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The Pythonidae, commonly known as pythons, are a family of nonvenomous snakes found in Africa, Asia, and Australia. Among its members are some of the largest snakes in the world. Ten genera and 39 species are currently recognized. Being naturally non-venomous, pythons must constrict their prey to induce cardiac arrest prior to consumption.
Although some species of venomous and mildly venomous snakes do use constriction to subdue their prey, most snakes which use constriction lack venom. [1] The snake strikes at its prey and holds on, pulling the prey into its coils or, in the case of very large prey, pulling itself onto the prey.
The species is oviparous, with females laying 10–50 eggs at a time. Afterward, females coil around the eggs to protect them and keep them warm through using muscular contractions to generate heat. [7] This type of maternal care, which is typical for pythons, ceases once the hatchlings have emerged.
The reticulated python is among the few snakes that prey on humans, and is the only species of snake where video and photographic proof exists of them having consumed humans. In 2015, the species was added to the Lacey Act of 1900, prohibiting import and interstate transport due to its "injurious" history with humans. [44]
The Central African rock python kills its prey by constriction and often eats animals up to the size of antelope, occasionally even crocodiles. The snake reproduces by egg-laying. Unlike most snakes, the female protects her nest and sometimes even her hatchlings. The snake is widely feared, though it is nonvenomous and very rarely kills humans.
Wild pythons rarely live past 20, but captive snakes have lived over 40 years.
Their skin is also elastic that it accounts for more than half the circumference of the maximal gape in large pythons, allowing the snakes to consume prey six times larger than similar-sized ...
With each female laying clutches of 29-50 eggs on average, their impact has been devastating. In one 2012 study, the USGS found populations of raccoons had declined by 99.3%, opossums by 98.9% and ...