Python royal normal (Python regius). Royal normal python (Python regius) Milk python

According to taxonomy, pythons belong to the boa constrictor family, a subfamily of snakes. This animal in adulthood can reach a length of 12 meters. As a rule, adults live in the tropics and subtropics. Such a large animal can easily swallow a whole boar, wild wolf and other fairly large animal. If we talk about people, pythons practically do not attack them.

For home care Pythons of two types can be well suited: royal python and tiger python. Albino pythons are quite popular; this species of these animals does not have any coloring of the skin. The thing is that such pythons have completely white skin and they cannot survive in the wild. Zoologists and breeders can easily breed such individuals in specially created conditions.

Keeping such animals requires special conditions. First of all, you need to purchase a large terrarium for large snakes. This terrarium must be equipped with an additional heat source. Python constantly needs clean water, he needs it to quench his thirst and bathe. In addition, a certain number of things must be placed in a horizontal position in the terrarium. This is necessary in order to bring the animal’s habitat closer to its natural one.

The python loves high air humidity; for its comfortable existence, a humidity of about 90% is required. To achieve such conditions in the terrarium, it must be sprayed with water 2 times a day. When the space allows, you can purchase a pool for your pet. IN daytime the temperature should be approximately 26-28 degrees, at night 23 degrees will be enough. The heat source should be placed on one of the branches located in the terrarium; this is necessary so that the animal can warm up while lying on this source. Temperature heating device however, it should not fall below 35 degrees.

Under natural conditions, this type of snake is quite slow, unless of course the animal is well-fed. When hunting, a python tracks its prey for a long time, and then suddenly attacks it and grabs its head with its teeth. After this, the python wraps rings around the body of the prey. Now all he can do is swallow his prey completely. If we talk about pythons that live in circuses and zoos, they mainly feed on mice, rabbits and rats.

When caring for a python, you need to know that this type of snake is not interested in dead prey. They must be given only living victims. The thing is that dead animals no longer emit infrared heat, and the python reacts precisely to it. As soon as the snake senses such radiation, its hunting instinct awakens.

A python must ensure that it is dead before it can completely devour its prey. As soon as this happens, it begins to slowly absorb the victim entirely. At the same time, his mouth opens very wide. When a python swallows its victim, it feels as if its body is being pulled over the carcass of the dead animal. From start to finish, a python's meal takes about 20 minutes.

As soon as the python is full, it curls up into a ball and remains in this position until the food is completely digested. If speak about natural environment habitat, the intervals between meals for pythons vary depending on how large the last prey was. If the snake has feasted on a large animal, then the next hunting trip will occur in about 4 weeks. But in captivity, pythons need to be fed at least 2 times a week. It should be noted that snakes molt, and how often this process occurs is influenced by the age of the animal. If the individual is young, then shedding occurs once a month; if the animal is already old, then skin change occurs much less frequently.

Python regius or royal python, a representative of reptiles belonging to the genus of true pythons, is non-venomous snake and is great for home keeping. Habitat in natural conditions - Africa in the central and western parts.

Appearance

This reptile grows only one and a half meters in length. While other pythons can reach ten meters.

Has a head wider than the neck. The body is thick, and the shortened tail is quite powerful. The color consists of spots various shapes, which are characterized by dark and light brown, as well as black shades. Belly in white or cream tones. Some individuals have dark spots.

Diet and way of living

These reptiles live in the forests of the equator and savannas. The royal python hunts at night. During the daytime, the snake needs shelter, which it finds in hollows or burrows, under snags and fallen leaves.

This reptile can climb trees and is an excellent swimmer.

A distinctive feature of the royal python: if the snake senses danger, it curls up into a spherical ball, sticking its head between the coils. This characteristic gave the animal its second name, Ball Python.

Reptile food in natural conditions includes small animals - shrews, various species from the mouse family. From time to time, a python may feast on a small bird.

Pairing

Individuals of both sexes have vestigial limbs near the cloaca. However, males have larger claws. Males are smaller than females, but it is difficult for a non-specialist to distinguish.

The mating season lasts from June to November. Pregnancy lasts four to five months, ending with the laying of three to eleven eggs with an average diameter of 70 mm. The female incubates the eggs for two to three months.

Newborn reptiles weigh about 46 grams and are 43 cm long.

