Blood python
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 Blood Python, Python curtus
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| Python curtus Schlegel, 1872 |
The blood python (Python curtus) is a large-bodied snake found in the rain forests and swampy habitats of southeast Asia and Melanesia. Sources disagree on subspecies status, considering P. c. brongersmai and P. c. breitensteini as their own distinct species. All three species are very similar in body structure and habitat, and all are referred to interchangeably as blood pythons or short-tailed pythons.
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[edit] Description
Blood pythons average 1.5 m (5 ft) in length at adult size, with P. c. curtus being slightly smaller than the other two subspecies. In general, blood pythons tend to weigh more than other pythons of similar length due to the fact that they are very thick bodied. Their common name is derived from their orange or red coloration of specimens found in western Malaysia, although this can be misleading as not all blood pythons display those colors. In particular, those from Sumatra and Borneo tend to be darker, chestnut brown and yellow.
[edit] Behaviour and diet
Blood pythons are sedentary ambush hunters, they have heat sensing pits in their upper lip which helps them locate warm blooded prey. They are oviparous, producing up to 30 eggs in a clutch. Their primary diet is rodents and other small mammals, but they will also consume birds. They are often regarded as having a bad temperament, but captive bred individuals tend to be more docile than wild specimens.
[edit] Status
Blood pythons are common in captive collections, at one time exported in large numbers, but now they are more frequently captive bred for the exotic pet trade. They are listed as an endangered species, and are a protected from being collected in Malaysia, but many animals are still harvested from there and Indonesia for the skin trade.
[edit] References
- Mattison, Chris (1999). Snake. DK Publishing. ISBN 0-7894-4660-X.
- WhoZoo: Blood Python
