What Type Of Animal Is A Python
Pythons are a big and diverse group of snakes, ranging significantly in color, size, habitat, diet, and more. Amongst them are some of the largest snakes in the earth, as well every bit many of the virtually popular snakes in the exotic pet merchandise! But what exactly makes a snake a python? Furthermore, what kind of traits do these stunning serpents share, and how many different types of pythons are there?
Read on equally we explore the many dissimilar python families, genera, and species and what makes them so unique below.
What is a Python?
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To put it as concisely as possible, a python is whatever species of serpent belonging to the Pythonidae family of snakes. Today, there are more than 20 different families of snakes, and Pythonidae is roughly right in the eye as far as its overall size, with it containing 42 different species of pythons that are divided into x different genera.
Of grade, nosotros classify animals into groups like families and genera based on the particular traits they share, so it will assistance to offset sympathize what traits actually brand a snake a python!
Snakes within the Pythonidae family, pythons, share the following characteristics:
- Pythons are non-venomous. Fortunately, they don't need venom to take down their next meal.
- Pythons kill their casualty via deadfall and constriction. Many species are able to camouflage themselves and wait silently for prey to wander towards them. Pythons strike quickly, speedily coiling their bodies effectually and suffocating their prey inside mere minutes. The prey is then typically swallowed whole and slowly digested.
- Pythons also use their unique teeth to grasp their casualty. Their teeth are somewhat short, very narrow, and pointed and bend backward to sort of "lock" their casualty in their mouths. Nigh pythons have four rows of these teeth on their upper jaw and two rows on the bottom.
- Pythons are oviparous. They lay oval-shaped, leathery-shelled eggs which must exist incubated for a catamenia of fourth dimension before they hatch.
Adjacent, allow's take a look at the many different groups and specific types of pythons within this impressively big family of snakes!
Python: The "True" Pythons
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The commencement group of pythons we'll embrace hither is the Python genus, or the "truthful" pythons. This is the largest genus within the Pythonidae family, spanning x total living species! This is also ane of the very first genera suggested for the classification of python snakes as we know them today, or, equally they were described in 1803, "non-venomous, flecked snakes."
Additionally, these detail pythons are primarily native to tropical regions throughout Asia and Africa. They like it warm and humid and generally reside in dense forests.
Notably, this group includes several popular species within the exotic pet trade, such equally the ball python and the Burmese python. Information technology too includes an extinct species, the European python.
This genus contains eleven species:
- Indian python, Python molurus
- Fundamental African rock python, Python sebae
- Ball python, Python regius
- Burmese python, Python bivittatus
- Southern African rock python, Python natalensis
- Sumatran curt-tailed python, Python curtus
- Borneo python, Python breitensteini
- Angolan python, Python anchietae
- Brongersma's short-tailed python, Python brongersmai
- Myanmar curt-tailed python, Python kyaiktiyo
- European python, Python europaeus (Extinct)
Morelia: The Tree Pythons
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The second-largest genus inside the Pythonidae family is Morelia, more than commonly known as the tree pythons. In that location are currently 6 species (with vii subspecies) in this genus.
As their common name suggests, they are highly arboreal, spending much of their fourth dimension slithering almost the canopies of hot, boiling forests. These snakes are primarily constitute in Commonwealth of australia, Indonesia, and New Guinea.
Notably, nigh tree python species are impressively long! Consider the rug python, for example, which commonly grows to anywhere from 6 to 13 feet in length. Additionally, despite their arboreal nature, tree pythons can also be surprisingly beefy and heavy. Depending on the species, they tin can weigh anywhere from but 4 or five pounds to well over thirty pounds.
This genus contains six species:
- Green python, Morelia azurea
- Bredl'south python, Morelia bredli (Other common names: Centralian python, primal Australian carpet python)
- Crude-scaled python, Morelia carinata
- Southwestern carpeting python, Morelia imbricata
- Rug python, Morelia spilota
- Dark-green tree python, Morelia viridis
Simalia: The Amethystine Pythons
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Next up is the third-largest genus in the Pythonidae family: Simalia, ameliorate known simply equally the Amethystine python group or complex. There are six species and no subspecies in this genus, and all vi species alive primarily in Indonesia, New Republic of guinea, and Commonwealth of australia.