Features of care in captivity

Python regius or royal python is a popular species for keeping in pets and menageries. This can be explained by its character (calmer compared to other snakes) and relatively short length.

To live outside the wild, a reptile needs a horizontal terrarium eighty centimeters long, fifty centimeters wide and high. It is recommended to use containers bigger size(from a meter in length).

In the terrarium for drinking and bathing during molting there should be a drinking bowl - a bath. The container must be thoroughly rinsed and refilled clean water regularly. In addition, there should be bedding from:

• undyed napkins,
• sphagnum,
• sawdust,
• gravel,
• coconut substrate (can be found in stores with indoor and garden plants).

Periodically, the substrate must be moistened to maintain a humid microclimate.

In order for an animal to take cover during the day, you need:

• driftwood,
• plants,
• artificial canopies.

The temperature inside the terrarium should be different during the day and at night. During the day, the air should warm up to thirty-two degrees Celsius, and at night it should be a little cooler - about twenty-six.

An incandescent lamp (it is insulated with a mesh) and a thermal cord are used as heating elements (it is not recommended to use thermal stones).

Food in captivity

Adult pythons can eat:

• chickens,
• rabbits,
• mice and rats.

The number of feedings depends on age: young animals eat more often - once every five days, while older individuals digest food for ten days.

Experts advise training your snake to eat non-living rodents. They can be frozen and thawed before use.

Sometimes the royal python may go hungry. Even in its natural habitat, Python regius picks on food and does not eat for a long time. A hunger strike can also be associated with the mating period. However, a snake may also refuse to feed due to stress.

In some cases, the reptile needs vitamin and mineral supplements. But a preliminary consultation with a snake specialist (herpetologist) is mandatory.

Additional Information

There are no pronounced sexual differences between individuals. But females have a shorter tail compared to males.

The lifespan of a royal python in captivity can reach thirty years.

If there are several pythons, then each one should be placed in a separate terrarium.

Through selection, experts obtained almost one and a half thousand morphological characteristics. They mainly concern the skin. There are even species that have no scales.

Snakes in many cultures are symbols of wisdom, grace and determination. They received this characteristic for their slow, flexible, sliding movements, a bewitching gaze and a rare but sharp throw during an attack on the victim, which is always crowned with success. Their skin is pleasant to the touch and attracts with its smoothness and original pattern.

The most common types of snakes to keep at home are royal and tiger pythons. They are unpretentious in care, but very interesting to observe and charge with energy of calm and concentration of strength.

The active life of these creatures takes place at night, which must be taken into account when choosing a pet.

Special recognition in Lately received albino pythons. They are distinguished by their non-trivial coloring. They cannot exist in nature, but at home they live quite easily. Due to increased demand, breeders have found ways to artificially breed such pythons.

Arranging the space

In nature, pythons live in hot climatic conditions With high humidity, spending most of their time in trees or in water. They need to arrange their home space accordingly.

The terrarium should be twice the length of the pet so that it can move comfortably. Females are usually larger than males, so when purchasing a small python, you must immediately take into account its species, age and gender when purchasing accessories.

The presence of branches, a heat source and a reservoir are of decisive importance for the arrangement of the place.

In nature, pythons hide in inconspicuous places, or rather, do not attract outside attention, which is confirmed by their color and body structure. After eating, they spend a lot of time alone, positioned so as not to differ from their shelter. For this at home, branches located horizontally along the length of the terrarium are suitable.

6,000 - 48,000 rub.

(Python regius)

Class - reptiles
Order - scaly

Family - pseudopods

Genus - true pythons

Appearance

One of the smallest pythons, reaches a length of 1.2-1.5 m.

The body is thick, powerful with a short tail. The large, wide head is well demarcated from the neck. The pattern on the body consists of alternating irregular light brown and dark brown or almost black spots and stripes, in some places separated by a light edging. The belly is white or cream in color, sometimes with scattered small dark spots.

Habitat

Distributed in Western and Central Africa. The species' range covers Senegal, Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Benin, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Sudan and Uganda.

Inhabits equatorial forests and savannas.

Lifestyle

Mainly nocturnal animal. Spends the day in shelters (burrows, hollows, fallen leaves), and at night or at dusk goes out hunting. Swims well and willingly enters the water. Can climb trees. When in danger, it curls up into a tight ball, hiding its head inside the body rings. For this characteristic feature The royal python is sometimes called the “ball python” or “ball python”.

