# Royal python



## Xeno77 (Aug 9, 2014)

3ft royal python. I've had him 2 years, how much bigger will it grow? I have 4.5ft tank. Will that be plenty big enough for him to get to his potential? 


3ft. I've had him 2 years. How much bigger will he grow?


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## MesseNoire (Aug 9, 2014)

You're asking the wrong crowd......
We can't keep them legally in Australia.
Hopefully one of our overseas members can help.


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## Primo (Aug 10, 2014)

I can help. If it's a male 3.5 to 4.5 feet is going to be about max in most circumstances. A 5 foot royal is considered very large and somewhat rare. That tank sounds like a life time cage. I think you'll be fine.

This female is about 4 feet and is 3 years old. She stays in a 3 foot long tank. Most royals enjoy small spaces and they are terrestrial. In the wild, they inhabit, small, dark rodent burrows. 






The majority of keepers in the US seem to find these pythons keep well in small enclosures. Some would consider mine a tad large.


Nice looking royal BTW.


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## Xeno77 (Aug 11, 2014)

Thanks for your comment. How often do you feed her? As lately my python been going through rats. He's getting aggressive and wants more rats in the summer? Is that usual for python? I know had him 2 years but he's started to change his behaviour..


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## Darlyn (Aug 11, 2014)

Nice looking fella, chunky guts


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## Primo (Aug 13, 2014)

Xeno77 said:


> Thanks for your comment. How often do you feed her? As lately my python been going through rats. He's getting aggressive and wants more rats in the summer? Is that usual for python? I know had him 2 years but he's started to change his behaviour..



Yes, this is common in the summer and at that age. I feed every 7-10 days in the summer if she'll do it. What is also common is the total shutdown and refusal of food for long periods. Both sexes will do it, and sometimes it's due to breeding season, sometimes they just get funny, but with many snakes, seasonal changes will trigger behavioral changes.

My son's royal stopped eating for 6 months, then started slowly in the summer months, she made about 4 meals and then went off feed for another 4 months.

She used to eat frozen thawed, now, for whatever reason she only eats live.

I will feed her as frequently as she will take food in the summer, after she has digested/passed her previous meal. I suspect she'll shut down again in the winter.

It's typical behavior, and personally, I find it annoying but only for selfish reasons. The snake really could care less what I want to see her to do. 

The behavior change you see in your royal is likely due to the fact he is getting to breeding age and size. 

If he's eating keep him going. As long as you are giving him time to digest, and pass all signs of the previous meal he will be fine.


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## Xeno77 (Aug 13, 2014)

Good to know. I've been told you can over feed a snake but i find it hard to believe as they only eat when they want.. His behaviour has got a bit bad as i try to handle him or try take out tank, he backs up starts hissing then try to strike. Very rarely does he coil up. He sits on my strip light most time. Is that cus he at breeding size like you said. How do i get him to stop being so aggressive? I don't have a female snake lol..

He can eat upto 6 rats in a week? I gonna stop his feeding for a week. Let him digest his food. He pooping ok and shedding well.


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## Primo (Aug 13, 2014)

Well, you can over feed any snake, so if there is a continued interest in eating, I would certainly make sure you feed appropriately sized prey, and don't feed too frequently. They eat opportunistically and never know when the next meal will be. A lot of snakes, especially boa constrictors are easy to over feed. You may need to bump up the prey size. If there are even slight husbandry issues, you could see defensive reactions but I can't say for sure if that is the case with your snake. It appears you are keeping the animal in a glass tank which is OK, but you may want to dark out 3 sides and have only a front viewing window. Security or feeling like there is a lack of it could cause issues.

There are a lot of variables, and because of the complexity of snakes, you could have some non food related issue causing aggression. I can only speculate.


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## Xeno77 (Aug 13, 2014)

Thanks. For the info. I will black out sides and like i said i will stop feeding at mo. What do you think be best thing to black out sides! Polistirine on out side of tank or just paint it with black paint. I have boards at back of tank. He is on medium weener rats at mo. Maybe ill get him a medium norm rat. Fully grown rat to big for him..


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## Primo (Aug 14, 2014)

*I just saw he is eating 6 rats a week?* What size? That is WAY too much feeding. Unless these are tiny rats. You should be looking at medium sized rats that are slightly larger than the thickest part of his body. No more than 1 in a 7 day period! 

As far as the sides, I'll post a picture of our tank.

This is a glass tank in my son's room. It's insulated on the back and sides. I put a background in front of the insulation to make it attractive. The tank is updated now and in the snake room I have. But as far as a good glass setup this is good.




I used what's called "Reflectix" here in the states. It is basically an insulation roll that is somewhat like tin foil on both sides with a thin layer of some type of insulation in the middle. I cut it, and used foil tape. It is under the cage, on the back and sides, plus the top screen has a loose piece covering it.

There is nothing better than professional plastic caging, but you can make a glass tank work.

These are plastic cages heated with radiant heat panels. They are far superior to any glass tank. These particular cages are Pro-Line cages. They are from Constrictors Northwest in Washington State USA.


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## Xeno77 (Aug 14, 2014)

Got nice set up. Thanks for your help and advise. He did have 6 in space 8 days. He pooped all well and he still sitting waiting to be fed more. He hungry snake. I wont fed him now till next Friday.


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