The African Rock Python is a large snake species native to sub-Saharan Africa, thriving in savannas, rainforests, and marshlands.
They are known for their impressive size; on average, they can stretch up to 11 feet. However, some specimens reached almost 20 feet. Their skin features dark brown blotches on a light brown or olive backdrop, which helps them blend into their surroundings.
African Rock Pythons prey on rodents, monkeys, antelopes, and crocodiles. Their hunting technique involves constricting their prey.
The Indian Python, also called black-tailed python or Asian rock python, is one of the largest snakes, with an average of almost 10 feet.
These types of pythons have muscular bodies with light yellow to almost black hues and dark brown blotches.
They inhabit various habitats, including grasslands, marshes, rocky foothills, and open forests. Indian Pythons often live near water, highlighting their excellent swimming ability.
Moreover, these nocturnal hunters use their powerful constricting abilities to catch and subdue their prey, mainly mammals and birds. Although they usually prey on small animals, they hunt larger prey such as deer or antelope.
The Blood Python, also known as the Red Short-tailed Python, lives in the rainforests and marshes of the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and nearby islands. It has red to burgundy skin and a muscular body designed for life on the ground.
Despite being non-venomous, it is a skilled predator that uses ambush tactics to catch small mammals like rats, mice, and birds.
The Blood Python prefers to live near water, which provides an ideal hunting ground and humidity level for survival. This preference for waterside living also makes them suitable for captivity, as they require a high-humidity environment.
Sadly, their beautiful skin is highly sought after in the leather industry5, which has decreased their population in some areas.
The Green Tree Python is a unique species found in New Guinea, some Indonesian islands, and Australia's Cape York Peninsula. This nocturnal animal hunts and feeds at night. Its green color acts as a camouflage, helping it to avoid predators and ambush prey.
Moreover, the Green Tree Python is oviparous, meaning it lays eggs instead of giving birth to live young. After laying a clutch of eggs, the female python wraps herself around them. It also observes an extraordinary incubation behavior that involves shivering to generate heat.
Interestingly, the young pythons come out with a yellow or red coat upon hatching, which changes to green between six and twelve months.
The Green Tree Python helps control the population of small mammals and serves as a food source for larger predators.
The Carpet Python inhabits various habitats across Australia. This semi-arboreal species can adapt to different environments, with skins displaying a unique pattern of colors.
For instance, the Jungle Carpet Python subspecies live in rainforests. Meanwhile, the unique Diamond Carpet Python has an olive body with patterns of yellow or creamy rosettes. These medium to large types of pythons have an average length of four to ten feet.
These tree pythons employ various hunting strategies, including 'caudal luring,' where they wiggle their tails to mimic prey. As constrictors, they wrap their bodies around their prey, squeezing until it can no longer breathe.
The Central Australian Carpet Python is endemic to the arid landscapes of Central Australia, particularly in the Northern Territory. It is also known as Bredl's python in honor of Josef Bredl, an Australian crocodile conservationist.
These carpet pythons have a fiery rust-red exterior with bands of white or cream. Since they are semi-arboreal species, they can thrive in rocky outcrops and woodland forests, where they feed on small mammals, birds, and, occasionally, other reptiles at night.
The Spotted Python inhabits Northern Australia and Papua New Guinea. It also goes by Eastern Small Blotched Python and Eastern Children’s Python. Its light skin with dark spots helps it blend into the night and has heat-sensing pits to hunt small mammals, birds, and lizards.
These pythons are a choice for reptile lovers due to their manageable size of up to 4.6 feet and docile nature.
The Children's Python is a small-sized python found in various areas of Australia's diverse landscapes. It gets its name not from its suitability for children but from the British zoologist John George Children.
Typically measuring 3 to 5 feet long, this species mainly lives in grassy plains, woodlands, rocky areas, and caves in Queensland, the Northern Territory, or Western Australia.
Its small size helps it to evade predators by slipping into crevices and under rocks. Primarily active at night, they hunt small mammals, birds, and lizards, which they subdue using a constricting grip.
You might spot them climbing trees and shrubs, indicating their partially arboreal lifestyle.
The Pygmy Python lives in Western Australia’s arid landscapes. It is also called Anthill Python for spending their days in large termite mounds. As their name also suggests, it is the world's smallest python species, measuring an average of 16 to 24 inches.
This snake has reddish-brown skin with dark blotches that perfectly camouflage it in the rocky surroundings. Females are slightly larger than males, but both share a slender physique that helps them burrow into the loose soil of their habitat.
They are most active at night when they hunt for their prey, consisting of small mammals and rodents with occasional small reptiles.
The Amethystine Python is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, growing up to 18 feet long. They typically prefer rainforest habitats but also frequent open woodlands, particularly during seasonal migration.
Larger Amethystine Pythons exhibit less hunting activity overall and prefer daytime. Compared to the drier months, these nocturnal reptiles have hunting spikes during the wet season.
