endangered animals

Ball Python Size When they hatch they are only about a foot long. Growing starts with the first shed at two days old. Adults can grow to sizes of 4 to 6 feet long. Although 6 feet is very uncommon. Appearance They have a repetitive pattern that looks like ET’s head running from their head to their tail. Their colors are basically dark brown and tan patterns, but some have been found with darker or lighter patterns. Diet They are constricting snakes. This means they suffocate their food instead of injecting them with venom. When small they eat small mice. As they grow their food grows and soon they eat two mice, then a small rat and finally a medium sized rat. The snake only eats once a week. They loose a lot of energy when eating and need a period of rest so their body can digest their food. Since they eat the animal whole it sits in the stomach and creates a large lump in the snake’s body. Deepening on the size of the food it can take hours or even days to digest. Habitat In the wild you can find them slithering in the African forest, right on the edge of the grasslands. Behavior They are terrestrial, which means they live on the ground. They are very docile and make great starter pets. The only problems with them are that they are expensive to keep, needs a lot of attention, and can develop feeding problems. When kept in captivity they need a UV light (artificial sunlight). Without this they get a disease call Metabolic Bone Disease. This disease weakens their bone structure and causes digestion problems. Also if you stop handling them they can forget who you are and aren’t tame any more. Ball’s in captivity sometimes refuse to eat (even though they have never had problems). When this happens force-feeding may be your only chance to get them to eat. Shedding When they shed they will temporarily stop eating, this is normal. Shedding is very uncomfortable for snakes, handling them is out of the question. To loosen the dead skin the snake soaks in water. When they are ready to shed they will break the skin around their head, by rubbing on a rough surface such as a piece of a log or a branch. Then they just slide out of the skin, turning it inside out. Reproduction Males and females live solitary lives. After they meet, they leave each other. The female lays eggs and when they hatch the babies are fully nourished and ready to venture out on their own.	Nederlandse versie volgt spoedig
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Written by: Wendy Plank	(geschreven door)