Burmese python
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| Burmese python | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Python molurus bivittatus Kuhl, 1820 |
The Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus) is a very large python native to southern Asia, and common in the US pet trade.
It is semi-arboreal, but heavy-bodied, and may reach lengths of over 25 feet (7.5 m) and weights of over 200 lb (91 kg), though average individuals are usually between 12 and 16 feet (4 m) long, with females being the larger sex.
They are light colored snakes with many dark brown blotches covering them in an attractive pattern, which has further increased their popularity with both reptile keepers and the leather industry.
Infant Burmese pythons are often sold as pets in the United States, and are made popular by their color and easy-going, docile nature. However, these animals have a rapid growth rate, and will exceed 7 feet in length by their first birthday if cared for and fed properly. By age 4, they will have reached their adult size, though they continue growing very slowly throughout their lives, which may exceed 20 years. While this species has a well-deserved reputation for docility, it is a very powerful species, capable of inflicting severe bites or killing a keeper by constriction should a mistake happen (such as attempting to handle the snake after handling rabbits or rodents). In more mundane concerns, they consume large amounts of food, due to their size, and require large, often custom-built, enclosures, which can be very expensive. These snakes, like others, will attempt to hunt, and as pets this means that they will attempt to get out of their cages. Cage cleaning can be difficult, as the feces of the snake are large, and fully adult pythons can produce droppings that require a shovel to pick up. While this species is gentle, tractable, and attractive, its sheer size and power make it an unsuitable choice for beginning snake keepers, who are all too often lured into buying one by unscrupulous pet shop owners.