Python

python:

a kind of snake — reptile — usually large, muscular and powerful — grows to 1 metre to 10 metres (3 to 33 feet); non-poisonous, feeds on small to large animals, such as ‘rats, cats, pigs, birds, etc.; found all over the world but mostly in Africa, Asia, Australia and the Pacific islands; belongs to the constrictors

Some common pythons are: African rock python, ball or royal python, diamond or carpet snake, Indian python, etc.

Special Features:

Pythons belong to constrictor snakes, which means they are non-poisonous and do not bite their prey but winds round the prey’s body and squeezes it until it dies because it cannot breathe (suffocate), and then swallows the prey whole. However, new findings suggest that pythons do produce venom, though not to bite and kill their prey like the poisonous snakes. For an article that reports the latest finding about venom in pythons, please click here.

Pythons are kept as pets by snake lovers!

Pythons lay eggs, smaller ones about 15 and larger ones about 100, and broods until the eggs hatch, just as the birds do!

The reticulated python is supposed to be one of the largest snakes.

For an interesting article on pythons, please click here.