Wildlife Guide · West & Central Africa (wild); kept worldwide

Ball Python

Python regius (Shaw, 1802)

Africa's gentle 'royal' python — the world's most popular pet snake, bred into thousands of morphs.

Least Concern (IUCN) but heavily traded; CITES Appendix II

A ball python with brown and gold blotched markings coiled on a wooden surface, head resting on its coils.

Image: Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) — see scripts/pilot-image-credits.json

In brief

The ball python (Python regius) is a small, docile African snake — Least Concern but heavily traded (CITES Appendix II) — and the world's most popular pet snake; its thousands of 'morphs' are captive-bred colour and pattern forms of one species.

By the WARN Research & Conservation TeamChecked against IUCN Red List & CITES sourcesLast updated June 2026

The ball python (Python regius), also called the royal python, is a small, stocky, docile snake from the grasslands and forest edges of West and Central Africa, and the most popular pet snake in the world. It earns its name from its habit of curling into a tight ball when stressed. Wild ball pythons are Least Concern but are very heavily traded — wild-collected, ranched and captive-bred — and listed on CITES Appendix II. Selective breeding has produced thousands of colour and pattern 'morphs', all the same species. Calm and long-lived, ball pythons are popular but exacting: they need correct heat, humidity and feeding, and some morphs carry serious welfare problems. WARN publishes this guide as free, honest reptile-care education.

90–150 cm

Adult length; females larger

20–30 yr

Lifespan (sometimes 40+) in captivity

CITES II

International trade regulated

1,000s

Captive-bred morphs of one species

Figures sourced from IUCN Red List — Python regius, CITES — Checklist of CITES Species, RSPCA — snake welfare .

Ball Python: Quick Facts

Vital statistics and key facts about the Ball Python
Wild range	West & Central Africa
Adult size	90–150 cm; females larger
IUCN status	Least Concern but heavily traded
CITES	Appendix II — trade regulated
Lifespan	20–30 years (sometimes 40+)
Morphs	Thousands — colour/pattern forms of one species

Scientific Classification

Scientific classification of the Ball Python
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Reptilia
Order	Squamata
Family	Pythonidae
Genus	Python
Species	Python regius

Conservation Status

IUCN Status: Least Concern in the wild but among the most heavily traded reptiles; CITES Appendix II. Pet morphs are captive-bred forms of one species.
Population: Widespread in West/Central Africa; large numbers in trade
Trend: Wild populations pressured by collection and ranching in parts of the range
Assessed: 2021
CITES: Appendix II — international trade requires permits

Choose captive-bred snakes and never release pet reptiles into the wild.

Key Facts: Ball Python

Ball pythons curl into a ball to protect the head — hence the name.
They are the world's most popular pet snake and among the smallest African pythons.
Wild ball pythons are Least Concern but very heavily traded; they are CITES Appendix II.
Thousands of morphs are captive-bred colour and pattern forms of one species.
The Spider morph carries a neurological 'wobble', and some 'super' forms are lethal.
They are long-lived — 20–30 years or more — and need correct heat and humidity.

Wild ball pythons of West Africa

Python regius lives in the grasslands, savanna and forest edges of West and Central Africa, sheltering in rodent burrows and termite mounds and hunting small mammals largely by ambush. It is the smallest of the African pythons and famously shy — when threatened it hides its head in its coils and rolls into a tight ball rather than striking. Wild ball pythons are listed Least Concern, but the species is among the most heavily traded reptiles on Earth. Large numbers are wild-collected and 'ranched' (eggs taken, hatched and exported) in West Africa, and the species is on CITES Appendix II to regulate that trade.

Morphs are line-bred, not separate species

The pet trade has produced thousands of ball python morphs by combining dominant, co-dominant and recessive colour and pattern genes — Pastel, Albino, Piebald, Banana, Clown, Mojave, Pinstripe and countless 'designer' combinations. They are all one species, Python regius, with identical husbandry needs. Some morphs carry real welfare costs. The Spider morph is linked to a neurological 'wobble', and certain gene combinations and 'super' forms cause lethal defects or deformities. Responsible keepers research genetics and avoid pairings known to harm the animals.

Housing, heat and feeding

A ball python needs a secure, escape-proof enclosure with a warm end (around 31–32°C basking/hot spot) and a cooler end (around 25–26°C), measured with thermostats and thermometers, plus correct humidity (around 55–60%, raised during shedding) and a snug hide at each end. Heat sources must be guarded against thermal burns. They eat appropriately sized rodents, best offered frozen-thawed rather than live to avoid injury to the snake. Ball pythons are famous for occasionally refusing food for weeks, especially in cooler months; healthy adults tolerate this, but ongoing weight loss needs a vet.

Welfare, trade and responsible keeping

Because so many ball pythons are wild-collected or ranched in Africa, buyers should choose captive-bred animals from reputable sources to reduce pressure on wild populations. Avoid welfare-linked morphs such as the Spider 'wobble' line and known lethal combinations. Ball pythons live 20–30 years and sometimes beyond 40, so they are a multi-decade commitment. They must never be released — escaped or released pet snakes can harm ecosystems and are illegal to release in most places. A reptile vet should see any snake with breathing problems, retained shed or prolonged weight loss.

Explore ball python morphs on WARN

WARN's ball python morph library at /wildlife-guides/ball-python covers selectively bred colour and pattern lines — including the Normal wild type, the Albino, the Piebald and the Mojave, with further morphs added as suitable human-free photos are sourced — each with how the colour or pattern is inherited, adult size, husbandry and common health issues, plus honest welfare cautions about genes such as Spider. The library helps keepers understand that every morph is the same species with the same needs — and which traits and pairings to avoid.

Ball Python Morphs Guide

From the Normal wild type to the Pastel, Albino, Piebald and Mojave — explore popular ball python morphs, how each colour and pattern is inherited, the welfare cautions around certain genes, and the heat, humidity and feeding this docile African snake needs.