Resting by day in a tree branch over
riverine forest habitat. Kinabatangan River, Sabah, Borneo.
Two-metre specimen in Singapore's
central forest.
5-metre specimen
found in a
drainage culvert, Singapore.
Close-up of the Reticulated Python's beautiful scale pattern.
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Reticulated Pythons can grow to huge
lengths and specimens can be found up to 10 metres long. They feed on
mammals, such as small deer or pigs, constricting and suffocating their prey
before ingesting. In urban areas they prey mainly on rats and cats. There are rare,
well documented cases of large adults killing and eating people. Prey are
located by heat-sensitive pits in the labial scales (those lining the lips).
The species is found in
all habitats, including primary forests, mangroves, plantations and
scrublands. In urban areas of Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and other cities they
are sometimes flushed out during land clearance. Egg clutches can contain
over 100 eggs.
The species ranges widely
throughout Southeast Asia.
Family : PYTHONIDAE
Species : Python reticulatus
Maximum Size : 10 metres
References : H1, H2,
H3 |
