volume=8 |issue=9 |pages=115–131 |url=http://proxy-um.researchport.umd.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asn&AN=111470971&site=eds-live }}</ref> As well as Ghana and Nigeria, [[West African Vodun|Vodun]] communities of Benin, Togo and other west African countries consider ball pythons (as well as other species) to have spiritual significance.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Temple of Pythons |url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-temple-of-pythons-ouidah-benin}}</ref>
==References==
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