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Albino Ball Python

Family: Boidae

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Python regius (colorform) Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy D. Webb

   Since the 1990's the exciting development of various color forms of the Ball Python has created quite a stir, with the Albino Ball Python a favorite!

     Of the Boidae family of snakes, pythons and constrictors, the most extensive color forms discovered and developed have been with the Ball Python Python regius. The Albino Ball Python, the classic albino sometimes referred to as the T-Albino, is the best known color form of the Ball Python. This gorgeous snake has been available for quite a while now, but it is still in very high demand and commands a very high price.

   The Albino Ball Python is a typical Ball Python, with the same behaviours and care requirements. They are small sized and docile. They typically don’t bite, instead choosing to coil tightly into the ball that gives them their common name. As they grow and are handled, they will become more tame. They make wonderful and beautiful pet reptiles.

For more Information on keeping Snakes see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Reptile

Description:
   The Ball Python is the smallest of the African python species. They will grow to between three and five feet (.91 to 1.27 m) with females generally larger than males. Hatchlings usually emerge at 8 to 12” (20 - 51 cm). They have a robust body with a short tail.
   The classic Albino Ball Python or T-Albino is a simple recessive mutation of Ball Python. It has the normal patterning of the Ball Python, but their coloring is what sets them apart. They are amelanistic (containing no melaninis) which means they lack all dark pigmentation. The 'pale pattern' is white and the 'dark patterning' is an orange-gold, sometimes seen as a dark yellow in juveniles, getting lighter in adults. They have pink eyes and their tongues are also pink.
   Being a wide bodied snake, they use rectilinear movement to crawl forward in a perfectly straight line. This is where they press sections of their body into the ground and then use their muscles to propel them forward.

Care and Feeding:
   Albino Ball Pythons are a constrictor and their diet consists of small rodents. They will eat mice and rats throughout their lives. They are nocturnal, so feed at night. Small Ball Pythons will feed on small “fuzzy” mice (once a week) and will begin to consume larger mice and even small rats as they grow. Adults will feed on adult mice or small rats (one or two every week to ten days).
   Ball Pythons will often refuse food if they are handled excessively or when their habitat changes. They will need time to get comfortable in new surroundings.
   Fresh water in a good size water dish should always be available. A shallow water dish works well. The python will usually climb in and may get water on the substrate. If this happens, the substrate should be changed or alternatively, the python can be soaked in a separate water dish once a week.

Environment:
   The ball python is a terrestrial rain forest snake, so should be housed in a woodland type terrarium with high humidity. See terrarium set-ups described under Basic Reptile and Amphibian Care for more information on woodland terrariums.
   Adult Ball Pythons require a terrarium that is roughly 36” long x 18” wide (91 x 46 cm), or 24” long x 12” wide (60 x 30 cm) for a younger python. Hatchling Ball Pythons will thrive in a smaller enclosure approximately 10” wide and 12” long (25 x 30 cm), roughly the size of a ten-gallon terrarium.
   Young Ball Pythons can be kept on a substrate of paper towel. It is easy to clean, inexpensive, and allows you to closely monitor the enclosure for cleanliness and fecal material. For a more naturalistic setup, you can use cypress mulch and aspen bedding. We do not recommend using newspaper as it is messy and ugly.
   A good size water dish will provide a place for soaking and drinking. A heavy limb with plant vining is good for climbing on. One cage accessory that is a must for a Ball Python is the hide box. These are secretive snakes that will spend a great deal of their time hiding. The snake should be allowed to wedge itself tightly into the shelter so it will feel secure. Commercial plastic shelters, clay flowerpots, and a variety of other shelters can be used.

Temperature and Lighting requirements:
   The Ball Python enclosure should always be large enough to provide the Ball Python with a warm side and a cool side. This can be accomplished best by placing a small heating pad under one corner of the enclosure. The ideal temperature range is 80° to 85 °F during the day and a warmer area that remains in the 88° to 90° F range. They can easily tolerate a drop at night to 75° to 78 °F.

Social Behavior/Activities:
   By nature, Ball Pythons are secretive and spend most of their days hiding in tight-fitting shelters. They are nocturnal so are more active at night. These snakes can be housed alone or in groups with other snakes of similar size and habits.

Handling:
   Albino Ball Pythons, like all Ball Pythons, can become very tame. However as small babies they are quite secretive and nervous. They will spend most of their time coiled in a tight ball or hiding in their shelters. As they grow (and are held more often by the keeper) they become less timid and will actually begin to explore their enclosure and climb about on the keeper’s hands. (Be careful as they can disappear quite quickly when you run to the kitchen for a drink or take a phone call.)

