The real answer is that no one knows. Ball pythons haven't been bred in captivity long enough to find the cut off point yet. Tracey Barker from VPI has said that she has adult females in their late 20's that breed extremely well for her. Other breeders have reported females with similar breeding longevity.

When I analyze potential projects from an investment standpoint, I conservatively estimate a breeding life cycle of 20 years.

Hope this helps.

-adam