Ball Python

Python regius

RANGE West and central Africa

HABITAT Grasslands, savannahs and sparsely wooded plains

DIET Rodents

The ball python is also known as the royal python. This snake is nocturnal (active at night) and solitary (lives alone). They will coil into a tight ball (hence the name) with the head tucked between the coils to defend themselves and protect their head.

Like most pythons, they are good climbers, but they are usually seen on the ground. They have 100 - 150 sharp teeth that curve towards the back of their mouth.

Ball pythons help to control rodent populations in the rural areas where they live.

The biggest threat to the ball python is the international pet trade. While the suspected population decline is not large enough to warrant threatened status, the trade of this species should still be carefully monitored and the numbers exploited should be reduced. This species is also poached for meat and leather.