What questions are we most asked about royal pythons?
In this article we will answer the top 5 most frequently asked questions about royal pythons and their care.
Spoiler alert: no, they are not secretly plotting to eat you while you sleep. They can barely decide whether they want this week’s rat.
How big do royal pythons get?
“How big does a royal python get?”
“Can it eat you?”
“Will it size you up while you sleep?”
Variations of these questions are the ones we hear most often, usually from someone standing a very safe distance away from the snake.
Royal pythons (Python regius) are a medium-sized constrictor found in western Africa, particularly the areas of Ghana and Togo. They can grow to more than 6 feet in length and weigh more than 3kgs.
Now, while 6 feet of snake sounds dramatic, royal pythons do not reach a size that would ever endanger human life. Don’t get me wrong, these animals are strong, muscular predators and they kill prey by constriction. They squeeze tightly enough to disrupt neurological and cardiovascular functions and cause circulatory compression. That sounds terrifying because, scientifically speaking, it is. But they simply are not large enough to do this to a person. A 300g rat? Absolutely. A fully grown human? Not unless the human is unusually hamster-sized.
The infamous “sizing up” myth is one of the internet’s favourite pieces of reptile fiction. It usually goes something like this:
“The snake sleeps next to its owner to measure them before eating them.”
Which sounds dramatic right up until you remember that royal pythons regularly refuse food because the rat was offered on a Tuesday morning instead of a Thursday afternoon.
There is no way in which a snake would ever measure itself next to a potential meal. Snakes do not possess the cognitive function for that type of planning or premeditation. Royal pythons are opportunistic ambush predators. Their hunting strategy is essentially:
- Sit very still.
- Wait.
- Hope dinner makes a poor life choice.
What do royal pythons eat?
Royal pythons (and every other species of snake) are predators, and they eat other animals. Some critters on the royal python menu include (but are not limited to):
- Mice
- Rats
- Multimammates (African soft-furred rats)
- Gerbils
- Birds
- Lizards
Frequency of feeding depends on the age and size of the animal. Hatchlings and juveniles are generally fed once every 7 days, while sub-adults and adults may eat every 10–21 days.
That being said, every royal python is an individual. Some feed enthusiastically every week. Others stare at food like an offended restaurant critic:
“Absolutely not. I asked for soft-furred rat, lightly warmed, served at dusk.”
Royal pythons are famous for random hunger strikes. Experienced keepers eventually learn that panic helps nobody, especially not the snake who is currently pretending their dinner has personally insulted it.
Are royal pythons slimy?
This is one of the oldest snake myths in existence, right alongside “snakes chase people” and “that tiny garden snake definitely escaped from the Amazon rainforest.”
No snakes are slimy.
Most species, particularly royal pythons, have smooth, dry scales with a glossy sheen. Their scales are made of keratin, the same material that makes up your fingernails and hair. Healthy scales reflect light beautifully, which gives snakes that polished, almost wet appearance.
In reality, a royal python feels cool, dry, and incredibly smooth to the touch. Think luxury handbag, not discarded seaweed.
My royal python hasn’t eaten. How long can they go without feeding?
As long as the animal is healthy, is not rapidly losing weight, and environmental conditions are correct, adult and sub-adult royal pythons can safely go for surprisingly long periods without feeding.
We generally advise allowing up to 3 months before becoming seriously concerned, though temperatures, humidity, cleanliness, and stress levels should all be checked first. Poor husbandry is the leading cause of feeding issues in captive reptiles.
Royal pythons are biologically adapted for infrequent feeding. In the wild, food availability is inconsistent, so they have evolved incredibly efficient gastrointestinal systems capable of handling long fasting periods.
Translated into simpler terms:
Royal pythons are the kings and queens of “I’m not hungry.”
The longest documented feeding strike lasted 22 months before the snake casually accepted a meal as though nothing had happened. Imagine refusing dinner for nearly two years and then suddenly deciding:
“Actually… yes. Rat sounds lovely today.”
This tendency is one of the reasons royal pythons can sometimes be slightly challenging beginner snakes. They are calm, manageable, and generally docile — but they are also professional worriers.
Do royal pythons need UV lighting?
This question is still debated heavily within the reptile hobby.
Do royal pythons need UV lighting in the same way some lizards do? Not strictly.
Do they benefit from it? Absolutely.
UVB lighting can aid vitamin D3 synthesis, help regulate circadian rhythms, and provide important visual enrichment. Royal pythons can also see into parts of the UV spectrum, meaning their world likely looks far more colourful than ours. Your carefully decorated enclosure may actually look incredible to them. Or they may still choose to hide in a cardboard tube. Snakes are mysterious creatures.
As keepers, we should always aim to provide the best possible environment:
- Correct temperatures
- Appropriate humidity
- UV exposure
- Enrichment
- Secure hiding spaces
Research is the key to understanding these animals: what they do, how they behave, and the environments they evolved in. Replicating those natural conditions as closely as possible is the best method for maintaining a healthy and stress-free royal python.
And if your royal python still spends 90% of its life hiding despite your beautifully crafted enclosure? Congratulations — you’ve successfully recreated a royal pythons perfect enclosure.
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