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Black Pastel Ball Python: How To Care For One

The black pastel ball python is one of the most popular pet snakes. They are relatively small and easy to take care of. But there are still some things that you need to know before you purchase one.

This black pastel ball python guide will provide information on size, origin, diet, methods of care, life span, health concerns for black pastel ball pythons as well as handling and legal requirements. It also includes a lot more detail about black pastels in general, including what they eat and their natural habitat.

Now without further to do, let’s jump into the article!

General Information

The first topic to discuss is the origin of the black pastel python. They are native to West Africa and can be found in small villages all over Cameroon.

They live on the ground, but black pastel ball pythons should not be housed on solid floors because it is effortless for them to hurt their snouts while trying to get around if they cannot feel the floor with their bellies.

They are also trendy pets among black pastel ball python owners because they are easy to take care of and gentle with their keepers. In their natural habitat, black pastel ball pythons are nocturnal creatures. They don’t eat during the day, but that does not mean they never need to be handled at night.

In fact, black pastel ball pythons are most active at night and shouldn’t be disturbed during the day.

Expert Tip: To take away some stress, a black pastel ball python is relatively docile but may bite you for one reason or another. However, black ball pythons are not venomous and don’t have fangs, so a bite may not be as severe as other snake bites.


Life Span

The average life span of a black pastel ball python is between 20 and 30 years. However, certain factors can shorten their life spans, such as poor dieting or mistreatment by black pastel ball python owners. Therefore, it’s essential to take good care of your black pastels if you want them to last a long time.

Due to its relatively long life span, the purchase or adoption of black pastel ball pythons should be made with careful consideration. In their natural habitat, the life span of black pastel ball pythons is 15-20 years. The oldest black pastel ball python on record is 36 years old. and it is currently living in a zoo in the United States.

Difference Between Male And Female Black Pastel Ball Python
Difference Between Male And Female Black Pastel Ball Python

Difference Between Male And Female Black Pastel Ball Python

The main difference between male and female black pastel ball pythons is their size. Females are generally much larger than males, which can make it difficult to tell the difference between the two genders when they are not adult black pastels.

Many black pastel owners agree that black females will be around 18 months old before they reach sexual maturity. In contrast, black male black pastels usually don’t reach sexual maturity until around three years of age.

Expert Tip: It is also important to note that black pastel ball pythons are not sexually dimorphic, which means you cannot distinguish between male and female black pastels just by looking at their physical characteristics.


Legal Requirements

If you consider buying or adopting a back pastel ball python, the legal requirements are the next point we should discuss. Legal Regulations Depending on where your life will determine if it is legal to own a black python as a pet or not.

Different countries have different laws about owning exotic animals, so make sure you understand. In the United States, black pastel ball pythons are legal in most states except for California Florida, New York, and Hawaii. Suppose you live in one of these four states.

In that case, it’s highly recommended that you avoid purchasing black pastels because they could be seized by your local authorities or even taken away from you if the black pastel snake manages to escape.

If you live outside of the united states, black pastel ball pythons are legal to own in most countries, but you may need a permit or license. We highly recommend checking the local requirements with the respective authorities in your country before purchasing black pastel ball pythons.


Caring For Black Pastel Ball Python – How To Grow The Right Habit?

In this section, we will discuss the caring requirements for a black pastel ball python. The size of your black pastel ball python will determine the size of your black pastels tank. For black pastel newborns, a small plastic container with air holes should be just fine until they’re around two feet long.

However, as black pastel ball pythons grow more prominent and their tanks get smaller, the size of the tank should increase accordingly.

Snake Tank Size
Snake Tank Size


Tank Size

For an adult-size python, an aquarium with a minimum size of 40-gallon tank. This will give it plenty of space to move about and stretch out. However, black pastel ball pythons are not very active creatures, so they don’t need large tanks to be happy. Significant aspects to keep your snake happy are hiding and decor elements.

Expert Tip: Make sure black pastel ball python has a place to hide. That way, it will feel safe and secure in its new environment.


If you are using fake plants for decor, make sure none of them have sharp edges that can injure your black pastel snake’s skin or scales. Fake rocks work well as hiding spots for black pastel ball pythons.

We recommend cleaning the tank weekly with a black pastel snake-friendly cleaner. However, black pastel ball pythons are very sensitive to the smell of their owners and other people in general, so make sure you clean your black pastels tank after each feeding session is done. When caring for black python ball pythons.

It’s important to remember that they should not be housed on solid floors because their bellies cannot feel the floor with ease and can hurt themselves while trying to find their food during feeding time.

When keeping black pastels as pets, many owners recommend using paper towels instead of tile or vinyl floors because it’s much easier for them to move around without hurting their snouts when they are crawling along the ground.

Lightening and Temperatures

Your animal will fare best if they are kept in a black pastel ball python room with an ambient temperature between 82-86 degrees Fahrenheit. We also recommend adding a basking spot for your pet, where temperatures may get into the 90s or higher.

A black pastels tank should always be provided with black reptile heat lighting to supply your black python with the warmth it needs during cold weather months or when sleeping. Ideally, it should get between 8-12 hours of light per day.

Handling black pastel ball python
Handling black pastel ball python

Handling

The black pastel ball python is a susceptible animal. Generally, the earlier you can start building a relationship, the better. Focus on making small movements, and avoid making too much noise. Try using black pastel ball python’s favorite pockets to hold it by the neck while keeping your other hand under the black python’s belly for support.

Expert Tip: Never grab black pastels around their coils or midsection because they are very fragile at this point in life. Also, it is always a good thing to know the body language of black pastel ball python before you handle them.


