Como Zoo has recently welcomed 4 ball python neonates (baby snakes). The eggs were laid in May and hatched approximately 60 days later at the end of July. The female ball python will coil around the eggs and increase her body temperature in a “hiccup” type movement with her whole body to keep the eggs at the optimal 90 degree temperature during incubation. However, Como zoo keepers chose to remove the eggs and incubate them in a controlled environment to monitor them closely.Ball pythons (also called Royal pythons) are heavy-bodied constrictors native to West and Central Africa. They reach a maximum length of five feet. Snakes are born as identical miniatures of their parents. Upon hatching, they are completely independent and will search for their first meal after shedding.
The python parents (and the neonates when they’re older) are utilized in a variety of Como Zoo's education and interpretive programs.
