Banana ball pythons are so cool. You won’t be surprised to learn that banana ball pythons are popular among first-time snake owners and experienced reptile enthusiasts.
What is a banana ball python, though?
Ball pythons are a type of small constrictor snake. Rather than poisoning their prey or biting it, pythons curl around their prey and suffocate it before swallowing it whole.
Banana ball pythons, or banana snakes, are given their name because of their unusual coloration. Banana ball pythons have bodies that are generally tan with distinctive bright yellow splotches like the skin of a ripe banana.
Overall, banana ball pythons are a great choice for starting responsible snake ownership. You want your new snake to live its best life with you, and that starts by getting some ball python information. What do they eat? What do they need to be healthy and happy?
Here are ten banana ball python tips you should know before getting one.
#1 Understanding the natural habitat of banana ball pythons: Where are they from?
Several continents have python varieties. However, ball pythons come from the countries of West Africa, including Senegal, Mali, and the surrounding countries including Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, and others.
Ranging from desert to savanna and tropical forests, the climate of West Africa is almost always sunny.
In some places approaching the Sahara, the temperature can climb above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Annual monsoons bring crucial rainfall to the area.
Of course, ball pythons prefer environments like those in their native habitat. Most reptiles are the same way, but many need precise temperature ranges to be happy in captivity.
Fortunately, ball pythons are pretty adaptable. This flexibility makes them easier to care for as pets when you’re setting up a ball python habitat for them.
#2 Banana ball python size and lifespan
One of the reasons banana ball pythons make fantastic “starter snakes” for first-time reptile owners is their relatively smaller size.
Ball python handling is a normal part of snake ownership, but some pythons are bigger than others.
Larger varieties such as the reticulated python can grow to a whopping 30 feet long and weigh upwards of 350 pounds.
However, the smaller ball python is a very manageable size.
As hatchlings, the ball python begins at about 10 inches.
By adulthood, the ball python will measure about 2-3 feet long for males and 5 feet for females. Even that longer size is somewhat unusual.
A healthy adult male will weigh around 4-5 pounds, with the larger female snakes weighing somewhat more.
How to handle a ball python can sometimes be tricky. Heavy pythons are at risk of being dropped and injured.
Even experienced snake handlers can’t always tell where or how a snake might move when being handled.
A decided advantage of the ball python is that its smaller size makes these snakes easier to pick up, carry, and transfer from place to place.
Many first-time snake owners may not understand an important issue about ball python lifespan.
These snakes live a long time, and a ball python represents an important commitment. The lifespan of a ball python might come as a surprise to some people.
A goldfish may live 5-10 years. A dog might live 10-13.
However, under normal conditions, a ball python can live more than 30 years in captivity. A ball python at the Philadelphia Zoo lived to be over 47 years old.
Bottom line, it’s important to keep python longevity in mind if you want to adopt one.
#3 Banana ball python handling: Are they dangerous?
Are banana ball pythons dangerous snakes? Are pythons venomous? These are reasonable questions you should ask when thinking about owning a snake. Here’s the good news: Banana python snake bites are not poisonous.
Any bite from any animal (including humans) carries with it a risk of infection from ordinary mouth bacteria.
Ball python bites, like any other, can get infected. However, the bites themselves are not venomous in any way.
Do ball pythons have teeth?
Unlike rattlers or vipers, ball pythons lack big prominent fangs, but yes, they do have teeth. Ball python teeth are small and sharp and angled backward towards its throat.
This angle helps the ball python hold on to its prey. Although they are sharp, python teeth are generally pretty small.
What happens if a banana python bites you? If an adult banana ball python happens to bite, you’ll feel some strong pressure.
Often, if a ball python bites, it does so out of stress or fear or simple hunger.
If you are bitten, it’s normal to feel a sense of shock or surprise. However, it’s important to stay calm and not overreact. Python teeth are angled backward, so pulling or yanking your hand could result in a more serious injury.