For example, if your black python poops out its black bowel right after you touch it the wrong way. This is probably a sign to stop handling for now and try again later when they are ready.

Diet

The diet and feeding habits of black pastel ball pythons are one of the more important topics to discuss because black python owners should know what to feed them, how often they need it, and when they need to have their black pastel eat it. Diet In The Wild & Captivity With black pastel ball python care being so much about hygiene.

You might think that these animals don’t really eat anything in their natural habitat at all. However, this isn’t true for many species, including black pastels. They do have a large appetite for animals that are small enough to eat. Black pastel ball pythons will actively hunt at night or during the day.

Depending on what their environment looks like and how much sunlight it gets throughout the year. This section discusses how to feed black pastel ball pythons and what they should be fed with. In the wild, black pastels eat small mammals like rats and black.

When at a pet store, you should feed your adult black pastels with small rodents such as mice and rats, while newborns can eat lizards or other reptiles until they’re large enough to consume the smaller rodent animals mentioned above.

In order for your back pastel ball python to have a balanced diet, it is vital to feed black pastel ball pythons with a wide variety of nutrients. For example, black pastels should be fed with high-quality black dark crickets and black worms as well.

Breeding

Breeding is a natural process that starts when black pastel ball pythons go into heat. Keep in mind the two sexes reach maturity at different times. Males are ready to breed by the time they reach their first year. Females, on the other hand, will only be sexually mature after gaining two years of age.

When black pastel ball pythons go into heat for the first time, it’s essential to know that some female animals tend to be more aggressive when in heat. When black pastel snakes are ready to mate, the male black pastel ball python will start by rubbing its body against the female’s side and flicking his tongue around her head.

Expert Tip: The mating process is very rapid, so you have to keep a close eye on your animals when they’re going through it. Then, after copulation, black pastel ball pythons will need to be placed back in their own aquariums.


Buying or Adopting an Animal

If you are still confident that a black pastel black python is your choice, we should discuss the purchasing opportunities. The black pastel ball python is available primarily for sale in pet stores or from private sources. On average, you should have a budget of at least $300 depending on the black pastel black python’s age, size, and overall health.

A baby python generally costs more than a black python that is already an adult, but there are some cheap black pastels on the market as well. Another option is the adoption of a black pastel python.

Adopting an animal is a brilliant choice if you are on a budget because it will save you money and give an animal the best chance of finding a forever home.

If this sounds like something that might interest you, then go to your local pet store or log into online classified ads to find black pastel black python who are looking for new homes. Whichever option you choose, make sure you purchase your snake from a trustable supplier.

This is for your own safety and also for the comfort and wellbeing of the animal.

Health

There are a few signs you can look for to check if a black pastel python is healthy. For example, if black pastel python is black and active, has a healthy appetite, clear eyes, smooth skin without any rashes or lesions, and a strong body structure with no visible bones protruding through the dark black skin.

Check if a black pastel python is healthy
Check if a black pastel python is healthy

On the other hand, if your animal has one of the following symptoms, these are red flags, and you should go and see a vet as soon as possible.

  • unusually frequent or infrequent shedding
  • vomiting
  • lethargic or reluctant to eat
  • abnormal feces
  • bumps or spots on the skin
  • labored breathing
  • difficulty shedding
  • white, cheesy substance in the mouth

Expert Tip: You should also bring your black pastel ball python to a veterinarian if it shows signs of illness and injury. Some black pastel ball python diseases you can look out for are black skin mites, dark black worms, and black respiratory infection.


How can you tell if a ball python is a black pastel

The way to “How can you tell if a ball python is a black pastel?” is to look at the physical appearance of the animal, although in morphology a Black Pastel Ball Python may be similar to cinnamon and has similarities to the normal ball python. The black pastel presents more contrast in its colors.

The dark color of its background is a form of seeing if a ball python is a black pastel. It tends to have a golden color that compares to the color of rust, where the normal ball python has black and tends to have a more intense orange to yellow color than a normal ball python may have.

Another visible characteristic between the Black Pastel Ball Python and the normal ball python is the color of the eyes, the Black Pastel has green eyes, while the normal ball python has brown or black eyes.

Do pastel ball pythons have problems?

Do pastel ball pythons have problems? That is a question which might come up for the new owner. Their vibrant colors and demeanor have made them a great pet for people. However, they are a rare breed of snake to keep around. The pet is going to be worth it in the long run though.

Expert Tip: Take the snake into a vet clinic to get an inspection. The vet can identify any ongoing issues for the animal. That is a good idea as well.


Find a treatment for the ongoing issues with the snake. The python can live a long time with some proper care service. The vet team is proud to do their part with the new animal as well. The python is going to be happy in the household. Build an enclosure for the snake to keep it happy and healthy. It can eat many various foods.

Conclusion

We are done with our black ball python guide. To sum things up, we are at the end of our black pastel ball python guide. To sum the article up, black pastel ball pythons are great pets for black dark reptile lovers. They need a moderate level of care, but they are magnificent animals that will fill your life with joy and happiness!

Thanks for reading our black pastel ball python guide! We covered the origin diet, methods of care, breeding process, legal issues in owning black snakes as pets, including buying or adopting an animal from trustworthy sources.

Finally, we looked at health signs to check on your pet’s well-being, along with tips on taking it to a veterinarian if needed.

If you have any questions, please feel free to let us know in the comments below!

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About Ava Wellington

Hi, my name is Ava and I am a editor for GuideYourPet. I love pets, and am the owner of 2 horses and 2 dogs! I have loved pets all my life, and have owned everything from bearded dragons to snakes! I am excited to help you take the best care of your pet!