African Rock Python
Python sebae
Geographical Locale
Found in Africa – south of the Sahara; from East Africa through Mozambique, Zimbabwe and into eastern South Africa.
Appearance
- Generally brown with lighter brown and olive green markings.
- Belly is creamy white.
- One of the world’s largest snakes; reaching lengths 6 metres or more.
- Upper and lower jaw bones are not attached so they are able to open these incredibly wide.
- No breastbone so can expand their ribs allowing them to swallow food sources much larger than themselves.
- Pythons are ‘constrictors’ which means they hold their prey with their teeth and crush them with their body; moulding them into a shape suitable for swallowing whole.
Venom
- Non-venomous.
Lifecycle
- Oviparous; females lay up to 100 eggs.
- Incubation period is between 2 and 3 months.
- Hatchlings between 50 and 60cms in length.
- Hatchlings have same colour – although more vibrant – as adults.
- Females extremely aggressive when guarding their eggs.