Diet of royal pythons wildlife consists mainly of small mammals such as rats, African striped mice, shrews. Sometimes eats birds.

Reproduction

Both male and female pythons have claws (remnants of hind limbs) on either side of the cloacal opening, but males have larger claws. Females are usually somewhat larger than males. Mating occurs in June-November. Pregnancy lasts 120-140 days, after which the female lays from 3 to 11 (usually 4-6) eggs measuring 75-80x55-60 mm. The female curls up around the clutch and “incubates” it for 68-90 days. Young pythons upon hatching reach an average body length of 43 cm and a weight of about 46-47 g.

The royal python is one of the most popular snakes kept in captivity. This is largely due to the small size and relatively peaceful and calm nature of the royal python. Keeping this snake in captivity is not a big problem.

To keep a royal python you need a horizontal type. The optimal size of a terrarium is approximately 80x50x50cm, but its dimensions can be larger (for example, length 100 cm). The terrarium must have a drinking bowl, from which the python will drink water and into which it can fit entirely during molting. You can use sawdust, sphagnum, gravel or coconut substrate, as well as regular white napkins. One or more shelters are required. must be maintained at +30-32°C during the day and +25-26°C at night. The terrarium is heated using a heating element - a thermal cord (thermal stones cannot be used) and an incandescent lamp, previously isolated from the animal with a well-attached mesh. Humidity should be maintained by spraying as the substrate dries. It is necessary to place one or more shelters in the terrarium; you can also place driftwood, branches and strong artificial plants, on which the python will climb.

Adult pythons are given rats, small rabbits, and chickens. Mice of the appropriate size are suitable for children. The feeding frequency for adult snakes is once every 10 days, for young snakes - once every 5 days. You can train snakes to eat pre-killed rodents.

Life expectancy in captivity is up to 20-30 years.

In case of danger, it curls up into a tight ball, hiding its head inside the rings. For this feature it received another name - Ball Python.

Terrarium: 1st and 2nd types or plastic box

Soil: mulch (shredded bark)

Lifestyle: twilight

Marvelous beautiful snake, having a bright color, not large in size, one of the calmest representatives of its species.

The royal python lives in central Africa, choosing open savannas and forests. He spends almost all his time in a hole, crawling out at dusk to hunt. He loves to swim, so he is often found near water, with which he cools down in the heat. Can also climb trees. In case of danger, it curls up into a tight ball, hiding its head inside the rings. For this feature it received another name - Ball Python.

It is very brightly colored, with black, yellow, light and dark brown stripes and spots distributed throughout the brown body. Has a powerful fat body and a large head, a fragile graceful neck. Exists a large number of morphs that were obtained through many years of experience by breeders.

The royal python is a favorite of terrarium keepers and is often found in zoos and exhibitions. This is explained by its ease of maintenance, small size (the length of an adult python is 1-1.2 meters), and calm disposition. This snake will appeal to beginner terrarium keepers; its maintenance is no problem.

To keep a python, you will need a plastic box measuring 60x30x30 or a terrarium 80x50x40. In the terrarium where the python will live, it is necessary to install a drinking basin; it must be of such a size that the python can fit into it. Newspaper is suitable as bedding in the box; it must be changed as it gets dirty; crushed newspaper can be poured into the terrarium. tree bark. The python needs a shelter where it can rest. A humidity chamber can serve as a shelter, which will also facilitate the process of molting the animal.

Python regius feeding small mammals, terrarists, in particular, feed rodents: mice, rats. The snake is fed as it goes to the toilet, usually once every 7-10 days. You should monitor the moment the snake sheds, since during this period it is inactive and does not need food. There is no need to feed the snake during shedding, it is noticeable by its cloudy eyes, and after shedding, you can offer food after 3-4 days.

The temperature of the python is 25-27 degrees, with a night drop to 22. The python needs to be given a warm corner, the temperature in the heating zone should be 30-35 degrees. You can heat a terrarium or box using a thermal mat and a thermal cord, installing it at a third of the area’s volume.

Basics:

1. terrarium type 1 and 2, plastic box

2. the presence of a thermal cord or thermal mat in the terrarium

3. humidity chamber in the terrarium

4. feeding once a week - rodents

5. pool in a terrarium