How well do you know ball pythons?
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Questions and Answers

What is the natural habitat of ball pythons?

  • Swamps
  • Rainforests
  • Deserts
  • Grasslands, savannas, and sparsely wooded areas (correct)
  • What is the diet of ball pythons in the wild?

  • Reptiles and amphibians
  • Small mammals and birds (correct)
  • Fish and insects
  • Fruits and vegetables
  • What is the conservation status of ball pythons?

  • Endangered
  • Critically endangered
  • Vulnerable
  • Near threatened (correct)
  • What is the typical size of a ball python?

    <p>72 inches</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the reproductive method of ball pythons?

    <p>Oviparous</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary reason for the decline in ball python populations?

    <p>Habitat loss</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the most popular pet snake?

    <p>Ball python</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of the ball python to the Igbo people?

    <p>Symbolic of earth</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the oldest recorded age of a ball python in captivity?

    <p>62 years</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Species of Constricting Snake: The Ball Python

    • The ball python is a nonvenomous constrictor snake native to West and Central Africa, and it is the smallest of the African pythons, growing up to 72 inches.
    • The name "ball python" refers to its tendency to curl into a ball when stressed or frightened.
    • Ball pythons are typically nocturnal or crepuscular and known for their defense strategy of coiling into a tight ball when threatened.
    • They prefer grasslands, savannas, and sparsely wooded areas and favor mammal burrows and other underground hiding places, where they also aestivate.
    • Their diet in the wild consists mostly of small mammals and birds, with rodents making up a large percentage.
    • Ball pythons are oviparous, and females lay three to 11 rather large, leathery eggs that hatch after 55 to 60 days.
    • The ball python is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List due to poaching for the international exotic pet trade, hunting for its skin, meat, and use in traditional medicine, and habitat loss.
    • Ball pythons are the most popular pet snake and the second most popular pet reptile after the bearded dragon.
    • Captive ball pythons are often bred for specific patterns called "morphs," and over 7,500 different morphs exist.
    • The "spider" morph gene has been linked to neurological disease, and the International Herpetological Society banned the sale of spider morphs at their events beginning in 2018.
    • The ball python is particularly revered by the Igbo people in southeastern Nigeria, who consider it symbolic of the earth.
    • The oldest recorded ball python in captivity is 62 years, 59 of those at the Saint Louis Zoo.

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    Description

    Test your knowledge on the fascinating ball python, a constricting snake that is native to West and Central Africa. This quiz will cover various aspects of the ball python, including its habitat, diet, breeding, and popularity as a pet. See how much you know about this remarkable species and learn some new facts along the way. Don't miss out on the chance to become a ball python expert!

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