Burmese pythons

15 Nov 2024 14:18:44 pm

Environmental Ecology

Tags : Burmese pythons

1731660524Screenshot 2024-11-14 133408.jpg

Topic: Biodiversity

Why in the news?

Burmese pythons, native to the rainforests of southeast Asia, were introduced to the wilderness areas of the US state of Florida through the pet trade as escapees and intentional releases from irresponsible owners. An invasive species, they have established themselves as top predators in their new home.

Source: Down To Earth

About Burmese python:

It is one of the largest species of snakes.
It is native to a large area of Southeast Asia.
Until 2009, it was considered a subspecies of the Indian python, but is now recognized as a distinct species.
It is a dark-colored non-venomous snake with many brown blotches bordered by black down the back.
In the wild, it typically grows to 5 m.
It is sexually dimorphic in size; females average only slightly longer, but are considerably heavier and bulkier than the males.
It occurs throughout Southern and Southeast Asia, including eastern India, southeastern Nepal, western Bhutan, southeastern Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, northern continental Malaysia, and southern China.
It also occurs in Hong Kong, and in Indonesia on Java, southern Sulawesi, Bali, and Sumbawa.
It is an excellent swimmer and needs a permanent source of water.
It lives in grasslands, marshes, swamps, rocky foothills, woodlands, river valleys, and jungles with open clearings.
It is a good climber and has a prehensile tail.
Like all snakes, it is carnivorous. Its diet consists primarily of birds and mammals, but also includes amphibians and reptiles.
- It is a sit-and-wait predator, meaning it spends most of its time staying relatively still, waiting for prey to approach, then striking rapidly.
- It grabs a prey animal with its sharp teeth, then wraps its body around the animal to kill it through constriction. It then swallows its prey whole.
Conservation status:
- CITES: Appendix II.
- IUCN Red List: Vulnerable