Indian python: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 05:36, 8 October 2006

Revision as of 02:09, 13 October 2006

Line 22:

==Identification==

[[Image:Python molurus gab fbi.png|thumb|left|Scalation of Indian Python]]

Pythons are very easy to identify. They are distinguished from all other Indian snakes by the presence of sensory pits on the rostral (snout shield) and first two labials. Pythons are the most massively built snakes found in the region. They grow to an average length of 4 m with the relative girth exceeding that of all other snakes, and weigh 70 to 129 pounds on an average. The longest recorded specimen measured 19 ft 2 in (5.85 m) (Cooch-Behar, West bengal). Their scales are smooth and generally glossy for a snake in good condition. They have a flattened head with large nostrils, directed upwards and situated high on the snout. Their eyes are small and the pupil vertical, with the iris apparently flecked with gold. Pythons have, what is commonly called, spurs, which are vestigial or rudimentary limbs situated on either side of the anal vent. Adult Pythons are whitish or yellowish in colour with the blotched patterns varying from shades of yellow to dark brown. The colouration also varies with terrain and habitat. The pythons of the hill forests of Western Ghats and Assam are darker, and those of the [[Deccan Plateau]] and East Coast are usually lighter.

==Habitat and Status==

Pythons usually dwell in the jungles, occuringoccurring in dense as well as open forests. They may also be found near rivers and lakes. They sometimes occupy abandoned mammal burrows, hollow trees, dense water reeds and mangrove thickets, normally near a permanent water source. These snakes have often been killed for their fine skin and are [[Endangered species|endangered]]. They are now partly protected by the Tamil Nadu Government. In Kerala and Tamil Nadu, python meat is eaten by locals as the fat has purported medicinal value. Like most snakes, they take one huge meal and can go for up to two years without eating. They depend on water.

==Habits==