Royal pythons have become an extremely popular pet snake, particularly in the last decade. With the proper care, the reward of keeping these beautiful snakes is enormous, but I would like to stress that many individual specimens can be very fussy feeders. For that reason alone I believe this species is not an ideal beginners snake.
Royal Pythons are one of the most common snake species seen in Rescue Centres around the UK. The reason for this, is that most of the royal pythons bought each year are either wild caught or captive farmed individuals. Captive farming is when gravid or 'pregnant' females are captured and then kept in captivity until they lay their eggs. The females are then usually released and the eggs are incubated. The babies are then exported. Very rarely will they be fed until they reach their destination. Importers and wholesalers of reptiles have become better over the years, and will feed the babies several times before they are sold. Many however, are sold without ever having a meal. Being virtually from the wild, they have very strong basic instinct, and taking dead mice as prey is not something they will be used to. I hope the following care sheet will help guide you through the right steps in caring for your royal python.
Housing
When keeping any snake as a pet, you generally want to be able to view the snake from the outside of its enclosure, in the most natural surroundings you can offer. This will be more aesthetically pleasing and also aid in the general condition of the snake. If the snake likes its surroundings, it will have a better feeding response and generally grow quicker. A larger vivarium also offers more interest to the python's life, and by adding branches and other natural products you will enhance the quality of life the snake has, and stop it from becoming lethargic and overweight. Also, being stronger it should have more of a resistance to any viral infections or any other problems that it may encounter later in life.
For an adult Royal python, a vivarium 90cm Length x 45cm Width x 45cm Height is ample. Contrary to popular belief, and propaganda spread by various campaigners, you can actually have too large of an enclosure, especially for royal pythons. The reason for this, is that they are very prone to stress, and being in an excessively large enclosure can scare them. Imagine in the wild they are constantly hiding from predators, then, when they feel it's safe in the dark of night, they will venture out to hunt for food. Once they find their food, they will return to the safety of their secure hiding place until the next time around. They may also leave their den for sloughing their skin or finding a mate at certain times of the year. If however, your royal python is behaving normally and feeds regularly; trying a larger enclosure can only be a good thing. Providing the snake does all this, than bigger is better.
Hatchling royal pythons should be placed into a smaller enclosure. It should be no longer than the length of the snake, and must have at least two hiding areas. When the snake is first purchased, it is a good idea to cover over the cage with something dark. This will keep the snake as stress free as possible. This can then be removed once the snake has eaten its first meal.
Snake enclosures can be made from a number of materials. Most commonly used is a melamine coated wood which covers all sides except the front, which has glass sliding doors. Aquariums can too be used, although a specialist lid should be bought or made rather than the original aquarium lid. It is essential when thinking about what type of enclosure you use, you think about these 6 'SSSHHH' factors:
1) Safety – Can the snake or owner injure itself from the enclosure or any appliances held within?
2) Secure – Can the snake escape through any small hole or cavity?
3) Size – Will the enclosure be appropriately sized?
4) Heating – Is the enclosure able to regulate the temperature enough?
5) Humidity – Will the enclosure last well in humid conditions?
6) Hygienic – Will the enclosure build up a lot of bacteria in small cavities? Is it easy to clean?
By following the steps above, you can have a suitable enclosure made from a variety of materials.
Decor
Décor in your tank serves two purposes. First being extra cover for your snake, second making the vivarium more aesthetically pleasing. When choosing décor, think about the safety of the snake. Make sure that whatever you decide to use, it is securely fixed and that no rocks, wood or anything heavy can fall and possibly injure, or even kill the snake. You must also make sure that everything used is parasite free. If anything has been picked up from outside, or has originally come from outside, such as cork bark, you should either boil it, or place the item in the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 30 minutes. Freezing works for some parasites, however others have been known to survive months in freezing conditions. Some parasites found in English conditions last winters in minus temperatures, so it is not entirely effective.
