Substrate: Newspaper and newsprint make excellent substrate even though it is not very attractive. It is easy to clean and is excellent to use when acclimating new specimens to their enclosure. Wood shavings can also be used, though cedar should never be used and some pine can also cause health problems as well. Aspen shavings are usually an excellent choice if using wood shavings. If keeping the snake on wood shavings, care should be taken when feeding the snake to avoid shavings becoming lodged in the snake’s mouth.

Diet: Like all snakes, ball pythons are strictly carnivorous. Adult ball pythons can be fed two to three adult mice per week. Hatchlings and juvenile animals can be fed one appropriately sized prey item per week (i.e fuzzies for hatchlings, hoppers for slightly older animals). It is important to note here that ball pythons are notorious for not eating on a regular schedule. This is especially true of wild caught specimens. Whenever possible try to obtain captive bred snakes that have already fed to minimize problems eating. If your new ball python does not eat immediately it is important to not panic. Ball pythons have been known to go months without eating and there are records of ball pythons of not eating for 22 months. Often a variety of foods may need to be offered in order to get the snake to eat and often many will only eat live food. If you are experience difficulty getting your ball python to eat you may need to consult several more in-depth texts on the subject. One excellent resource is The Ball Python Manual (see references below).

Maintenance: Fresh water should be offered daily. If using newsprint then clean as needed. Wood shavings should be spot cleaned as needed. Periodically, the enclosure should be disinfected. A 10% bleach solution makes an excellent disinfectant. Be sure to rinse the enclosure thoroughly after disinfecting. As always, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after handling your ball python or any cage accessories.