Ball Python

The ball python is a small, non-venomous constrictor snake native to grassland, savanna and open forest across West and Central Africa, named for its defensive habit of curling into a tight ball with its head protected at the center when threatened. It is one of the smallest python species, typically reaching under two metres in length, with a stocky body patterned in dark brown or black blotches over a lighter tan or gold background. Primarily nocturnal, it hunts small mammals such as rodents from within burrows, ambushing prey before constricting and swallowing it whole. Ball pythons are generally docile and slow-moving, and this even temperament, combined with a huge range of selectively bred color and pattern variations known as morphs, has made the species the most popular python kept in the exotic pet trade worldwide. Large numbers are also still collected from the wild in parts of West Africa for both the pet trade and local consumption, alongside a significant commercial ranching and captive-breeding industry.