It’s the same reason you don’t want to back your car up against the metal teeth of a parking garage exit.
What’s a more effective way to detach a snake than pulling away?
Experienced snake owners suggest waiting calmly for the ball python to calm down and loosen their grip by themselves.
Another solution is to pour ice water over the latched-on area to encourage the snake to detach without hurting anything.
Following a bite, it’s always a good idea to see a doctor, particularly if you have concerns or questions. However, injury from a ball python bite is usually minimal.
As with any bite, it’s wise to take steps to prevent infection. Immediately clean and disinfect the bite.
Seek medical attention if needed, but rest assured knowing that your snake is not venomous.
Do ball pythons pose a danger to adults, kids, or other pets? A part of responsible pet ownership is making sure that everyone can get along. In the case of large reticulated pythons that grow to hundreds of pounds, smaller creatures in a house might be at risk.
However, ball pythons are much smaller than their reticulated python cousins. If you’re concerned about the safety of adults, older children, and larger pets, a ball python is generally a safe choice for everyone.
On a practical level of size, larger family members are just too big to be considered prey for a ball python.
Nevertheless, it’s not a good idea to have young babies around any python, even a smaller and mellower variety like a ball python. Pythons constrict around their prey and suffocate them.
Unfortunately, this natural behavior could possibly put a baby or young child at risk. If the snake twines around the child’s neck, it might be hard to remove.
Adults might be able to extract themselves from a ball python’s squeeze, but a toddler or baby would be less equipped to do that.
It might surprise you to learn that larger pets, cats, and children actually pose more of a danger to the python than the python does to them. Appropriate supervision of children and pets is always important, but accidents do happen.
Even well-meant encounters can result in accidental injury or bites. On the whole, it’s best to keep young kids, pets, and snakes away from each other.
Keeping all the family members safe and happy should be a high priority.
#4 Types of banana ball python morphs and their cost
Fancy ball python snakes are a lot of fun to learn about. Ball python origin goes back to their native countries in West Africa.
In the wild, ball pythons have coloration that works as outstanding camouflage for desert, grasslands, and savannahs.
The natural design of ball pythons is a blotchy swirl of dark browns, blacks, and tans with a white underside. It’s perfect for hiding in dappled shade.
However, interesting genetic mutations can occur that affect a snake’s coloration. These normal mutations often result in a snake that looks different than the norm.
These “morphs,” as they’re commonly known, result in a rainbow of ball python coloration choices.
Color mutation is often the result of a baby snake born to snake parents with recessive coloration genes.
These harmless genetic shifts can turn an ordinary python into a banana python or one of many different possible morphs that are highly sought-after by snake enthusiasts.
Banana ball pythons got their name because of their striking yellow color morph, but there are distinctive styles and types of yellow-dominant pythons. Some are more common, and others are quite rare.
Here are some of the types of banana ball python morphs that snake fans are eager to find.
Get ready to enjoy the catchy and descriptive Jolly Rancher-style names for snake morphs in the list below.
All of these banana ball python morphs have a dominant yellow color with distinctive coloration features.
Banana Fireball: $200 average price
These distinctive snakes are called “fireballs” because of a bright pink color between their yellow patches.
Banana Cinnamon: $200 average price
The “cinnamon” part of these snakes comes from their dark brownish-orange coloration. This is a very distinctive color pattern with patches shading from vivid orange to a darker red the color of chili powder.
Banana Pastel: $200 average price
The softer muted tones of dark pink and gentle yellow give these pythons their name.
Black pastel banana ball pythons are similar in coloration but their base skin tone is a soft grey.
Banana Enchi: $225 average price
These snakes have a lovely, bright yellow and light pink coloration. They’re similar to super pastel banana ball pythons with a distinctive yellow that reminds you of Kellogg’s Corn Pops.
Banana Lemon: $250 average price
Banana lemon pythons have a striking yellow side streak. The Banana Lemon Blast pythons are a related morph with bright, vivid gold and a pinstripe design.
