Ball Python Behavior (Common & Unusual) & Illnesses

When choosing a pet reptile you have to understand their health issues and typical behaviors. Some species can be challenging for beginners, so look for a pet that’s naturally hardy and easygoing – like the ball python (but only the captive-bred ones)

Early in my reptile-keeping journey, I worked with thousands of wild-caught ball pythons and almost all of them arrived with multiple health problems like tick infestations, respiratory infections, poor sheds, and infected wounds were very common in them.

But captive-bred ball pythons are a world apart. They are healthy, adaptable, and among the sweetest-natured snakes out there.

Honestly, what more could a first-time snake owner wish for?

Want to know more about the behaviors and illnesses of ball pythons? Keep reading!

Key Takeaways

• Healthy ball pythons typically lie in a flat coil, move slowly, often flick their tongues, and may lie in wait for food. When scared, they might hiss, flee, or curl into a protective ball.
• Ball pythons shed periodically, after every 4 to 6 weeks, or as rarely as once or twice per year
• Ball python bites are not dangerous and are very little painful.
• Handle your ball python in short, infrequent sessions to avoid stress.
• Respiratory infections, the inclusion of body disease, obesity, mites, and mouth rot are common health issues.

Quick Navigation

Facts

Common Behaviors

Handling

Illness & Disease

> Further Reading: The Complete Ball Python Care Sheet

Basic Ball Python Behavior and Body Language

You’ll notice your ball pythons performing a few common behaviors over time, including those explained below.

• Calm ball pythons move about slowly but purposefully.
• Ball pythons often flick their tongues while moving about to learn about their surroundings. This helps them gather information through scent particles that stick to their tongue and are analyzed by an organ in their mouth called Jacobson’s organ.
• Hungry ball pythons often lay motionlessly, with their head poised and ready to strike. They may also prowl slowly around the habitat seeking prey.
• When frightened, ball pythons may withdraw their head into an “S-coil,” hiss, flee or roll into a ball.
• Although it is somewhat rare, ball pythons can bite if they feel threatened or mistake your hand for prey.

Common Ball Python Behaviors: A Deeper Look

We’ll examine a few of the more noteworthy behaviors ball pythons exhibit below.

Shedding

Ball pythons, like all other snakes, shed their skin periodically. This can occur as often as once every four or six weeks for younger and healthy snakes, or as rarely as once or twice per year for adults, depending on the size, age, and health of the individual.

The shedding process starts with the snake’s belly turning a pinkish color and the overall scales appearing dull.  A few days later, the eyes will take on a milky blue or opaque appearance. Following the blue eye phase, the snake’s colors will clear up again right before the shed occurs.

Proper sheds should come off in one long piece. But unfortunately, ball pythons who are sick, mite infested or dehydrated often shed in multiple pieces or fail to shed completely. This is called dysecdysis and can cause long-term health problems in some cases, so it is important to take steps to eliminate the problem.

Make sure your ball python’s enclosure has a proper humidity range of 50-60% at all times, with increased humidity (around 70-80%) during shed cycles. A hygrometer will be best to monitor these levels. And provide your ball python with a secure, humid hide, especially during its shedding cycle. Fill this hide with damp sphagnum moss to create a high-humidity safe space. Additionally, slightly damp substrate can help maintain humidity levels in the enclosure. Always provide a large enough water bowl for your snake to soak in if it chooses to.

Handling Stuck Shed:

If your ball python is having trouble shedding, there are safe and effective ways to help. Create a homemade humidity chamber using a plastic container with ventilation holes and a warm, damp towel placed inside. Place the container on a heating pad set to 85 degrees Fahrenheit (regulated by a thermostat). Once it gets warm, place the snake inside. And, cover the container with a cloth to reduce stress in your snake. Keep the snake in the chamber for no more than one hour, then return it to its enclosure. Repeat this process if the shed does not come off within 24 hours.

After using the humidity chamber, if you still see some stuck shed try gently aiding its removal using a damp cloth or cotton swabs. Always work in the direction of the scales. Do not force any scales off, especially near the eyes or the face.

Important Note: While soaking was once common advice but now it’s considered potentially stressful and even dangerous for ball pythons due to the risk of drowning snakeheads by many owners. Instead, use the humidity chamber method.

> Further reading: Ball Python Shedding: All You Need to Know

Biting

Biting is the behavior that often elicits the most attention from new keepers. This is understandable – nobody wants to be bitten by a snake.

However, it is important to note that ball python bites are rarely very painful, nor are they likely to cause much damage. Typically, they’ll cause a few minor breaks in the skin, which will ooze a trickle of blood.

