# Ball python (*Python regius*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/ball-python  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

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. 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.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 1.24 kg – 8.86 kg |
| Length | up to 1.82 m |
| Lifespan | 47.4 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | forest, grassland, shrubland |
| Egg incubation | 67.8 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 7.35 |
| Age at maturity | 5 years |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1 |
| Conservation status | Near Threatened (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Reptilia
- order: Squamata
- family: Pythonidae
- genus: Python
- species: *Python regius* (Shaw, 1802)

Synonyms: *Boa regia*, *Python bellii*

## Common questions

### 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

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), 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](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), 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](https://commons.wikimedia.org), 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](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), 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).

Cite as: Ball python (Python regius). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/ball-python