Banana Jigsaw: $300 average price
These beautiful pythons have a tan-on-tan pattern like carved sandstone. Their pattern consists of closely placed patches outlined like the pieces of a puzzle.
Banana Ivory: $375 average price
These pythons are solid-colored and almost patternless.. Their coloration is distinctive for being white with a delicate undertone of ballet pink. They almost look white as albinos, but their eyes are a striking black against the delicate coloration of their skin.
Banana Albino: $400 average price
With its distinctive eyes and pale pattern, the albino is a fascinating python. With patches of a rich gold on a gentle tan, the coloration resembles cream of chicken soup with a rich buttery top. Like most albinos, the banana albino python has dark pink eyes the color of tourmaline.
Banana Pied: $600 average price
Against a dramatic white-pink background, the bright French’s Mustard-color patches of the banana pied ball python are striking.
Banana Inferno: $600 average price
Strong black outlines of light peach-colored patches may remind some desert dwellers of Gila monster scales.
Banana Coral Glow, a.k.a. Super Banana: $700 average price
Vivid, striking yellow color is the eye-catching feature of these snakes.
#5 Enclosure and cages suitable for banana ball python snakes
Getting a good habitat for your ball python might require a bit of research. Do you want a fish tank with clear sides? Do you want a vivarium made of wood? How secure does it need to be? All of these are great questions, and fortunately, there are a number of solutions to help you choose a great environment for your banana ball python.
One frequent choice for a snake enclosure is a glass tank. Glass tanks are a reasonable solution, but one drawback is that they don’t hold in heat very well. As cold-blooded reptiles, ball pythons don’t just like the heat, they need it. Another issue is privacy.
It might seem unusual to describe snakes as shy, but it’s true for ball pythons. Ball pythons like to feel safe, and an all-glass enclosure tends to make them feel exposed.
A wood vivarium constructed especially for snakes is overall a much better solution to keep your adult banana ball python safe, happy, and warm. Unlike glass, wood is warm and holds heat well. It also provides some sense of privacy and security for your snake, and these cages tend to be easier to modify.
In terms of the size, your snake’s environment should be big enough for them to uncoil about 2/3 of their full length. Although some reptiles like a “bigger-is-better” environment to run and play in, your ball python would find a too-large cage intimidating. This prevents them from feeling secure and may affect their appetite.
Your ball python will also need its environment to be warm and moist. Ball pythons like to bask, so you’ll need a warm area in the cage. A heat lamp or heating mat monitored with a temperature gauge can give your banana ball snake an ideal 90 to 95-degree heating area. Keep the other side of the cage cool, at about 70-80 degrees.
In addition, moisture is important. Ball pythons do well in about 50-60% humidity. A bowl with water can help provide a good source of humidity, as can automatic misters and cages that are designed to hold in water vapor.
Another part of your banana ball python’s living environment should be places to hide. Ball pythons like at least two places they can conceal themselves. One hiding place should be on the cool side of your python’s cage while the other can be in their basking area. There are a variety of quality “hides” specifically designed for snakes.
One pro tip: Make sure you get a cage lock and a secure lid. Ball pythons in general are clever escape artists. A cage lock and an escape-proof lid will help prevent your clever banana ball python from making an unexpected escape. More importantly, these measures can also help prevent kids or animals from unexpectedly getting into your python’s living environment.
#6 Bedding and substrate for banana ball pythons
When you’ve gotten your living quarters set up, you’ll need to find good bedding and a substrate. A substrate is the material you’ll use to cover the floor of the cage. Understanding your ball python’s needs will help you choose a good substrate.
Your banana ball python will want to burrow and hide in the substrate just like they would do in their natural environment. This pretty much rules out carpet as a flooring material. A substrate like sand might initially seem like a good idea, but it has some problems. Sand irritates ball pythons’ skin over time and it holds on to moisture such as urine.
