Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, Mike here! Has anyone kept a ball python until it died from old age? What,if any, special needs do geriatric bps require?

how long a BP can live? The oldest captive BP was 40 years when it died, but it may not have died from old age. Ask again in about 30 years time.

I have heard they can live that long and wondered what should be done if anything when they reach their golden years? Can you tell me who kept ball pythons for thirty-plus years? If the information is valid then it should be available on the 'net or some musty library. Knowing the name(s) of the keeper(s) or the name of the facility in which they were kept would be a good lead to go on. By the way, how old is/are your ball pythons, Herpquest? Mine (Cyrus the Great) is about 17 months old.

11 years
-----
0.1 Pastel Col Red Tail Boa - Phoebe
0.1 Normal Ball Python - Barbie
1.0 Normal Ball Python - Ken
0.1 Brz Rainbow Boa - Bonnie
1.0 Brz Rainbow Boa - Clyde
0.1 Green Anaconda -
0.1 Yellow Anaconda -
0.1 Yellow Head Retic - Pandora
0.1 Granite Burm Python - Bella
1.0 Normal Ball Python - Jack
1.0 Normal Ball Python - Jake
0.1 Normal Ball Python - Chrissy
0.1 African Rock Python -Sissy
1.0 100% Het Black Black Red Axanthic Ball Python - Raven
0.1 Red Axanthic Ball Python - Bourbon
1.0 Yellow Ghost Hypo Ball Python - Sunny
0.1 Normal Ball Python HUGE over 8lbs - Scarlet
1.0 100% Het Albino Ball Python - Adam
0.1 100% Het Albino Ball Python - Eve
1.0 66% Het Albino Ball Python -
2.0 66 % Het Axanthic Ball Pythons - "Twins" Ding, Dong
1.0 Albino Ball Python -
0.1 100% Het Albino Ball Python -
0.4 High Yellow Ball Pythons -
0.4 Normal w.c. Ball Pythons - Mistakes
0.1 Jungle Ball Python -
0.8 Normal Ball Pythons -

0.1 Rottweiler - Shadow
1.0 Rottweiler - Reese

well.........I think Philly Zoo has had one or more for a few decades......40 .....I know a guy with one over 20...(looks 3).......and ? Remington in here has some old ones...

I have some that I have no clue on age....could be 10 ,,could be 35?....they act the same.......

I did hear a rumor that Gerber will be trying to come up with a minced gerbil,,,,strained rat and or stranied mouse ...and a combo medly........for those old time balls with dentures......

?....really....they act the same..eat when they want...and just die someday.......

I have 14 year old corn.......an inlaw has a corn that I once owned.......23 years ago.........
yet I have them die from age at 8,10....and 13......

yep........
JY

Yep, I guess ball pythons have to play it by ear, too, same as us, eh? Thanks for the input, old timer. : )
-----
"...though the boys throw stones at frogs in sport, yet the frogs do not die in sport but in earnest." - Plutarch

my oldest is around 10 years, though I have only had her(not confirmed yet) for a few months. She lived with her former owner for about 8 years and his brother a few years before that. I also have a normal breeding pair I got a few months ago, not sure on their age but they seems much older to me or they didn't have the best care for many years. To bad you can't ask them how old they are and if they are male and female then life would be easy!!

this is the 10 year old female. see the link for the pair

Pair Pics

-----
Misty

6 ball pythons and adding...
Marilyn (A.K.A. garbage gut)-male
Lil Girl-female
Hiss-female
Skiddish-male
no name-female
Big Bucks-male albino

I was just visiting the St. Louis Zoo where they have a couple old BP. The oldest arrived at the Zoo as an ADULT over 39 years ago...! The animal still has great skin and muscle tone and eats like a champ...TW

Over 39 years?! You mean I am stuck with these things for THAT long???

I am ONLY kidding. I love them.
-----

carmichael has a couple 30 year BP's i believe.
-----
0.1 "Tremper" looking Albino Leopard gecko (Lex)
0.0.1 normal ball python (felix)
1.1 Feral cats that we adopted (Fuzzy, and Bear)

"There are six genes which determine the amount of melanism present in a person's skink"-meretseger