Leaning on the stairs near the garage, I was blissfully sleeping in the winter sun late one afternoon. My father chanced upon his 10 year old daughter, and almost suffered from cardiac arrest. There was a small rock python, twisted around my hand, flat head on my breast, to all appearances enjoying the sunning!

Well that afternoon seems ages ago. I had bartered the snake for a basketful of fruits from our garden, from the vagrants who would come exhibiting these snakes and asking for alms for their upkeep. It had not occurred to me that that beautiful creature with beady eyes had over a hundred sharp teeth capable of ripping apart my hand. No, I just let it coil around my hand, petted its rough, flat head and went off to sleep while making a burrow for it in the sand.

For years I wanted to be a herpetologist and did all I could to glean information on these beautiful creatures. Cold blooded creatures sunning themselves on dark rocks, coil after shiny coil perched on the branches of a thick limbed tree, swimming in ponds, the beady eyes looking out from under a thick leaved water hyacinth. Mercilessly hunted by human beings for their skin and flesh, and driven out of their habitats by widespread deforestation, these beautiful creatures need for humans to understand them, their function in nature.

Python is the common name attached to all non-poisonous snakes of the boa and python family. They are smooth scaled and shiny, with a flattened head and large nostrils, directed upwards and situated high on the snout. The small eyes and vertical pupil, with the iris apparently flecked with gold is a favourite close up shot for photographers the world over. They are also probable the only snakes to retain spurs', vestigial or rudimentary limbs situated on either side of the anal vent. These spurs are larger in males than females, and are used by the male to grip and/or stimulate the female during copulation.
Eight genera and 26 species are currently recognized spread across the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Pacific islands. The reticulated python of Southeast Asia is considered the world's longest snake at 33 feet and the ant-hill python, the shortest, at about 23 inches. Other well-known pythons are the Indian rock python(endangered), African rock python, Ball or Royal python of equatorial Africa, Diamond or Carpet python, found in Australia and New Guinea, and the Burmese python, a sub species of the Indian python.

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

---

Add your voice

Know something about Introduction to pythons?
We want to hear your view. Write now!