In general, a good substrate for a banana ball python would be a one-inch layer of aspen shavings. Shavings will allow your ball python to burrow easily, and the shavings will generally hold their shape. Plus, aspen shavings are easy to spot-clean. You should do spot-cleaning frequently and a whole-cage cleaning about once every 3-4 weeks.
Make sure you remove soiled shavings once or twice a week to keep your ball python’s cage odorless and more comfortable. Removing soiled substrate also prevents your snake from getting skin or tissue infections from feces or urine.
#7 Banana ball python snake prey: What do they eat?
In the wild, banana ball pythons prey on varieties of rats and gerbils. In captivity, ball pythons can be fed almost any species of mice or rats. When your ball python is young, it generally eats smaller newborn or baby mice, also known as “pinkies” or “fuzzies.” Although juvenile snakes eat as much as two times a week, adult banana ball pythons only need feeding once every week to every few weeks.
Some prospective owners have an aversion to feeding snakes mice or rats. They wonder, “Can’t I just feed them something like chicken, fish, or insects?” The short answer is no, a ball python needs to eat rodents. Some reptiles need a varied and often highly specific diet to meet their nutritional needs. By contrast, ball pythons get their full complement of necessary nutrition from eating small rodents.
The good news is that your ball python does not need to eat live prey. Pythons do well with frozen, defrosted mice or snake food. In fact, feeding your python pre-killed prey is more humane to the rodents and safer for your snake overall.
#8 Banana ball python shedding
When we grow up (or gain mass), our skin stretches to accommodate our new size. When we lose skin, we lose it in tiny little pieces. Snake skin works in a different way, however. As a snake grows, its old skin won’t stretch to accommodate its new and larger size. Your ball python will need to shed the old skin all in one piece to reveal the new skin layer underneath.
If it’s almost time to shed, you may notice some changes. Your python’s skin may look a little duller. Its eyes may get a cloudy or bluish cast to them from fluid buildup. All of this is perfectly normal. If you see these signs, expect your banana ball python to begin shedding within about 72 hours.
Pre-shedding time is a little stressful. If you notice your banana ball python hiding out or not wanting to eat, don’t try to handle them. They can’t see well during the shedding process, and that contributes to their anxiety. Just give them normal care, but let them relax without bothering them. You may want to increase the humidity level to 60-65% to help with the shed.
The whole shed takes approximately 1-2 hours. When your ball python is finished, the skin should be in one piece, like a discarded stocking. If your ball python is still young, they might shed every month or so. When fully grown, your ball python might shed every 6-8 weeks.
#9 Do banana ball pythons like being handled?
Banana ball pythons are a pretty mellow and easygoing snake variety. However, there are some tips to make handling easier for everyone. First, start by letting your snake smell your hand and get used to your presence and scent. Instead of reaching into its living area to pull it out, it’s a better idea to use a snake hook. That way, your python won’t feel as afraid or defensive.
When your snake is out, they’re going to need you to support them. Make sure you hold your python under the center of its mass. Don’t expect your python to grip your wrist or hand as a tree snake would.
As with all animal handling, calm confidence is key. Make sure you’re in a comfortable, safe location and seated where your snake would not get hurt if it fell. Hold them confidently, but be careful not to grip them tightly or squeeze.
#10 Other Interesting facts about the banana ball python
- Banana ball pythons got their name from their habit of coiling up into a ball when they feel threatened.
- Python patterns are as individual to them as fingerprints are to humans.
- Cleopatra is said to have worn ball pythons as living jewelry around her wrists.
- Mother pythons won’t eat while they’re incubating their eggs.
- The Igbo people of Nigeria consider them to be sacred.
- Pythons are brighter and more vivid when they’re babies. They darken as they age.
- They can suffer from obesity, so go easy on the mice!
Ultimately, banana ball pythons are fascinating creatures. Mellow and easy to care for, they make great snake pets for first-time owners. Their colors are beautiful and distinctive, and they enjoy being handled and fed. If you’re interested in owning a great snake, a banana ball python is a fantastic choice.
