Rupert

The "Royal" name was brought about in part by Cleopatra who reportedly wore these beautiful snakes as bracelets on her wrists.

The Royal Python is also known as the Ball Python though this is more common outside of Europe. The origin of the 'Ball' name derives from their natural defence mechanism that when stressed, they will curl into a tight ball with their heads hidden inside and not move for long periods of time.

Ball Pythons are native to Central and Western Africa and are 'crepuscular', being most active at dusk and dawn. They tend to be found in grasslands or on the edge of the forests. They are known to be semi-arboreal, meaning they spend some of their time on the ground and some of their time in trees.

In the wild, the Ball Python will eat a variety of prey including lizards, birds, and small mammals.

Mating usually requires a mild cooling or partial hibernation period. The average clutch size is 4 - 10 eggs and average incubation period is 90 days.