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Ball pythons are found at the boundaries of forest lands in Western and Central Africa; they are equally comfortable on the ground and in trees; they tighten into a ball shape when they are nervous or frightened; they prey on small mammals, birds, amphibians and other reptiles. And believe it or not, some people like to keep them in their homes.

If you were to own a Ball Python, you could expect it to grow about a foot per year during its first three years of life. And, you would probably find that your Ball Python reaches 4 feet in its lifetime. That’s a decent sized snake. Furthermore, if you were really serious about keeping a Ball Python, be prepared to have it living with you for quite a while. Get this—the longest living Ball Python was more than 48 years old when it died. So, make darn sure you really want to get to know a snake before you bring a Ball Python into your home.

“But, why on earth would I want to bring a Ball Python into my home,” you ask? Well, apparently they make a gentle and curious pet. For a snake, that is. People enjoy having these snakes around so much, that many are imported from the wild just for that reason. However, experts say that buying a captive-born Ball Python is the way to go. For one thing, Ball Pythons born in captivity are more likely to be free of parasites and disease. And besides, so many wild snakes have been captured that too much pressure is being put on the wild population. They have a slow reproduction rate, and are unable to rebound from losses to their community in the wild.

You’ll know a Ball Python because it has cool camouflage markings on its back. While the stomach of the snake is lighter, the top is patterned with ovular markings that range from black, to dark brown to gold. These markings allow the snakes to blend in with dark soil and grasses. Located underneath the snake, you’ll find two claws near the rear vent. These are called anal spurs, and are the vestigial remains of hind legs that were dropped during the snake’s evolution. In fact, these anal spurs remain as evidence that these reptiles used to be lizards before they evolved into snakes thousands and thousands of years ago.

Look closely at the Ball Python, and you might think that it is awake, when actually it is sleeping. Do you know why? The Ball Python has a special clear scale that covers the eyes so that it always appears to be awake. This also means that the snake has no eyelids to speak of. Not having eyelids allows the Ball Python to refrain from blinking. Not blinking helps the snake keeps its cover when it is camouflaged. Cool, huh?

The Ball Python gathers information about its surroundings in a couple of ways. First of all, it has a forked tongue, also called the Jacobson’s organ, which aids the snake’s sense of smell. Also, the Ball Python possesses heat sensors on its upper lip to help it detect warm-blooded prey. When it does find prey—such as grassland rodents in the wild or even injured mammals such as wart hogs, wild pigs or leopards- - it coils itself around the creature and constricts it so that it suffocates. Then, the Ball Python is able to open its jaw by unhinging it, and slowly swallowing its prey whole!

Okay, so if you are thinking about owning a Ball Python, you shouldn’t expect to see it eat more than mice or rats. Ball Pythons are picky eaters, and sometimes owners have trouble getting them to eat—particularly if the snake has been imported from the wild. A Ball Python kept at home requires plenty of fresh water, a place in its terrarium in which to hide, as well as an environment that is not too cool. Ball Pythons prefer temperatures in the range of 80-85′F, and an area where they can bask in 90′F heat as if it were the sun.

Whether you like to think about these glorious snakes slithering through the wild grasslands of Africa, or prefer to plan to care for one at home, Ball Pythons are beautiful and fascinating reptiles. Just be sure to keep the lid on the terrarium closed tightly, okay?