Ball Python (Lucille)

Lucille (Lucy for short) is Sarett Nature Center’s ambassador Ball Python and has been living here for about 10 years! She was once someone’s pet, but they could no longer take care of her so she was donated to us. Lucy is a very docile snake and can usually be found sleeping in her cave under her warm heat lamp. She also likes to hide under her water dish and sometimes spills the water! She does not look very large, but she is almost 4 feet long and is quite hefty! We know Lucille is a female because she lacks the characteristic “hooks” around her vent that a male ball python would have.

Ball pythons (also known as royal pythons) are a terrestrial species of constricting snake native to regions of western and central Africa. In the wild, they are most often found in semi-arid grasslands, forests, and near agricultural areas. Although generally considered “terrestrial,” ball pythons are actually both terrestrial and semi-arboreal! Females generally tend to prefer the ground while males (and some juveniles) tend to prefer hunting in trees, although climbing has been recorded as a regular behavior in both sexes.

These snakes are crepuscular, which means that they are most active at night, but especially active around dawn and dusk. As ambush hunters, they actively track down and then wait for prey such as rodents, birds, and lizards to scurry past before striking, using powerful constricting muscles to squeeze the prey until it passes out.

Ball pythons are sexually dimorphic, which means there is a noteworthy difference in size between males and females, but not as large in some other snake species. Males typically grow 3.6-4.3′ (109-131 cm) long, while females grow to be 3.8-4.5″ (114-136 cm) long. However, larger individuals have been recorded in captivity, likely due to more plentiful food.

Ball pythons reach sexual maturity in 3-5 years and have a 15-30 year lifespan in captivity. However, older individuals have been reported. This species is well known for its incredible genetic diversity; part of their current popularity is due to a fad for producing “morphs”: variations in color and pattern.