When Calcium Concerns Actually Come Up. While calcium supplements arent usually part of routine ball python care, there are a few situations where calcium intake may become something to discuss with your reptile veterinarian. 1. Feeding Boneless or Partial Prey.
The ball python (Python regius), often known as the royal python, is a species of snake native to Africa that has become one of the most popular pet snakes due to its small size and simple care requirements.
Nutritional Supplements for Ball Pythons. Calcium and Multivitamin Powder. How to Supplement With Calcium and Vitamin D. Diet Alternatives for Ball Pythons.
If your ball python has access to UV light, get a calcium supplement without Vitamin D3.Dust the calcium supplement on your ball pythons prey before each meal. Your ball python only needs to have the multivitamin every third or fourth feeding.
As Ball Pythons grow quickly, they are usually transitioned from mice to rats by 12 months old for single-prey meals. In our Ball Python keepers survey, only 27% (7 out of 26) of keepers said that they feed their Ball Python mice. The majority feed small adult rats, see survey results below
While ball pythons are carnivores with an instinctual drive to hunt rodents, their diets in captivity can be supplemented with other protein sources under the guidance of a veterinarian. However, fish should not be a staple diet for ball pythons.
" Ball pythons will readily breed in captivity if kept with a group of males and females in large cages and exposed to a period of slight cooling in winter .""The effects of UV light on calcium metabolism in ball pythons (Python regius)." The Veterinary record 173.14 (2013): 345-345."
