Reticulated Python

Description:

Python reticulatus, also known as the (Asiatic) reticulated python, is a species of python found in Southeast Asia. Adults can grow to 6.95 m (22.8 ft) in length but normally grow to an average of 3–6 m (9.8–19.7 ft). They are the world's longest snakes and longest reptile, but are not the most heavily built. Like all pythons, they are nonvenomous constrictors and normally not considered dangerous to humans. Although large specimens are powerful enough to kill an adult human, attacks are only occasionally reported. An excellent swimmer, Python reticulatus has been reported far out at sea and has colonised many small islands within its range. The specific name, reticulatus, is Latin meaning "net-like", or reticulated, and is a reference to the complex color pattern. This species is the largest snake native to Asia. More than a thousand wild reticulated pythons in southern Sumatra estimated from 1.5 to 6.5 m (4.9 to 21.3 ft) in length and in weight from 1 to 75 kg (2.2 to 165.3 lb). In general, reticulated pythons with lengths of more than 6 m (19.7 ft) are rare, though according to the Guinness Book of World Records it is the only extant snake to regularly exceed that length.A reticulated python of the same length as a green anaconda may weigh only half as much as the bulkier anaconda. One of the largest scientifically measured specimens, from Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, Indonesia, was measured under anesthesia at 6.95 m (22.8 ft) and weighed 59 kg (130 lb) after not having eaten for 3 months.[5] Currently Guinness World Records lists a snake named Medusa in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S., as the longest snake ever accurately measured in captivity, at 7.67 m (25.2 ft) and 158.8 kg (350 lb). Widely published data of specimens that were reported to be several feet longer have not been confirmed.

Habitat:

The reticulated python lives in rain forests, woodlands, and nearby grasslands. It is also associated with rivers and is found in areas with nearby streams and lakes. An excellent swimmer, it has even been reported far out at sea and has consequently colonised many small islands within its range. During the early years of the twentieth century it is said to have been common even in busy parts of Bangkok, sometimes eating domestic animals.