Strangely, these stunning snakes tend to accept an iridescent sheen to their scales, giving them a shimmering advent. Most species are besides quite colorful, ranging from yellows and browns to reds and greens.
They also are amid the longest and heaviest snakes in Commonwealth of australia and Indonesia, growing to exist anywhere from vi to fifteen+ feet long and ranging from 10 to threescore+ pounds, depending on the species. Simalia amethistina, in particular, is peculiarly large and bulky, capable of reaching more than eighteen feet long and weighing more than than 75 pounds.
This genus contains 6 species:
- Amethystine python, Simalia amethistina
- Boelen's python, Simalia boeleni (Too known as the blackness python)
- Moluccan python, Simalia clastolepis (Also known as the yellow python)
- Australian scrub python, Simalia kinghorni
- Tanimbar python, Simalia nauta
- Halmahera python, Simalia tracyae
Antaresia: The Children's Pythons
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Antaresia is another notable genus inside the Pythonidae family. It contains iv species and two subspecies. This type of python, most commonly known collectively as children'due south python, is named after John George Children. Children was the British Museum's curator at the time the first species (also known every bit a type species) for the genus was discovered and documented.
Interestingly, this genus contains Pythonidae's smallest snakes! By and large, children'southward pythons are all fairly small, usually measuring just 1 to 3 anxiety in length. The smallest species, appropriately named the pygmy python, ordinarily grows to merely around 20 inches long.
This genus contains four species:
- Children'southward python, Antaresia childreni
- Spotted python, Antaresia maculosa (Other common names: eastern children's python, eastern small-blotched python)
- Pygmy python, Antaresia perthensis
- Stimson's python, Antaresia stimsoni
Liasis: The Water Pythons
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The Liasis genus of pythons are primarily known for their semi-aquatic nature. They are commonly known only as water pythons, and the genus contains iii total species and v subspecies.
Pythons within the Liasis genus prefer warm, humid, low-lying habitats close to large bodies of water. They commonly camouflage themselves and lie in wait to strike their water-dwelling prey like various fishes, frogs, and toads as well as nearby rodents and birds.
Geographically, these snakes also share a similar range–namely southern Republic of indonesia, eastern New Guinea, and northern and western Australia. In terms of size, they are quite large, ranging from around 7 to x feet in length. Notably, the olive python is the largest and most aquatic in nature of the group.
This genus contains 3 species:
- H2o python, Liasis fuscus
- Macklot'south python, Liasis mackloti
- Olive python, Liasis olivaceus
Malayopython: The Reticulated Pythons
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Next up is the Malayopython genus, which consists of just two species and three subspecies. Both species share a like geographic range spanning much of India and Southeast Asia.
Originally part of the aforementioned Python genus, two species, the reticulated python and the timor python, were afterwards placed into their own genus, Malayopython, in 1975. They gained this distinct classification due to their uniquely-shaped "pits" around their mouths and nostrils.
Both the reticulated and timor types of pythons are quite long and large. However, the reticulated python is especially impressive, with many individuals reaching up to xx feet long and weighing more than 150 pounds. It'southward actually one of the heaviest snakes on the planet!
This genus contains two species:
- Reticulated python, Malayopython reticulatus
- Timor python, Malayopython timoriensis
Even More than Types of Pythons…
Although we've already covered the largest, about notable genera and specific types of pythons within the Pythonidae family, in that location are actually a few more than what we've covered hither!
In fact, in that location are still 4 other genera in this group, and they currently collectively incorporate an additional 7 species of pythons. Ii of them only incorporate a single species!
The four remaining genera in the Pythonidae family are:
- Apodora, 1 species, the Papuan olive python (Apodora papuana)
- Aspidites, ii species, shield pythons (Aspidites melanocephalus and ramsayi)
- Bothrochilus, i species, the Bismarck ringed python (Bothrochilus boa)
- Leiopython, 3 species, white-lipped pythons (Leiopython albertisii, fredparkeri, and biakensis)
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