Though widely bred in captivity in the U.S. and Europe, tens of thousands are exported from West Africa each year, with little understanding of what that means for their conservation or well-being.

If you’ve ever thought about keeping a snake as a pet, chances are you’ve heard of the ball python. It’s one of the most popular snakes for beginners and for good reason. Ball pythons are calm, easy ...

The ball python is the most commonly traded African species under CITES, with more than 3 million of these reptiles exported since 1975, mainly from Togo, Ghana and Benin. Listed under CITES Appendix ...

Experts at the St. Louis Zoo are trying to figure out how a 62-year-old ball python laid seven eggs despite not being near a male python for more than 15 years. Mark Wanner, manager of herpetology at ...