Bites rarely require much more first aid than simple soap and water. However, if the bite displays any signs of infection (redness, swelling, etc.), contact your doctor. It is also important to feel the wound carefully to ensure no teeth were left in your skin.

> Further Reading: Does a Ball Python Bite Hurt (and Why Would Your Pet Bite)?

Handling Your Ball Pythons: Basics, Tips, and Tricks

Below, we’ll discuss the best way to handle your ball python, and then we’ll share a few tips and tricks that’ll likely make it easier and more enjoyable to do so.

Basic Ball Python Handling Procedure

Although you’ll certainly need to adjust to different circumstances and individuals, the best way to handle your ball python is as follows:

1. Open the habitat and touch your snake gently on the back. This will help you avoid startling him if he’s sleeping (it is essentially impossible to tell if your snake is just sitting still or sleeping, as they lack eyelids).
2. Place your fingers under his body gently and lift him off the cage floor quickly and decisively. Don’t stare at him for 10 minutes trying to gather your nerve; that’ll only make him nervous. Just pick him up.
3. Once lifted, let your snake crawl freely around your hands and arms. Be sure to support him but avoid gripping his body tightly – that tends to make snakes feel threatened.
4. After about 5 to 10 minutes (or you are done examining him, if that was your reason for picking him up in the first place), gently return him to his habitat and close the enclosure.
5. Wash your hands with soap and warm water.

Tips and Tricks

Try to follow the procedure outlined above, but from time to time, you may find the following tips helpful:

• Learn to recognize your snake’s body language. Typically, ball pythons will communicate discomfort or fear long before they resort to biting. They’ll often do this by tensing their muscles, becoming more rigid, hissing or acting “jumpy.” If you note these signs, return your pet to his enclosure and leave him alone.
• If you must pick up a defensive ball python, use the “paper towel trick.” By simply covering your snake with a paper towel (or small hand towel, if your snake is large), you’ll find that most snakes calm down significantly. You can then pick up the entire package – snake and towel – and move him as necessary.
• A snake hook (or an improvised version thereof) can make some snakes feel more comfortable. After lifting the snake with the hook, you may be able to transfer him to your hand without a problem. Otherwise, you can simply use the hook to move him as necessary.
• Don’t handle your snake too often or for too long. Excessive handling will usually stress your snake out, so keep handling sessions brief. Also, don’t bring your snake to public places, as this is stressful to the snake and often upsetting to those who are not comfortable with snakes. This type of behavior only hurts the hobby.
• Because they’re nocturnal, ball pythons are generally easier to handle during the day. You’ll often find that your ball python will be more alert at night, and they’ll generally be less tolerant of handling during such times.

Caution: Don’t Handle Your Ball Python After Eating

Note that you should never handle your ball python who’s recently eaten. Doing so may cause him to regurgitate his last meal. This not only creates a thoroughly disgusting mess, but it is also stressful for the snake. It’s also a waste of money, as that rodent will now be useless.

As a general rule, the minimum you should wait after feeding before handling is 24 hours. However, it’s far safer to wait 48-72 hours (if your snake ate larger meals) to ensure complete digestion. This assumes that any bulge created by the meal has shrunk. If you can still detect a food bulge, do not handle your snake.

> Further Reading: The Ball Python Diet

Illness and Disease: Signs of a Sick Ball Python

Some of the most common health problems that afflict ball pythons are explained below. These are certainly not all of the possible diseases and conditions that may threaten your pet, but they deserve the most attention.

Respiratory Infections

Any snake can suffer from a respiratory infection, but snakes that hail from tropical areas – including ball pythons – are often especially susceptible to them. Because snakes cannot cough, they have great difficulty expelling the fluid which can accumulate in their respiratory tract. This means that a simple “chest cold” can quickly prove fatal in snakes.

A few of the most common symptoms of respiratory infections in ball pythons include:

• Blowing bubbles from the nostrils or mouth
• Wheezing, clicking, or gurgling sounds when breathing
• Drooling
• Labored breathing or open-mouthed breathing
• Food refusal
• Staying near the heat source more often than usual
• Lethargy or decreased activity levels

If you notice your ball python exhibiting any of these symptoms, temporarily raise the temperatures within your ball python’s enclosure slightly. Aim for the high end of their recommended temperature range to support their immune function.

While ball pythons occasionally recover from extremely mild respiratory infections without veterinary treatment, most will require medications to help combat the infection.

