Vanilla Ball Pythons as Pet-Costs, Facts, Size and Morphs

Vanilla Ball Pythons-Everything You Need to Know

Ball pythons are some of the most popular reptile pets to have. Their docile nature and pretty coloration and designs have made them the hot topic among snake owners. Out of this species of snakes emerged a morph that proved its worth through the varying different morphs it can breed and the stunning designs their morphs possess.

The Vanilla Ball Python is often overlooked in the world of Ball Pythons. With so many different morphs all vying for ocular attention, it’s hard to choose a favorite among the myriad attractive designs. The Vanilla Ball Python, as the name would suggest, sports a vanilla coloring. What makes this morph so popular, though, is its ability to breed and form various other eye-catching morphs.

If you are interested in this anything-but-vanilla snake, read on. We will be telling you all about it, from their temperament and size to care and genetics.

Are Vanilla Ball Pythons Dangerous?

Ball Pythons, in general, are calm, docile creatures that hardly ever attack humans. Contrary to their “Monsters of the Amazon” reputation, Ball Pythons make quite good pets.

The Vanilla Ball Python is no different. Vanilla Ball Pythons, given their small size, have rarely caused life-threatening harm to humans through their usual methods.

Biting and constricting can cause some harm to people, but not enough to kill. With that being said, Vanilla Ball Pythons can be dangerous pets if not trained and handled properly. If you sustain an injury from one, be sure to go to the hospital right away.

The best way to avoid injury is to handle your Vanilla Ball Python with care. Also be sure to buy your snake at a young age so you can properly train and socialize them.

How Much Do Vanilla Ball Pythons Cost?

When you first buy your Vanilla Ball Python, they will cost you anywhere from $300 to $2,000 USD. As you can see, there can be quite the difference! This price difference is a result of different kinds of morphs, some in demand, some not, and the fluctuations of your local market.

The spending does not stop there, though. Owning a Vanilla Ball Python requires an investment in the proper materials to care for your pet the correct way.

One of the most important purchases you will need to make for your Vanilla Ball Python is a properly sized tank for them to live in. You will also need to cover the bottom of the tank in moss, shavings, or other bedding to recreate a comfortable habitat for your pet. A basking bulb and a light dome for proper temperature controlis essential for maintaining proper health in your Python.

And, of course, you will need to buy food and pay expenses for veterinary trips. The cost of all of these products, again, depends on the fluctuations of your local market.

How Big Does a Vanilla Ball Python Get?

At birth, Vanilla Ball Pythons are usually ten inches long.

When they grow up, the size of the Vanilla Ball Python varies depending on their gender. If you own a female Vanilla Ball Python, you will find that they tend to be between three to five feet long. If you own a male Vanilla Ball Python, however, you will find that they tend to be shorter, two to three feet in length, to be exact.

When a Vanilla Ball Python is fully grown, they usually weigh between four or five pounds (1.8 to 2.3 kg).

Vanilla Ball Pythons tend to have a long lifespan. If you take proper care of your pet, feed them well, offer them a comfortable home, and remedy any illnesses or injuries that may arise, you might find that your snake could live to be as old as 30 years. Some have even been recorded as living longer, up to 40 years, with some rumors claiming some Vanilla Ball Pythons have even lived as long as 50 years.

Are Vanilla Ball Pythons Good Pets?

Generally, Ball Pythons make great pets. They are known to be calm and docile snakes that hardly attack humans. If they do, their size prevents them from causing any life-threatening harm. They also do not mind, and in some cases, like being held by humans.

Vanilla Ball Pythons are known throughout the pet reptile world for having one of the friendliest temperaments among snakes. This will help you interact with your pet better and have more bonding time. Given the Vanilla Ball Python’s naturally calm demeanor and proper training, you will hardly ever have to worry about biting or constricting accidents when handling them.

Their smaller size, compared to other pythons, makes them easier to keep in captivity without dishing out too much for a large sized tank.

The biggest plus to having a Vanilla Ball Python as a pet is the versatility of its breeding. If you are into breeding Ball Pythons to get the most attractive morph, you will what you can do with a Vanilla Ball Python.

