What is the scientific name of the ball python?

The scientific name of the ball python is Python regius.

The ball python is a small to medium-sized python native to West and Central Africa. It is named for its characteristic defensive behaviour: when alarmed, it commonly coils into a tight ball with its head protected in the centre. The species is also called the royal python, which explains the meaning of the Latin specific name regius, or “royal.”

Ball pythons are nonvenomous constrictors. They use heat-sensitive pits around the lips to help detect warm-blooded prey, especially in low light. Their natural diet includes small mammals, and they spend much of their time hiding in burrows or other sheltered places.

The species is popular in captivity, where many colour and pattern mutations have been selectively bred. Those captive varieties can look very different from wild snakes, but they all belong to Python regius. It should not be confused with the much larger Burmese or reticulated pythons.