Ball python
Python regius (Shaw, 1802)
The ball python (Python regius), also called the royal python, is a snake in the family Pythonidae and the genus Python, within the order Squamata of the reptiles. It falls in the medium size class, with a representative adult body mass of 5 kg and reported values from 1.2 to 8.9 kg.
Quick facts about the ball python
It reaches sexual maturity at 5 years, lays one clutch per year of 7.35 eggs, and the eggs incubate for 67.8 days. The IUCN Red List assesses the ball python globally as Near Threatened, which is not an IUCN threatened category; its lifespan is listed as 47.4 years, with values up to 47.5 years.
- Weight
- 1.24 kg – 8.86 kgsrc for Weight
- Length
- up to 1.82 msrc for Length
- Lifespan
- 47.4 yearssrc for Lifespan
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- forest, grassland, shrublandsrc for Habitat
- Egg incubation
- 67.8 dayssrc for Egg incubation
- Young per litter or clutch
- 7.35src for Young per litter or clutch
- Age at maturity
- 5 yearssrc for Age at maturity
- Litters or clutches a year
- 1src for Litters or clutches a year
- Conservation status
- Near Threatened (IUCN)src for Conservation status
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
Photos of the ball python
Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.
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Where does the ball python live?
Not recorded
What is the ball python?
The ball python (Python regius), also called the royal python, is a python species native to West and Central Africa, where it lives in grasslands, shrublands and open forests. This nonvenomous constrictor is the smallest of the African pythons, growing to a maximum length of 182 cm (72 in). The name "ball python" refers to its tendency to curl into a ball when stressed or frightened.
From the Wikipedia article “Ball python” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ball_python&oldid=1383190140), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
Is the ball python endangered?
The ball python is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List: it is close to qualifying as threatened.
- LCLeast Concern
- NTNear Threatened
- VUVulnerable
- ENEndangered
- CRCritically Endangered
- EWExtinct in the Wild
- EXExtinct
Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Near Threatened species.
How is the ball python classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- classReptilia
- orderSquamata
- familyPythonidae
- genusPython
- SpeciesPython regius (Shaw, 1802)
Synonyms Boa regia, Python bellii
Other names and names in other languages (29)
- Royal pythonEnglish
- Royal pythonEnglish
- Royal pythonEnglish
- العربيةArabic
- أصلة الكرةArabic
- أصلة ملكةArabic
- Грымучнікі сапраўдныяBelarusian
- krajta královskáCzech
- KönigspythonGerman
- Pitón BolaSpanish
- Pitón real africanaSpanish
- Python bouleFrench
- Python RoyalFrench
- Python royal (Le)French
- királypitonHungarian
- Pitone pallaItalian
- Pitone realeItalian
- ボールニシキヘビJapanese
- Karališkasis PitonasLithuanian
- ballpytonNorwegian Bokmål
- kongepytonNorwegian Bokmål
- KoningspythonDutch
- pyton królewskiPolish
- Королевский питонRussian
- งูหลามบอลThai
- Top pitonTurkish
- Kraliyet PitonuTurkish
- Пітон королівськийUkrainian
- 球蟒Chinese
Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistITISTAXREFWikidataIUCN Red List
Relatives of the ball python
Other species in the same genus Python.
Indian python
Python molurus
Central African rock python
Python sebae
Burmese python
Python bivittatus
Blood python
Python curtus
Angolan python
Python anchietae
Blood python
Python brongersmai
CompareBall python vs Indian pythonBall python vs Central African rock pythonBall python vs Burmese pythonBall python vs Blood python
Common questions
Each answer is written from the sourced facts on this page, and only where they hold the answer.
What kind of animal is a ball python?
The ball python is a snake, a reptile in the order Squamata and the family Pythonidae.
How heavy is a ball python?
An adult ball python has a representative body mass of 5 kg, with reported values from 1.2 to 8.9 kg.
How long does a ball python live?
The ball python's lifespan is listed as 47.4 years, with values up to 47.5 years.
Is the ball python endangered?
No. The IUCN Red List assesses it globally as Near Threatened, which is not an IUCN threatened category.
How many eggs does a ball python lay?
A ball python lays 7.35 eggs per clutch and one clutch per year, and the eggs incubate for 67.8 days.
When does a ball python reach sexual maturity?
A ball python reaches sexual maturity at 5 years (1,825 days).
What is the scientific name of the ball python, and who named it?
The ball python's scientific name is Python regius, with the authority (Shaw, 1802).
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles · CC0 1.0 · E096-269
Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1 - Catalogue of Life eXtended Release · CC BY 4.0 · 2026-10-16 XR
Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf - Wikimedia Commons · per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed) · 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence). - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).
Embed a card for this animal on your own site
Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.
CreatureData. (2026). Ball python (Python regius). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/ball-python
“Ball python (Python regius).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/ball-python.
@misc{ball_python_2026,
title = {Ball python (Python regius)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/ball-python},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}