Inclusion Body Disease

Inclusion Body Disease (IBD) is a severe and deadly viral infection. It affects snakes within the boid family, which also includes ball pythons. Infected snakes show symptoms that include neurological problems (like stargazing, tremors, and disorientation), respiratory difficulties, and digestive issues such as regurgitation and weight loss. Sadly, there is no cure or treatment for IBD. As it’s highly contagious and causes a lot of suffering to the animal, euthanasia is only considered the most humane option to prevent the spread of the virus and end the snake’s suffering.

Prevention is always the key to IBD, and it’s important to only buy snakes from breeders who test for the disease, and strictly quarantine any new snakes for a minimum of 3-6 months. Cleaning the equipment and affected areas thoroughly is also essential – especially if your snakes have been exposed to the virus. If you think your ball python might have IBD, keep it away from other snakes and get help from a vet right away.

> Further Reading: How to Tell if My Ball Python Is Dying?

Obesity

Obesity can cause health problems for ball pythons, so it is important to keep your snake at the proper body weight. While experienced keepers are often able to accurately assess body condition, it is often difficult for novices to do so. Accordingly, beginners should visit their vet regularly (perhaps once per year) to ensure that their snake is in good health.

Some of the most notable locations in which ball pythons store fat include the rear portion of the head and the sides of the tail base. Additionally, the spine and ribs can provide clues to the snake’s body condition. You should be able to feel your snake’s ribs, but they should not be visible in most cases. A healthy ball python has a smoothly rounded, triangular body shape when viewed in cross-section.

Obesity takes a long time to treat in snakes – they don’t need very many calories in the first place. Accordingly, it is important to avoid the problem entirely by carefully managing your snake’s diet and feeding frequency.

> Further Reading: The Ball Python Diet

Eye Infections

A lot of new owners worry that their new ball python has an eye infection, but eye infections aren’t terribly common in snakes. I can only remember caring for one snake out of thousands that had a legitimate eye infection – and that was a water snake, not a ball python.

However, ball pythons do frequently experience two other eye-related problems:

• The eyes of dehydrated ball pythons will often dimple.
• Shedding difficulties can cause a snake to retain the scale covering its eye.

Unfortunately, it can be very difficult for beginners to distinguish between these two problems. So, the best thing to do is simply visit the veterinarian if you notice anything unusual about your ball python’s eye. Neither of these issues is terribly difficult for your vet to treat – he or she can likely remove a retained scale or help you rehydrate your pet.

Mites

The snake mite (specifically Ophionyssus natricis) is a tiny arthropod that feeds on the blood of snakes. And unfortunately, they are both extremely common and extremely difficult to eradicate – particularly for snake-keeping novices.

Individually, mites don’t represent much of a problem, although they’re probably irritating to the snake. But, when their numbers climb into the dozens, hundreds or thousands, they can cause serious physical stress. Death from mites is rare, but it is possible.

Mites essentially look like a moving speck of black pepper. They’re easy to spot against a white enclosure wall, but they’re very difficult to see on the dark portions of a snake’s body.

The easiest place to see them on your snake will be his ventral side, especially the portion under the chin (check in the crease running down the center of your snake’s lower jaw). You may also find them clustered around the eyes, mouth, or vent area.

Eradicating mites is complicated because the mature females are constantly leaving your snake, moving into the environment and depositing eggs. So, you’ll often have to utilize special medications that will kill the next generation of mites, or you’ll need to go to great lengths to eliminate the mites on your snake and those living in the environment.

In either case, beginners are wise to immediately seek veterinary assistance when confronted with mites.

> Further Reading: Mites in Ball Pythons

Mouth Rot

Mouth rot, also known as infectious stomatitis, is a bit of a catch-all term for various infections that manifest in the mouth of a snake. It is pretty disgusting – it can cause your snake’s mouth to bleed, ooze cheesy material, loose teeth or worse. Common culprits include Aeromonas, Pseudomonas, and various other opportunistic bacteria. But if caught quickly, you’ll usually be able to stop the problem.

Mouth rot can be caused by a variety of different things like small injuries in the mouth from prey, rough substrate, decor, weekened immune system and poor husbandry, so you’ll need to work with your vet to treat the animal. Just be sure that you do so quickly, as this problem can progress drastically in a short period of time.

Take Care!

Ball pythons are usually healthy and easy-going animals. You just have to start with a healthy, captive-bred individual and then provide the proper habitat, diet, and care. Just be observant and look out for the symptoms of illness mentioned above. This way, you’ll be able to act quickly and give your snake the best chance of recovery.