Breeding/Reproduction:
   These snakes, if not babies, need to be probe sexed for positive sex identification. They are typically sexually mature between 2 and 3 1/2 years though occasionally a ball python will be mature at about 18 months. A healthy pair of Ball Pythons will usually show interest in breeding at two years of age. (Males usually sooner and females occasionally longer, depending on the feeding schedule.) A sexually mature male is typically a 30 to 36” (76 - 91 cm) animal, while a female will need to be in the 40” (102 cm) and 1000 gram+ range. Typically the female is introduced into the male’s enclosure after each snake has been fed well.
   They have small clutches, in the 4 to 8 egg range. They will breed in the cool, rainy seasons. In nature, after laying the female then broods the eggs. You can let the female incubate the eggs herself (in a nest box) or you can remove the eggs to be incubated in an incubator. If they are removed, the eggs should be incubated in a mixture of damp vermiculite.
   The eggs will hatch in 50 to 60 days at an incubation temperature of 82° to 86° F (28 - 30° C). The hatchlings range from 10" (25.4 cm) to 17" (43.2 cm) in length.

Ailments:
   As Albino Ball Pythons available to keepers are captive-hatched babies, there are relatively few health concerns as long as they are kept in a proper enclosure and are fed the proper diet. Some illness to be aware of are:
   Mites and ticks: These small ectoparasites are occasionally seen on pet snakes. They typically arrive with imported pythons or are infested when they are housed at a reptile dealer’s facilities. They should be removed as they feed on blood from the host (your python) and can cause stress and can carry diseases. There are a wide range of products available to keepers for the removal of these parasites.
   Respiratory illnesses: Pythons that are kept too cool can get respiratory issues that can be life-threatening. Signs of problems include frequent yawning, gaping, gasping or opening of the mouth, and bubbling from the nose. Seek veterinary help if you see a combination of any of these signs. (A snake will yawn to realign its jaws after feeding. This is a normal behavior.)
   Dermal Fungal Infections: If a Ball Python is kept too cool or too humid for an extended period of time, the snake may develop skin lesions that will become crusty and bloody. A keeper should immediately look at his or her enclosure and make sure that the snake is being kept warm and dry enough. Clean the lesions with a gentle wash of Betadine or antibiotic cream until it heals.
   “Mouth Rot”: If a snake’s mouth does not shut well or if you see unhealthy exposed gum tissue, this may be a sign of infective stomatitis or “mouth rot”. Healthy gums are a light pinkish white without marks or red veining. Red splotches or other discolored areas may be early signs of “mouth rot”.
   Shedding Problems: Stuck sheds, retained eye caps, and other shedding problems are occasionally seen in Ball Pythons. Though the area in which they live is relatively hot and dry, they do spend a great deal of time in burrows, underground, and even in termite nests. These areas are not only warm, but are also humid. So, when a Ball Python is ready to shed (first signs are opacity of the eyes), the humidity within the enclosure or especially under the shelter should be raised. This will allow for proper shedding.
   Rodent Bites: Never leave a live feeder rodent in a snake’s enclosure. A freaked out mouse or rat may attack the snake. Though they are great predators, many captive Ball Pythons are attacked by live rodents each year and many of them die horrible deaths. Either remove the rodent if it is not eaten right away or feed your snake pre-killed prey.

Availability:
   The Albino Ball Python is in great demand. Because Ball Pythons lay relatively small clutches, their are often more people who want them then are available. Consequently they are expensive, starting at about $2,500 and up. The best place to find these snakes is on-line, or at a reptile show or expo.

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Latest Comments
Hi, I think I saw a a white and brown? It reminded me of an albino. It was sunning it self on a railroad tie in my mom's garden/mulch pile. There is lots of cover and chipmunks. This was in maryland in august, in a neighborhood. sue williams 2009-03-31
That is a cool looking snake. Jordan 2008-01-10
I got my ball python for christmas of 06' and i've loved every minute of having him. He only sheds about once a month. I love the way he feels. He is the best pet I have ever had. I hold him everyday and so does the rest of the family. He is very docile and friendly. He will just sit around my neck and go in my hair. I can walk around with him on my neck like he is a necklace. He was the coolest christmas gift I got that year. He definitely tops clothes. Plus for christmas this year i'm getting an albino python. Lauren 2007-11-24
Actually, balls yawn all the time for no known reason. It does not necessarily mean the snake has a respiratory infection. Daniel K 2007-07-20
I love these snakes, ball pythons are my favorite. I have also found a way to make some extra $$$ that you could try too. I have 2 albino pythons, one female, and one male. they are very beautiful snakes and when they breed there babies are just as beautiful. And thats why they are worth so much, my baby snakes (albino) usually sell for between $2,500 and $3,000. Its a very good way to pay the bills. The snakes usually lay between 4-8 eggs for each clutch. Do a little math and thats quite a bit of money considering that they lay many clutches of eggs during the breeding season. If you are interested in this, go to a site about breeding albino snakes and get all the details. Jake 2007-06-25

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Authors: Clarice Brough, CRS and Russ Gurley