Burmese python
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| Subspecies: | P. m. bivittatus
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| Python molurus bivittatus Kuhl, 1820
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The Burmese Python (Python molurus bivittatus), sometimes called Myanmarese python, is the largest subspecies of the Indian Python and one of the 6 biggest snakes in the world, native to rain forest areas of Southeast Asia. They are often found near water and are sometimes semi-aquatic, but can also be found in trees.
The Burmese python is one of the largest of all snakes, growing up to 9 metres (30 feet) and weighing up to 91 kg (200 pounds)[1]. It continues to grow throughout life and the great length is due to the presence of a large number of vertebrae. Females are typically larger than males.
A Burmese Python at Serpent Safari Park in Gurnee, Illinois, USA holds the record for heaviest living snake. As of 2005, it weighs 182.76 kg (403 lb) at a length of 8.23 m (27 ft).[citation needed]
Description
Burmese Pythons are light-coloured snakes with many dark brown blotches bordered in black down the back. The perceived attractiveness of their skin pattern contributes to their popularity with both reptile keepers and the leather industry. The pattern is similar in colour, but different in actual pattern to the African Rock Python (Python sebae), sometimes resulting in confusion of the two species outside of their natural habitats.
Geographic range and habitat
The Burmese Python is found throughout Southeast Asia including Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, and Indonesia. This python is an excellent swimmer and needs a permanent source of water. It can be found in grasslands, marshes, swamps, rocky foothills, woodlands, river valleys, and jungles with open clearings. They are good climbers and have prehensile tails.
Wild populations are considered to be "threatened" and are listed on Appendix II of CITES. All the giant pythons (including the Indian Python, the African Rock Python, and the Reticulated Python) have historically been slaughtered to supply the world leather market, as well as for folk medicines, and captured for the pet trade. Some are also killed for food, particularly in China. In more recent years extensive captive breeding of the Burmese Python has made the importation of wild caught specimens for the pet trade uncommon.
Unfortunately, the captive breeding of Burmese pythons in the Americas has led to some rather serious problems. People who grow tired of their pythons, or whose pythons have grown too large to be kept in their houses, have been known to release their pets into the wild rather than have them euthanised. This has been particularly problematic in Florida, where a large number of pythons have made their way to the Everglades. They have thrived there, begun to reproduce prolifically, and become an invasive species. Since they have been known to eat endangered birds and alligators, these snakes present a new danger to an already fragile ecosystem. In February of 2008, one scientist predicted that, after several generations, these snakes could eventually migrate to and flourish in as much as a third of the continental United States.[2]
Due to the difficulties of raising these as pets, some owners have released them into the wild, creating an established breeding population in Florida.[3] This has caused widespread concern as they occupy a place at the top of the food chain. Over 230 (National Geographic - October 28, 2005) have been captured in the Florida Everglades where they are competing with alligators as the dominant predator. In recent years this competition has resulted in what officials describe as a draw.[4][5][2]
Behavior
Burmese Pythons are mainly nocturnal rainforest dwellers.[6] When younger they are equally at home on the ground and in trees, but as they gain girth they tend to restrict most of their movements to the ground. They are also excellent swimmers, being able to stay submerged for up to half an hour. Burmese Pythons spend the majority of their time hidden in the underbrush. In the northern parts of its range it may brumate for some months during the cold season in a hollow tree, a hole in the riverbank or under rocks. Brumation[7] is biologically distinct from hibernation. While the behavior has similar benefits, specifically to endure the winter without moving, it also involves preparation of both male and female reproductive organs for the upcoming breeding season.
Burmese Pythons breed in the early spring, with females laying clutches which average 12–36 eggs in March or April. She will remain with the eggs until they hatch, wrapping around them and twitching her muscles in such a way as to raise the ambient temperature around the eggs by several degrees. Once the hatchlings use their egg tooth to cut their way out of their eggs, there is no further maternal care. The newly hatched will often remain inside their egg until they are ready to complete their first shedding of skin, after which they hunt for their first meal.
