Tales from the Tank: Penny the ball python

There are many animals to observe outside in the Will County forest preserves, but its visitor centers are also home to a variety of species, some native and some not. Join us for our Tales from the Tank series where we will share the stories of our resident critters who call our visitor centers home. 

Me with one of my caretakers at Plum Creek Nature Center. (Photo by Glenn P. Knoblock)

Hello there, my fellow dry-skinned friend. Welcome to my Tank of Tranquility, my Castle of Calm, my Refuge of Repose. My name is Penelope, Penny for sssshort. I am a ball python, or some people call me a royal python, which seems more fitting for a snake with stature like mine.

They call me a royal python because look at me, how could you not think I’m royalty? They call me a ball python because I will curl into a ball shape when I feel threatened. I am so beyond amazing at this that you could use me to go bowling. Not that I would allow that sort of behavior. 

I am a one-snake-per-tank type of lady. Here at the nature center, I do have some interesting neighbors, though. Maybe you will meet them another time. 

I have never been accused of upstairs neighbor behavior; I am a quiet and respectful lady. I can’t wear shoes, seeing as I have no feet, and I rarely move my furniture around. I have a nice fake rock that I like to hide in and a cave that I can view my property from. 

My tank at Plum Creek Nature Center. (Photo by Alyssa Parker)

Here in my royal chambers, my favorite food is rats. My servants who take care of me provide me with one every four to six weeks. They de-thaw it and place it gently in my enclosure, I mean palace, and I eat it in one bite. I can do this because I am exceptionally talented, but also because my jaw has a combination of extra bones as well as flexible tendons that allow my mouth to open widely. 

In the wild, I would use my heat-sensing pores, called labial pits, to find a prey at night. I will lie in wait, then attack when the food is there for the taking. I am a constrictor, which means I wrap around my prey and then eat it head first.  

---

Words to know

Chamber: A private room.

Refuge: Shelter or protection from danger or trouble.

Repose: The state of resting or being at rest.

Tranquility: The state of being calm, peaceful, quiet or serene.

---

In the wild, my life expectancy is 10 years, but here in my Hearth of Harmony, I am expected to live to be 20 to 48 years old. A lady never tells her age, but I was born Dec. 16, 2012, which means I will turn 14 years young in 2026. 

Plum Creek Nature Center has been my home since 2017, when I was only 5 years old. Since then, I have made many new friends, and I love meeting all of my fans. From loud and excited 5-year-olds to older scaredy-cat adults, I love meeting everyone.

So next time you are at Plum Creek Nature, don’t be a stranger! Stop on by my Palace of Peace and say hi! Plum Creek Nature Center at Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays to Sundays.