Ball or Royal?

As I understand it they are the same snake, so why do most people online refer to them as Ball and everyone who I have spoken to around where I live refer to them as Royal, is this an American/Canadian and English thing. Just a question really, I (mostly because of reading this site) have been calling them Ball Python's but nobody else I speak to does. Confersation normally goes something like this ' Hello have you got any Ball python's for sale' (dealer) ' Yes we have a couple of Royals at the moment'. Everytime, like they are correcting me lol.

Tomato=tomatoe

Depends on who you speak to and where you are lol

Must just be the area your in. IMO people that say "royal" tend to not really know balls much. "ball" is the best 1 word descriptor of this species :)

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Originally Posted by Johan

Must just be the area your in. IMO people that say "royal" tend to not really know balls much. "ball" is the best 1 word descriptor of this species :)

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Idk if that were the case they should be called crack pythons, they are just as addictive!! lol

Usually its separated by area, in the US its usually ball, in Europe its usually royal, in Canada its either or just cause they can never decide. lol. At least that's how I understand it.

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Originally Posted by Johan

Must just be the area your in. IMO people that say "royal" tend to not really know balls much. "ball" is the best 1 word descriptor of this species :)

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Yes I can see where you are coming from, If I talk about about Royal's Python's to any of my non-snake keeping friends they think I am about to get a snake that grows about 20ft, if I say Ball python they have no idea what I am talking about.

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Originally Posted by LGray23

Idk if that were the case they should be called crack pythons, they are just as addictive!! lol

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That has a certain ring to it lol

The scientific name is Python Regius, Europe unlike the US and Canada remained close to the latin root which is why they are known as as Royals in the UK, Pythons Royal in France etc.

Well, mine is definitely treated like royalty, but he does ball up quite a bit. :rofl:

I've always thought that Royal was the proper name, and Ball was a nickname, since that's mostly what they do, curl up in a ball. :P

Gale

angllady has that right royal is proper it is a short anglicized version of there scientific name, Ball Python is a nickname and is regional. Anyone familiar with Pythons (Pythonidae) will understand Royal (regius) in some areas they may not understand ball as it is effectively slang.

My car has a boot. right!??

tomatoe is NEVER right... :P

I'm sure it's just a region thing.. everyone I've talked to from the UK says "Royal", I say Ball

I use both but if I am speaking to anyone whom is likely to be confused I'll use Royal it leave less room for error.

i may have red wrong so correct me if i have but i have red that there ovs called ball pythons cuz they curl up . but i red there called royal python becuz cleopatra loved them and she was royal so dats why i dont no ?

Blimey Mate, never knew that! Wow! So your trunk is in your boot? You 'eadin to 'ogwarts too then? Sorry...i have no life! As for the whole Ball/Royal thing, I've seen/heard both of them used here in FL. So who knows. I just think that if they don't understand the the one use the other. lol. That normally works for me!

-Kristen-

I think the cleopatra thing is a myth, although I have seen that here and there. But the Whydah peoples worshiped them for sure. If you killed a royal (hehehe) the penalty was death. Even today the Nyala-Krobo peoples of Africa will not harm, touch or molest in any way a Ball python. To the extent if one goes onto a road they stop all traffic until it moves on it own they will not move it or allow anyone else to do so. One field study on Royal pythons was refused entrance in the tribal area as they intended to disturb the snakes. This is likely where the Royal came from.

DarkEros07 I was married to an sweet english lass, from ahem *Essex* anyway I collected a number of english-isms here and there, her dad was cockney and used to speak rhyming slang...

Ahh the butchers hook, robin hood me old trouble and strife. Plates and dishes took m'old bees and honey and Pat Malone I was.

I am not very good at it I am afraid... But the attempt is there.

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Originally Posted by kitedemon

I think the cleopatra thing is a myth, although I have seen that here and there. But the Whydah peoples worshiped them for sure. If you killed a royal (hehehe) the penalty was death. Even today the Nyala-Krobo peoples of Africa will not harm, touch or molest in any way a Ball python. To the extent if one goes onto a road they stop all traffic until it moves on it own they will not move it or allow anyone else to do so. One field study on Royal pythons was refused entrance in the tribal area as they intended to disturb the snakes. This is likely where the Royal came from.

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yeah i heard that too and if one is killed by accident they have a funeral

Where's the doc? Lol he'll straighten it out for yeah :).

I think alot of it has to do with the American perception of the word "Royal". To most Americans, that word means the top, the apex of power, the ruler, the king. I would venture to say that if you asked the average american, "What is a Royal Python?" they would probably envision something like a Burm or Retic, figuring that because it is the biggest and baddest, it must reign supreme, therefore it should be "Royal". Kind of like why the lion is referred to as "King of the jungle" eventhough, they don't live in jungles. The problem with "Ball Python" being such a widely accepted term, means that some people don't understand it, which is why you occasionally see "Bald Pythons" for sale. I must have one of these because I certainly don't see any hair... :rofl:

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Originally Posted by Vypyrz

I think alot of it has to do with the American perception of the word "Royal". To most Americans, that word means the top, the apex of power, the ruler, the king. I would venture to say that if you asked the average american, "What is a Royal Python?" they would probably envision something like a Burm or Retic, figuring that because it is the biggest and baddest, it must reign supreme, therefore it should be "Royal". Kind of like why the lion is referred to as "King of the jungle" eventhough, they don't live in jungles. The problem with "Ball Python" being such a widely accepted term, means that some people don't understand it, which is why you occasionally see "Bald Pythons" for sale. I must have one of these because I certainly don't see any hair... :rofl:

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:rofl: You too, huh?! And here I thought mine just had a genetic predisposition to baldness, much like it's owner, lmao! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!