Ball Pythons: Habitat, Care and Breeding

Ball pythons are without a doubt one of the most commonly sold and kept pet snakes in the United States and in Europe. Their popularity is certainly due to their many positive qualities. Among these are their docile demeanor, small size, ease of care, and ready availability. In my opinion, ball pythons are one of the best snakes you can own. Assuming you begin with a healthy, established snake, you will get years (up to 40!) of enjoyment from a ball python.

Being such popular serpents, wouldn't it make sense for their to be a number of books on them? Yes it would make sense, and in fact there are number of excellent sources of written information out there on this species. However, the book I reviewed this month is a little different. Most obviously, this book is much newer than the other books out there. Additionally, Mr. Broghammer is a German herpeteculturist with a long vested interest in ball pythons. I always enjoy hearing other viewpoints and opinions when it comes to reptiles, and reading a book originally written and distributed in Europe is a perfect example of this.

The captive care information in this book is accurate and easy to understand. However, where this book really shines through is in the sections on natural history as well as international trade of ball pythons. This book will work for first time snake owners, but I feel that is of most value to serious ball python fans, breeders, or individuals interested in balls in the wild.

Aside from keeping and breeding ball pythons himself, Mr. Broghammer has spent some considerable time in Africa, researching the natural environment and behavior of these animals. As a result, the information on natural history and habitat (presented in a number of excellent graphs and charts) is superb. This is the place to start for trying to reproduce the natural habitat of the ball python.

Another feature of this book that I personally enjoyed was the chapter discussing the economic importance/impact of these snakes in their native countries. Similarly, the information on collection, exportation, and CITES paperwork is something that I have never encounters in such detail. If you have ever wondered what a wild caught or farm-bred ball python really is, then read this book. The photos of the large scale breeding facilities in Africa are especially interesting. A lot can be learned from them. After all, these farmers have perfected the art of hatching and rearing ball pythons, something that can prove testy for even advanced hobbyists.

If you are interested in breeding this species for profit, or wish to produce highly desirable morphs, then this book is a starting point. The author has given both physical and genetic descriptions for nearly all of the known ball python morphs and varieties that were available at the time of writing. Basic genetics are also covered in the breeding section.

Overall, the quality of this book is high. It is a large format hardbound text, about 80 pages long, with many color photos, including very nice shots of many rare ball python morphs. There are a few typos, most likely due to the book's translation from German to English. None of these errors impact the presentation of the information. In general, this is a nice addition to any herpetological library. Highly recommended for serious ball python afficionados.