Identification that proves this ball python is yours
A ball python's paperwork starts with photographs, because pattern is this species' fingerprint. Send clear shots of the head, both sides of the body and the belly, taken in plain light, plus a note of sex, approximate age, length and weight from your most recent check. Ball pythons vary enormously in colour and pattern, and a boarder holding several similar snakes needs your photos to match records to the right animal without guesswork. Add where the snake came from and any microchip or breeder reference you hold.
The feeding and shedding record the boarder will actually read
A ball python's recent history tells a boarder what normal looks like for this individual, and ball pythons are famous for fasting, so context matters. Include the last several feeds with dates, what was offered, whether it was eaten, and the last complete shed with a note of whether the eyecaps cleared. A snake that refused food twice before boarding is a different patient from one that suddenly stops, and only your record shows which story this is.
Enclosure settings written as a setup sheet
A ball python's setup sheet should travel even when the snake boards in its own enclosure, because staff may need to rebuild it after cleaning. List the warm-side and cool-side readings, the humidity band, the heat source and thermostat type, and the rule that no heat source runs without that thermostat. Note the two hides — one warm, one cool — the water bowl size, and the substrate you use, plus the instruction that the lid or door clips shut every single time, since a fed ball python tests gaps with surprising patience.
Emergency contacts and veterinary permission
A ball python's emergency page needs three names in order: you, a backup adult who can collect or make decisions if you are unreachable, and a veterinary practice with reptile experience, named with its out-of-hours route. Under those names, write your permission for the boarder to transport the snake for urgent care and state the spending approach you have agreed, so nobody loses an evening to an unanswered phone. Add your travel dates, where you will be, and the best way to reach you across time zones.
Signs that should trigger the emergency page
A ball python showing wheezing, bubbles at the nostrils, open-mouth breathing, mucus along the mouth, a retained shed gripping the tail tip, or a burn-like redness on the belly needs the boarder to call you and the reptile vet the same day. Stargazing — holding the head up and wobbling — is an urgent call, not a wait-and-see. A quiet snake hiding all day is normal ball python behaviour and needs no call; the paperwork earns its keep by separating that ordinary shyness from the short list above. Ask the boarder to send a photo or short video with any concern, since ball python breathing problems are far easier to judge seen than described.
Packing the folder so nothing separates from the snake
A ball python's papers should travel in one waterproof folder taped to the enclosure or handed over in person, with a copy photographed on your phone and one left with your backup contact. Walk the boarder through the folder at drop-off, pointing to the identity photos and the emergency page rather than assuming it will be read later. Confirm the snake's name or ID label matches on the enclosure, the folder and the booking form. Gathering the identity photos, records and contacts into a KinsLe Pet Passport keeps that folder complete, so the boarder is never working from a half-remembered phone call.