Let's Discuss Dietary Requirements for Ball Pythons

[Eric Alan]

Eric, studies have been done on pythons with regards to seasonal changes in body temperature, which affect many biological functions - most noteworthy - digestion.

Lots of information/gibberish...

Bottom line, the longer the snake takes to digest there food, the less they need to eat.

Of course this all makes sense. In a world where common sense is closer to an oxymoron than a standard, I was under the impression that much of this was pretty straightforward information. To be honest, I'd have been surprised if the studies had found otherwise.

Which leads me to my next question. Ball pythons do not bask. They are nocturnal and den during the day, specifically seeking burrows within a specific temperature range. The question therefore is:

Why provide a basking (hot spot)?

Personally, I have never really thought of a "basking spot" in that way. I try to create/control in my captive environment a temperature range that is similar to the range found in their natural habitat (which is thankfully relatively narrow and fairly easy to replicate). Doing so, in my estimation, allows them to choose a resting spot that best fits their needs at the time. As long as the range I provide is consistent, I don't worry what side of the enclosure they may be on. They know their environmental temperature requirements at any given moment far better than I.

On a similar note, I understand that some keepers are very successful not providing that gradient and choose to maintain a more consistent ambient temperature. I, however, feel that if I did that, I may not be meeting the needs of each individual snake in my collection. Is this feeling based on any evidence? I don't know. Does it make sense to me, though, that some snakes would prefer slightly warmer or slightly cooler temperatures than other snakes to be the most comfortable they could be? Absolutely. This is why I give them the ability to choose and provide a "basking spot" in my racks.