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Indian rock python

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Location in the zoo

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Geographic distribution:

Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka

Scientific name:
- Python molurus molurus
Taxonomy:
- Class: Reptilia
- Order: Squamata
- Family: Boidae
Biology:
- Area of origin: Asia
- Habitat: Tropical forest
- Social life: Solitary
- Food: Carnivorous

Rating:
- Reptile
Physical Characteristics:
- Longevity: more than 40 years
- Weight at birth:
- Middleweight: 70-90 kg
- Length: 4 - 6 m
Reproduction
- Reproduction: Oviparous
- Incubation: 55 - 90 days
- Number of eggs: 10 -107 eggs

Risk level of the species

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Red list: Scale according to the situation of the species IUCN

Risk level of the species near threatened

Description

The Indian rock python, P. m. molurus, is one of two subspecies of Python molurus that exist and its area of distribution includes Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The other subspecies is the Burmese python, P. m. bivittatus, which lives in southern China, east India, Myanmar, Indochina, Malaysia and Indonesia.
The head of the Indian rock python is relatively small with a stocky body. It has labial fossettes. The colouring and pattern vary depending on the subspecies. In the molurus subspecies, or the Indian python, colouring is light green with large irregular rectangular spots on its back. The sides and head have an inverted-Y pattern over a pink background. The Burmese python has a lighter base colour and the splotches on the back are also darker and surrounded by black. The head has a black pattern like a spear tip that starts at the neck and ends at the nose.
It can be up to 6-metres long, although it is normally not more than 4 or 5. It is much more corpulent than other python species, where a 5-m specimen can weigh up to 90 kg.
This species can adapt to a large range of habitats, including marshes, swamps, jungles, rocky regions, rice paddies, riverbanks and close to small villages, but always near a permanent source of water. They hibernate for several months in the northern region of their area of distribution. This is the famous snake depicted by Kipling in ‘The Jungle Book’.
Depending on the female's size, the clutch can be larger or smaller, varying from 10 to 107 eggs, which the female incubates by curling her body around them. Continuous, visible muscle contractions increase the animal’s body temperature and provide a higher temperature when incubating the eggs. They regularly breed every year at our Zoo.
Large specimens can even eat wild boar and young deer, although they prefer smaller prey.
The main dangers this species face are the destruction of habitat and overhunting for their prized skins.

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