Once all your décor is parasite free, it is then safe to place inside your enclosure. As a general rule, if you can put pressure on an item to knock it down, an adult royal python is also capable of doing this. When positioning rocks or heavy objects, make sure they are completely secure. If it is still uneasy, screw them or use superglue to fix them securely. If it is not possible, the rule is simple: Do not place the item in the vivarium!
If you decide to go for a large enclosure, you must provide plenty of cover and hiding areas. A hiding place can be anything from an ice cream tub with a hole cut out to a naturalistic piece of cork bark. There are many brands of fake plants and décor you can use which is both safe for the animal and pleasing to the eye. Cork bark is available from almost any reptile pet shop in the UK, and can be ordered in if they do not have it in stock. This is excellent cover for any reptile and is 100% natural. One thing you must consider when thinking about the size of the vivarium, is the bigger you go, the more hiding areas you must provide. I recommend at least one hiding place per foot in length of the enclosure.
NOTE: Never use sticky tape in an enclosure; this is an accident waiting to happen. Believe me; removing sticky tape from any snake is no easy task!
Heating
Royal pythons require a thermal gradient, meaning they must be allowed to move around the enclosure to find their required temperature. The hot end of the enclosure should be 88-90ºF while the cool end should be approximately 78-80ºF. During the night, the temperature should drop to a more constant overall temperature of 78-80º
In my opinion, the ideal way of heating a royal python enclosure is to use a power plate. This is a small thin square plate, about 25mm thick which is screwed into the top of the vivarium. It does not need to be protected, as there is no way a snake can grip onto it. It is almost invisible to the eye as it simply sits on the ceiling of the vivarium. The only brand available in the UK is HabiStat Reptile Radiator; it is 75 Watts and is sufficient for any vivarium up to 4ft long and possibly larger. It produces no light and therefore in a vivarium you will need a form of lighting as well. A power plate should be used in conjunction with a HabiStat Pulse Proportional Thermostat, which will stop the power reaching the power plate as soon as the temperature goes above the setting, and turn back on as soon as it is too cool. This is one of the most accurate thermostats on the market today.
Ceramic heaters, spot bulbs and heat mats are also ways of heating a vivarium. These all have their advantages and disadvantages, but in my opinion, none quite weight out to be as good as a power plate.
Lighting
Royal Pythons are primarily nocturnal, meaning they venture out in the dark of night. This is when their main predators are sleeping, and their prey is awake. This is not to say though, that they never see the sun, or any form of lighting for that matter.
Having artificial light in a vivarium is aesthetically pleasing to the owner, and is a good addition to any snake's enclosure. They will use this as a photo-period, and their regular time clock will generally adjust to the settings on which you have your light set to.
They do not require any form of special lighting, such as a D3 Ultra-Violet light commonly used for diurnal species. An Arcadia Natural Sunlight Fluorescent Lamp is a good form of lighting. This comes in lengths of 12" up to 48" and I suggest you use the largest size able to fit inside your vivarium.
Humidity
Royal Pythons are native to North Africa. The humidity is important for this species, but an overly high, constant humidity will cause problems. A 30-50% humidity should be offered, although perhaps raising it slightly when coming up to a slough will aid in shedding it's skin properly. This can be achieved by slightly misting the enclosure.
Feeding
Hatchling Royal Pythons are capable of feeding on rat pups or small mice. As they grow, so should their food. I recommend using a food item the same size as the girth of the snake. The girth is the diameter of the widest part of the snake, which should be the middle part of the body. Hatchling royal pythons should be fed once a week on one or two appropriately sized food items. As they grow, their food should too increase in size, but not in quantity. As an adult, their food intake can slow down to once every two weeks, and a larger rat should be offered.
Royal pythons can be incredibly fussy feeders. Many are wild caught or captive farmed, which is often the result of their tricky feeding habits. In my experience, the one trick that works most the time to get them feeding, is to heat up the food item and offer the food using the 'tease' feed method. Please refer to our 'Problematic Snake Feeding Page' for more detailed information on how to get your Royal Python feeding.
By Chris Jones
Director of Pet Club UK Ltd.
http://www.petclubuk.com
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