Facts about Python

One species, Python reticulatus, the reticulated python, is probably the world's longest snake, with largest commonly cited maximum a specimen being 10.1 meters (33 feet).

All pythons are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN and one subspecies of the Indian python (P. m. molurus) is listed as Endangered (Barker and Barker 2004).

Pythons are found in sub-Saharan Africa, peninsular India, Myanmar, southern China, Southeast Asia, and from the Philippines southeast through Indonesia to New Guinea and Australia (McDiarmid 1999).

Some display iridescent colors, such as the ringed python, Bothrochilus boa, and the white-lipped python, Leiopython albertisii (Barker and Barker 2004).

Pythons inhabit a wide range of habitats, including wetlands, open forest, harsh desert, rainforest, rocky slopes, and savanna (Barker and Barker 2004).

Most python species have rows of heat-sensing organs between the sublabial scales: labial pits.

Pythons are medium to large size snakes, ranging from 0.5 to 10.1 meters (1.5-33 feet) in length, and a weight of 0.14 to 145 kilograms (0.3 to 320 pounds) (Barker and Barker 2004).

Pythons are similar to the anacondas comprising the genus Eunectes within the Boidae (boa) family of snakes.

There have been several accounts of python versus alligator encounters there, including one in autumn 2005 between a 13-foot (4 m) python and a six-foot (1.8 m) alligator that proved fatal for both.

Python labial pits also are located in the centers of the lip scales, but in those boas with labila pits they are located between the lip scales.

Pythons are similar in appearance and closely related to boas, the common name for snakes comprising the family Boidae.

Despite their intimidating size and muscular power, pythons generally are not dangerous to humans.

Most members of Pythonidae are ambush predators, in that they typically remain motionless in a camouflaged position and then strike suddenly at passing prey.

Both boas and pythons are considered to be primitive snakes, and both are constrictors.

The Pythonidae are distinguished from the family Boidae by a number of physical characters.

Contrary to popular belief, even the larger species, such as the reticulated python, P. reticulatus, do not crush their prey to death; in fact, prey is not even noticeably deformed before it is swallowed.

Many species have been hunted aggressively, which has decimated some, such as the Indian python, Python molurus.

Pythons also share a cloacal spur, elliptical pupils, and pitted lip scales associated with thermoreception (Barker and Barker 2004).

Contrary to popular belief, even the larger species, such as the reticulated python, P. reticulatus, do not crush their prey to death; in fact, prey is not even noticeably deformed before it is swallowed.