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Pythonidae is a family of constricting
snakes, sometimes classified as an subfamily of Boidae. Pythons are found in Australasia, Southeast Asia, India, and Africa. They range in size between 0.5 and 10 m. Some show vivid patterns on their scales while
others are a nondescript brown. Pythons are distinguishable from boas in that they have teeth on the premaxilla, a small bone at
the very front and center of the upper jaw.
Pythonidae consists of seven genera, including:
- Antaresia
- Anthill - Antaresia perthensis
- Children's - Antaresia childreni
- Spotted - Antaresia maculosa
- Stimson's - Antaresia stimsoni
- Aspidites
- Black-headed - Aspidites melanocephalus
- Woma - Aspidites ramsayi
- Bothrochilus
- Ringed or Bismarck ringed - Bothrochilus boa
- Leiopython
- White-lipped - Leiopython albertisii
- Liasis
- Brown Water - Liasis fuscus
- Macklot's Python - Liasis mackloti
- Olive Python - Liasis olivaceous or Liasis barroni
- Sawu Python - Liasis sawuensis
- Morelia
- Amethystine or Scrub - Morelia amethystina
- Boelen's - Morelia boeleni
- Centralian - Morelia bredli
- Rough-Scaled - Morelia carinata
- ?? Python - Morelia clastolepis
- Australian Scrub - Morelia kinghorni
- ?? Python - Morelia nauta
- Oenpelli (Rock) - Morelia oenpelliensis
- Carpet - Morelia spilota
- Diamond Python - Morelia spilota spilota
- Jungle Carpet Python - Morelia spilota cheynei
- Southwestern Carpet Python - Morelia spilota imbricata
- ? Carpet Python - Morelia spilota macrospila
- Inland Carpet Python - Morelia spilota metcalfei
- Coastal Carpet Python - Morelia spilota mcdowelli
- Northwestern Carpet Python - Morelia spilota variegata
- Centralian - Morelia bredli
- ? Python - Morelia tracyae
- Green Tree (formerly in their own genus, Chondropython) - Morelia viridis
- Python
- Angolan - Python anchietae
- Ball (or Royal) - Python regius
- Blood - Python curtus
- Blood - Python curtus brongersmai
- Borneo Short-Tailed - Python curtus breitensteini
- Burmese - Python molurus
- Burmese - Python molurus bivittatus
- Ceylon - Python molurus pimbura
- Indian (Rock) - Python molurus molurus
- Southern African Rock - Python natalensis
- Reticulated - Python reticulatus
- Central African Rock - Python sebae
- Timor - Python timorensis
Reproduction
Pythons lay eggs which they arrange in a pile. They coil around the pile until all eggs
have hatched. Since pythons cannot regulate their internal body
temperature, they cannot incubate their eggs per se; instead, they raise the temperature of their eggs by small
movements of their body -- essentially, they "shiver". This is one of only a few documented cases of parental behaviour in
snakes.
Predatory characteristics and behaviour
Most pythons have heat-sensing organs in their lips. These enable them to detect objects that are hotter than the surrounding
environment. Pythons that do not have heat-sensing organs identify their prey by smell. Pythons are ambush predators: they
typically stay in a camouflaged position and then suddenly strike at passing prey. They then grasp the prey in their teeth, and
kill by constriction. Death is usually a result of suffocation or heart failure rather than crushing. Pythons will not usually
attack humans unless startled or provoked, although females protecting their eggs can be aggressive.
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