Clown Ball Python

Looks how to spot one

Scales

The Clown ball python has a pale yellowish-gold background with larger, lighter brown lateral patches and a wide dark stripe down the back. The head often shows a mottled pattern with a dark 'teardrop' mark below the eye. Unlike normal ball pythons, the pale areas lack the fine dark stippling, giving a cleaner, brighter look. As the snake matures, the dark pattern fades to a paler yellow-brown.25

Personality what they are like

Clown ball pythons are known for their calm, gentle and easy-going nature. They are generally shy and secretive but become quite tame with regular, gentle handling. They rarely show aggression and are considered a great choice for beginners and families with older children.36

Daily activity how busy a day looks

These snakes are mostly terrestrial and crepuscular, being active at dawn and dusk. They do not need a large amount of space, but they do appreciate a secure hide and a thermal gradient. They are not particularly active and are happy to spend most of the day curled up in a hide.6

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Clown ball pythons require a clean enclosure with a substrate that holds humidity well. Misting the enclosure every couple of days helps with shedding. They need a hide box, a water bowl, and a temperature gradient. Shedding is aided by maintaining humidity around 55-60%.3

Home where they are happiest

A 40-gallon tank is the minimum for an adult. Provide a basking spot near 95°F (35°C) and a cooler side around 75-80°F (24-27°C). Humidity should be kept at 55-60%. Use a secure lid to prevent escape. Provide at least one hide on the warm side and one on the cool side.3

Food basics what goes in the bowl

In captivity, feed mice and rats. Young snakes eat mice, while adults can take rats. Feed an adult about one appropriately sized rat per week. Frozen-thawed prey is safer than live because live rodents can injure the snake. If a snake refuses frozen food, you can try scenting with chicken broth or stun the prey before offering.3

Company who they like around

Ball pythons are solitary and do not need company. They should be housed alone. They are not venomous and are generally safe to handle, but always supervise children. There are no legal restrictions on keeping this morph in most places, but always check local laws.6

The story where it all began

The Clown morph was first discovered in a wild-caught male ball python imported from Africa by Dave and Tracy Barker of Vida Preciosa International (VPI) around 1996. The snake had an unusual head pattern and a pale yellowish-gold body with a dark teardrop mark under the eye, which reminded the Barkers of a clown's tear. They named the mutation 'Clown'. In 1998, breeding trials showed the trait was not dominant, and by 1999-2000, the first visual Clown offspring were produced. Later, BHB Reptiles also produced Clowns from a different wild-caught male. The Clown is a simple recessive mutation, meaning a snake must inherit two copies of the gene to show the pattern. The morph changes only the snake's appearance, not its care needs.12

Recognised by the official bits

MorphMarket Morphpedia

Recognised as a recessive colour and pattern morph of the ball python.1