Pied Ball Python

Summary

The pied ball python is a unique color morph of the standard ball python.

The pied color morph is extremely rare in the wild, but it is becoming increasingly popular in the pet trade. The piebald pattern, which appears in other animals like horses and dogs, is characterized by white patches surrounding the otherwise dark skin. This is just one of many possible exotic color morphs of the ball python, along with Oreo, pastel, banana, and others. Ball pythons are considered to be easy to care for whether you’re a novice or expert snake owner, but the piebald ball python color morph has a very high upfront price that may deter all but the most dedicated owners.

5 Pied Ball Python Amazing Facts

• The ball python’s annual reproductive season usually takes place between September and November, but it’s also possible to breed them all year-round. The mother will produce a clutch of up to 14 eggs that stick to each other with an adhesive. She will coil around the clutch until the eggs are ready to hatch about a month or two later. The males do not seem to play any role in the care or development of the offspring.
• Ball pythons tend to have an average lifespan of about 10 years in the wild and some 20 years in captivity. However, one specimen from the Philadelphia Zoo supposedly lived some 50 years old.
• Piebald ball pythons, like all ball pythons, have five labial pits on either side of the mouth to sense heat or infrared radiation. This helps them find food when it becomes dark out.
• While they spend most of their time on the ground, ball pythons are also decent climbers and excellent swimmers.
• Males have large spurs on both sides of the body to grip the female during sex. Females have these spurs too, but they are smaller.

Where to Find Pied Them

In the wild, ball pythons are found in grasslands, savannas, and sparse woodlands throughout West Africa, from the Atlantic coast almost to Lake Victoria. In the wild, ball pythons spend much of the day in underground burrows. They are most active at dawn and dusk hunting for prey.

Scientific Name

The scientific name of the ball python is Python regius. The word Python derives from the Greek name of a huge mythological serpent killed by Apollo, whereas Regius means royal or kingly in Latin. This species is closely related to the Indian python and the African rock python in the same genus.

Population & Conservation Status

According to the IUCN Red List, the ball python is near threatened in the wild due to habitat loss and poaching. There isn’t enough information about this species to make any population estimates, but numbers do appear to be decreasing across much of its natural range. The pied color morph in particular is very rare in the wild and usually the result of a random mutation that quickly dies out or becomes diluted, but it was carefully bred in captivity to create more of them for the pet trade.

History and Evolution

Because Piebaldism is a recessive gene, you are not going to find many of these types of pythons. It has to have two parents both with this same gene, and then it will have a small possibility of occurring. You can see how this is would be a disadvantage in the wild. Snakes, as predators, rely on stealth and their camouflage to allow them to sneak attack their prey. For bigger snakes like the ball python who move slowly on land, this is even more true.

The good news is that this gene does not pose any threats to the snake, and breeding them to further prolong the gene poses no immediate threats to the species. The interesting news is that this gene produces some extremely exciting and designer looks. As a whole, this can be good for bringing more interest and reducing the stigmas surrounding snakes.

How to Identify Pied Them: Appearance and Description

Most ball pythons are characterized by black or dark brown skin with irregular light brown blotches or stripes running along the back and sides. Piebald ball python color morphs mostly have this same pattern but with the addition of large white patches of varying size all over the body. Some individuals are almost completely white with only a few brown patches instead. The piebald morph is caused by a “recessive” trait (meaning the snake must inherit the trait from both parents) that creates white non-pigmented patches along their skin. In addition to the “regular” pied ball python, there are also pied versions of the banana, pastel, and Oreo python too.

Apart from their unique skin color, they look almost exactly like any other ball python. Piebald ball pythons have large, thick bodies, measuring somewhere between 3 and 6 feet long and up to 5.5 pounds in weight, with triangle-shaped heads. Adult females tend to be slightly larger than adult males, but otherwise, the sexes are difficult to tell apart without a very thorough examination.

Here is how to identify the pied ball python:

• Light brown blotches or stripes against a dark brown or black background
• Large white patches all over the body
• 3 to 6 feet in length
• Triangle-shaped head

How Dangerous Are They?

Pied ball pythons are not very dangerous to humans at all. They are non-venomous snakes that hunt for prey entirely through constriction. A bite may cause pain, swelling, and redness, but otherwise it poses no significant danger or long term complications. Adult pythons are near the top of the food chain. They have few natural predators in the wild, but they may seek cover or rely on their camouflage if threatened. Younger pythons may be preyed upon by carnivorous mammals and large birds.

Behavior and Humans

Because piebald ball pythons lack sharp fangs and venom, they do not generally attempt to bite people except out of self-defense. When threatened, this snake will roll up into a ball (hence the name) with their head and neck tucked away in the middle of the pile. Their fairly non-aggressive temperament can actually make them quite easy to handle in captivity, provided they have grown used to your presence. However, there are limits to how much you can interact with the snake. They should not be handled while shedding their skin, because they are particularly sensitive at this time. They should not be fed by hand either, because they can accidentally bite. And ball pythons should never be approached in the wild, because they may attempt to fight back.

In captivity, a pet pied ball python has several special considerations for its care. The snake will need at least a 60-gallon tank longer than it is tall. This tank should be filled with soil or wood shavings, a water dish for drinking and soaking, and plenty of logs and other hiding places. The temperature should be set to 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit during the day with a basking spot up to 90 degrees. Full spectrum lighting should be used to mimic its natural conditions, but an UVB lamp hasn’t proven to be necessary. The humidity should be set to around 55% to 60% to create a comfortable environment for your snake. Depending on their size, an adult snake will need to be fed a large freshly dead or thawed rat or mice once every two to four weeks. Keep in mind they can be a little picky about the freshness of their food. The snake may reject older food that’s been sitting out too long.