Lighting Requirements for Ball Pythons

Like most snakes, ball pythons have no special lighting requirements. Unlike certain lizards that require full spectrum lighting to metabolize food properly, snakes get all of their necessary nutrition from the food they eat. Ball pythons are mainly nocturnal, so it's normal for them to hide during the day and come out at night when the lights are low.

  1. Placement of Bulbs

    • Make sure to place the lamp and fixture where the snake cannot get burned. They may try to wrap around a hot bulb. The best spot is outside the cage, if possible.

    Daytime Lighting

    • A simple incandescent light can be used during the day. You can use a combination heat lamp and incandescent bulb to keep the ball python's cage at the proper temperature.

    Nighttime lighting

    • At night, you can use a red or blue bulb to observe your pet. Ball pythons cannot see colored light, so it won't disturb their activities.

    Photoperiod

    • The basic photoperiod should be 12 hours of daylight to 12 hours of night. You can vary the length of time gradually to mimic the natural variation of the seasons if you wish. To make things easier, there are timers you can purchase to control when the lamps turn on and off.