Diet
Like all snakes, Burmese Pythons are carnivorous. Their diet consists primarily of appropriately sized birds and mammals. The snake uses its sharp backward-pointing teeth to seize its prey, then wraps its body around the prey at the same time contracting its muscles, killing the prey via constriction. They are often found near human habitations due to the presence of rats, mice, and other vermin as a food source. However, their equal affinity for domesticated birds and mammals means that they are often treated as a pest. In captivity their diet consists primarily of commercially available, appropriately sized rats, and moving up to larger items such as rabbits and poultry as they grow. Exceptionally large pythons may even require larger food items, such as pigs or goats, and it has not been unknown for Burmese pythons to attack alligators, such as occurred recently in the US state of Florida. [8] Larger snakes often save energy by swallowing small, easily-managed prey animals live, without constricting them first.
In captivity
Burmese Pythons are often sold as pets, and are made popular by their attractive colour and apparently easy-going nature. However, these animals have a rapid growth rate, and will often exceed 7 feet in length in a year 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 reputation for docility, they are very powerful animals, capable of inflicting severe bites or even killing a keeper by constriction[9]. They also consume large amounts of food, and due to their size, require large, often custom-built, secure enclosures, which can be very expensive. As a result some are released to the wild by pet owners.
These snakes, like others, will attempt to hunt, and as pets this means that they will attempt to get out of their cages. Male Burmese pythons will often attempt escape during their breeding season, which may fall anywhere between September and April. Cage cleaning can be difficult, as the feces of the snake are large, and adult pythons can produce droppings large enough to 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 and their relatively low market value.
A secondary problem with feeding Burmese Pythons is that many owners believe if a snake acts hungry, that it should be fed. As Burmese Pythons are opportunistic feeders, they will typically eat almost any time food is offered, and often act hungry even when they have recently eaten. This often leads to overfeeding, and obesity related problems are common in captive Burmese Pythons.
Burmese handling
Although pythons are typically afraid of people, due to their high stature (especially given that snakes are usually low to the ground), and will generally avoid people, special care is still required when handling them. A five metre (around 16.5 feet) long Burmese Python is certainly capable of overpowering and killing a fully grown adult, so it is not advisable to handle such a large snake alone. If the snake does wrap around an individual, others should be present to unwind the snake, starting at the tail. Many reptile zoos demonstrate proper snake handling technique. Usually the demonstrator handles the head, while non-professionals can handle the rest of the snake's body. Snakes should be supported firmly but gently.
Variations
The Burmese Python is frequently captive bred for colour, pattern, and more recently size. The albino form of the Burmese Python is especially popular and is the most widely available morph. They are white with patterns in butterscotch yellow and burnt orange. There are also "Labyrinth" specimens, which have mazelike patterns, khaki coloured "Green" Burmese pythons, and "Granite" Burmese pythons, which have many small angular spots. Breeders have recently begun working with an island lineage of Burmese Pythons. Early reports indicate that these "Dwarf" Burmese have a slightly different colouring and pattern than their mainland relatives and do not grow much over 7 feet (2.1 meters) long. The "Dwarf" Burmese were first captively reproduced by Beau Lewis of Arizona, USA. One of the most sought-after of these variations is the leucistic Burmese. This particular variety is very rare, and has not been reproduced in captivity. This snake is entirely bright white with no pattern and black eyes.
Conservation
In Hong Kong, it is a protected species under Wild Animals Protection Ordinance Cap 170..
See also
Footnotes
- ^ <http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/burmese-python.html>
- ^ a b U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey (2008-02-20). USGS Maps Show Potential Non-Native Python Habitat Along Three U.S. Coasts. www.usgs.gov, last accessed 2008-03-11.
- ^ http://myfwc.com/critters/exotics/SpeciesNumberResults.asp?SPPNO=46
- ^ BBC News: Snake bursts after gobbling gator
- ^ Gator-guzzling python comes to messy end. Published 2005-10-05 by The Associated Press, last accessed 2008-03-11.
- ^ Dr. Susan Evans (2003). "Python molurus, Burmese Python". The deep Scaly Project. Digital Morphology. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
- ^ Glossary of commonly used terms
- ^ National Geographic : Python Bursts After Eating Gator
- ^ http://www.anapsid.org/coloburm.html Thirteen Foot Burmese Python Kills Owner
References
- Mattison, Chris (1999). Snake. DK Publishing. ISBN 0-7894-4660-X.
- Anapsid.org: Burmese Python
