Ball python: The snake that curls into a ball and hunts by heat

The ball python is a gentle-natured python whose name comes from its signature move: when disturbed, it coils into a ball with its vulnerable head tucked safely in the middle, leaving a predator nowhere to bite. Let's meet this snake that turns into a ball.

Its body

The ball python measures about 1 to 1.5 metres, with a thick body and beautiful markings. Its most special "equipment" is the heat-sensing pits along its lips, which detect the warmth given off by prey. That lets it "see" warm-blooded prey in the dark, like wearing night-vision goggles. It has no venomous fangs; it hunts by constriction.

Where it lives and what it eats

The ball python is a night hunter, feeding mainly on small mammals such as mice. In the dark it finds prey with its heat pits, grips it, then gently and steadily constricts. Like many snakes, once it has eaten its fill it can go a long time without another meal. It lives in the grasslands and forest edges of West Africa, hiding in burrows or under roots.

How it breeds

A mother ball python wraps her body around her clutch of eggs like a hen, guarding them until the babies hatch. This egg-tending behaviour is uncommon among snakes and is a distinctive feature of the ball python.

A note for grown-ups

If a child is frightened of snakes, the ball python is a good example: it is a gentle animal whose first response to danger is to curl up and hide, not to attack. Helping a child see that "fear often comes from not understanding" is a great way to learn about animals. When observing snakes, always keep your distance.