Ball Python

# Evolutionary Timeline of the Ball Python The Ball Python (*Python regius*), a non-venomous constrictor native to sub-Saharan Africa, traces its lineage back to ancient squamate reptiles. Its evolution reflects adaptations to changing climates, from forested to savanna environments, driven by pressures like predation, prey scarcity, and habitat shifts. Key milestones include: - **Cretaceous Period ( ~100-150 million years ago)**: Snakes diverge from lizard-like ancestors, losing limbs for burrowing and slithering efficiency. - **Eocene Epoch ( ~50-60 million years ago)**: Pythonidae family emerges, with early pythons developing constriction as a hunting method amid warming climates. - **Miocene Epoch ( ~5-23 million years ago)**: African pythons, including Ball Python ancestors, adapt to grassland expansions, evolving balling behavior for defense against predators. - **Pleistocene to Present ( ~2.5 million years ago - now)**: Refinement of traits like heat-sensing pits and cryptic coloration in response to human expansion and climate variability.