Reticulated pythons inhabit steamy tropical rainforests, are heavily dependent on water, and can often be found near small rivers or ponds. They require tropical environments with temperatures in the range of 80 – 92 °Fahrenheit. The species is a giant constrictor characterized by a beautiful network (reticulations) of earth tones: white, tan, brown, yellow, and red.
Giant reticulated pythons have become creatures of myth and legend, with many elaborate and often exaggerated accounts of encounters by early European explorers.
There are three named subspecies of the Reticulated Python: saputrai (southwestern arm of Sulawesi and the island of Selayar), jampeanus (the island of Tanahjampea, south of Sulawesi), and reticulatus (the remainder of the range).
Reticulated python (Python reticulatus) can reach over 8.5 meters and gain mass of 145 kilograms where it is later called as the longest snake in the world. In the wild, this species has a wide distribution in Asia starting from India in the west, across Indo-China to Vietnam and south to the Indonesian Archipelago. In this region, reticulated pythons have traditionally been captured and sold for their meat, skin, fat, and other body parts, to supply growing demands for protein through to traditional medicines.
Reticulated pythons are strictly carnivorous. They have sharp teeth that are curved towards the back of the mouth. They use their 100 curved teeth to hold onto their prey, and they kill the animals they catch by wrapping around them and squeezing. The animal is quickly unable to breath and its heart is unable to pump blood. Pythons can kill their prey in minutes and they swallow their food whole.
Malayopython reticulatus or Python reticulatus
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