Ball Python Temperature

Interested in buying your very own ball python for sale? Before you make your purchase, be sure to know how to properly care for your new pet. Ball pythons require proper diet, habitat, caging, heat, lighting and temperature in order to thrive. It is important to have your ball python enclosure properly set up before your new pet arrives.

Ball pythons are ecothermic, so they rely on their environment for heat. This means their body temperature reflects on their enclosure. Different books will tell you to strive for different temperatures ranging anywhere from 77F to 90F. There is no perfect temperature for snakes. As long as you get close to the temperature range, your snake will do fine.  A baby ball python can be kept within the same temps as an adult ball python.

Having a cool and basking side in the enclosures is key for allowing the snake to keep its body temperature perfect. The cool side should be around 78-80F and the basking end should be 88-92F. To achieve this, a heat lamp can be put on one side.  Looking for something smaller? check out our corn snake for sale section!

To achieve even the cool end of the cage, heat will most likely need to be run 24/7 in the cage. Do not worry if the temperature drops a bit at night, as this is perfectly normal for all indoor enclosures.

Ball Python Breeding Cycle

If you are looking to breed your ball python snakes you will need to start a temperature cycle. In order to breed your ball python snake you should start cycling the temperature up and down throughout the year.  Becoming a ball python breeder, is quite an undertaking when compared to just owning a pet ball python for sale.  Explore all of the possible ball python morphs for sale as well.

Ball Python Thermal Gradient

When it comes to any reptile, one temperature to keep the enclosure at is never given. It is always a range of temperatures. This is called a thermal gradient. A cool and basking end are needed so that when the snake needs to warm up it and go to the basking side and when it wants to cool down it can go to the warm end.

Ball Python Heating Methods

There are different techniques or styles to heating your ball pythons enclosure. Heat lamps are a simple, but effective method. Heat lamps are typically hung at the top of the enclosure and emit heat downwards. These lamps must be used with a partially clear top, such as a screen lid.

Another method under-tank heat pads. By sticking the adhesive pad under the enclosure, you heat the habitat from the ground up. This is also referred to as “belly heat”. Under-tank heat tape are a similar heating method. But instead of heated pads, it uses strips of tape.  Be sure to buy a reliable brand when purchasing under-tank heat tape.

The last method are ceramic heat elements. This method is similar to heat lamps, but you can use a ceramic heating element instead of screwing a light bulb into a reflective dome.  Before looking at all the beautiful ball pythons for sale online, be sure to get your ball python habitat setup!

Ball Python Care Guides

Below you will find a wealth of ball python care information provided by our biologist.  Take some time to explore some of the various ball python care sections of our website.  Learn about proper ball python keeping including:

ball python heatball python lightingball python tempball python temperature