Vanilla Ball Python Cool Facts

As if owning a Vanilla Ball Python wasn’t cool enough, we brought you some interesting facts about these snakes to make you appreciate your slithery friend even more:

  • Vanilla Ball Pythons can live to be as much as 50 years old. That’s five zero, fifty. That’s quite  a long time to form a bond and care for you slithery friend.
  • Vanilla Ball Pythons, and more generally, Ball Pythons, are known in some parts of the world as “Royal Pythons.” This is because of the rumor of African Tribe Leaders wearing them around their necks like jewelry.
  • The design of Vanilla Ball Pythons, though they are all the same morph, are hardly ever the same as another snake. The coloring and shapes on their skin vary so much that it is almost like their fingerprint.
  • Some tribes in Nigeria, specifically the Igbo People, hold the Ball Python as sacred in their religion. They are left to their own devices, no matter where they may slither, and funerals are held for them if one is killed.
  • Vanilla Ball Pythons are a non-venomous snake. This contributes to their feasibility as pets and their lack of harm towards humans.
  • Lastly, although there are many different kinds of morphs that make up the species of Ball Python, there are no distinct subspecies under Ball Python.

Vanilla Ball Python Genetics

A Vanilla Ball Python is a basic morph of the popular Ball Python species. A Vanilla Ball Python is produced when both parents are co-dominant with the Vanilla gene.

Breeding-wise, the Vanilla Ball Python’s genetics are quite flexible. They can be paired with many other morphs to produce eye-catching and attractive colorations and designs. Most popular among these offspring morphs are the Vanilla Fire and the Vanilla Cream morphs. More information about these morphs can be found below under “Most Popular Vanilla Ball Python Morphs.”

How Rare are Vanilla Ball Pythons?

Being a basic morph of Ball Python, Vanilla Ball Pythons are not all that rare. They are fairly simple to breed, as long as you have access to a pair of Vanilla gene co-dominant Ball Pythons. Some of the resulting morphs bred from the Vanilla Ball Python can be somewhat rare.

Granted, Vanilla Ball Pythons are not the most popular morph of Ball Python as they are often overlooked and taken for granted. However, their simple breedability and common presence in the pet reptile world make them a regular occurrence among snake enthusiasts.

Breeding Vanilla Ball Pythons

To breed a Vanilla Ball Python, you need to have access to two Vanilla Ball Pythons that both have the “vanilla gene” present as dominant. That’s all there is to it. This is a relatively simple process compared to the breeding of other morphs.

Vanilla Ball Python Shedding

As with most snakes, Vanilla Ball Pythons tend to shed during the cool, dry times of year. When they enter their shed cycle, it is not uncommon for them to stop eating.

An important factor helping your Vanilla Ball Python maintain healthy and regular shedding habits is to keep heating and moisture at optimal levels.

Vanilla Ball Pythons usually to bask in a temperature of 88 to 96 degrees Fahrenheit and have the rest of their tank be at an ambient temperature of  78 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The humidity levels should typically be at fifty to sixty percent.

Keeping the temperature and humidity levels exactly within these parameters is not only a good way to help your Vanilla Ball Python to shed properly, but also to help it maintain good overall health.

Most Popular Vanilla Ball Python Morphs

If you don’t know what a morph is, don’t worry, we got you covered. It is simply the differences in coloration and design on the snakes skin. You can see a wide variety of differences in any two Ball Pythons. The Vanilla morph was named so due to its vanilla coloring. People have also made it a hobby to breed different kinds of morphs, giving rise to varying types of Vanilla Ball Python.

With so many different morphs, it is hard to choose which ones are the “best.” Now, everyone has different preferences, so we aren’t saying that these morphs are the “best.” We are simply trying to let you know the morphs that most people tend to prefer. The most popular ones are:

  • Vanilla Ivory Ball Python – this python is uniformly colored all over, with a duller, whiter shade more similar to that of an elephant’s ivory tusks.
  • Vanilla Cream Ball Python – this python is very similar to the coloration of the regular Vanilla Ball Python, but sports a yellow underbelly to add that creaminess to the coloring.
  • Vanilla Fire Ball Python – this python has the coloration of vanilla ice cream with some reddish, orange tinges to it to give it that firey look
  • Super Vanilla Pastel Ball Python – this python maintains its vanilla covering, but raises the saturation a bit and exhibits a bright yellow color amid the splashes of light brown.

Here are some of our favorite products

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