Meet the Animal Park's Ball Python

NATIVE RANGE

Ball pythons are found in the forest, savanna, shrubland, and grassland through central and western Africa, including Senegal, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic.  They are classified by the IUCN as Near Threatened.

DIET

They are opportunistic ambush predators that feed primarily on rodents and birds.

BEHAVIOR

Ball pythons are primarily a nocturnal species that typically shelter in burrows during the day and occasionally inhabit trees at night.

FASCINATING FACTS

• Ball pythons are not usually aggressive and prefer to avoid threats. They are  known for the protective mechanism of “balling,” where they form a tight ball with their head at the center in response to threats, earning them their name.
• The species is also known as the “royal python.”
• Pythons reproduce by laying eggs (they are oviparous). Female pythons coil around their eggs to incubate them, using muscle contractions to generate heat.