The reticulated python is one of the most beautiful and dangerous reptiles in the world. They are one of the three Old World pythons, and are very revered in parts of Asia. The reticulated python is a snake that grows to immense size and should be respected at all times. Like most dangerous reptiles, the reticulated python is often needlessly slaughtered and is in danger of eradication in generations to come. .
Location and Habitat — The reticulated python can be found throughout the jungles of southeastern Asia and can be found in a wide ranging habitat. It can be found in lakes, rivers, streams, rocky terrain, grasslands, deep forests, and even swamps. The reticulated python adapts well to a number of different environments, but is never very far from fresh water.
Size – The reticulated python is widely considered the longest snake on the planet, though some scientists think that title goes to the Anaconda. The largest reticulated pythons grow in excess of thirty feet long, and can weigh more than 300 pounds. It is easy to see why a reticulated python is a bad choice for beginners when it comes to pet snakes.
Parenting – An interesting note about the reticulated python is that it is one of the few snakes that guards her eggs. The reticulated python female will wrap her coils around the eggs, usually around 25-100 in number, so that she might regulate the temperature of her brood. While the reticulated python will guard the eggs in this manner, she will quickly abandon her brood once they hatch. At birth, the young reticulated pythons are about 2 feet in length.
Diet – The reticulated python is a carnivore, and as such, will eat pretty much any warm blooded animal that it can fit down it’s considerable throat. The reticulated python is limited only by it’s own size. They will eat pigs, birds, deer, cats, dogs, wild boars, goats, and even the occasional human being. While adult victims are rare, children are especially susceptible. This is a very dangerous snake, and should be given a wide berth. The young are predatory from birth, and actively hunt baby rats, mice, and birds. The reticulated python needs slightly more than it’s own weight annually in food.
Hunting – The reticulated python is a supreme hunter, and will sneak up on an unsuspecting victim by blending in to the surroundings. Sometimes, the reticulated python will sit silently and wait for dinner to come walking by. This huge, powerful reptile has some serious tools to hunt with outside of the fact that they blend in with their surroundings. They have 100 teeth that curl inward towards the snakes mouth. This gives the reticulated python a powerful grip and also aids in pulling it’s prey down the throat. The reticulated python kills by constriction, slowly suffocating the animal in a vice grip of coils. The reticulated python bites, then coils tightly around the victim. It then continues to tighten the grip every time the victim breathes thereby suffocating them. The reticulated python is a powerful predator indeed.
Temperament – This snake is widely considered to be an excitable breed, though in some settings and regions they are quite tame. Given the incredible size and capabilities of this supreme reptile, it would be wise to leave this snake alone. Only the most experienced herpetologists should consider handling such a snake, and even they should do so with extreme caution.
