NATURE OF HUMAN
Pythons live near the
equator, in Asia and Africa, where it is hot and wet and their huge bodies can
stay warm.
They make their
homes in caves or in trees and have become used to living in cities and towns
since people have been moving in on their territory.
Being closer to people
means that not only will the snakes hunt the livestock (pigs, goats, dogs, cats
and chickens), it also means that they may attack people when feeling
threatened, although this rarely happens.
Speaking of feeling
threatened, one of the biggest reasons that pythons are killed is for their
large, beautiful skins. Some people actually like to wear snakeskin
pants, vests, cowboy boots, and shoes!
Pythons are
constrictors, which means that they will ‘squeeze’ the life out of their
prey.
They coil themselves around their prey and
with each breathe the creature takes the snake will squeeze a little tighter
until they stop breathing completely.
Once the heart stops
the prey is swallowed whole. The entire animal is digested in the snake’s
stomach except for fur or feathers. What do you think happens to the fur,
feathers, beaks, and eggshells? The ‘extra stuff’ gets passed out as… you
guessed it…snake POOP!
Along with farm
animals, pythons will feed on wild animals such as lizards, caiman (small
alligator-like animals), monkeys and antelope.
The larger the meal, the longer it takes to
digest. This means that a python may only need to eat 4-5 times a year!
The Green Tree Python
is around 7 feet long and lives in…you guessed it...the trees! It waits in the
leaves of the high forest branches and strikes out at birds as they fly by.
Pythons
lay eggs and will coil their bodies around the eggs to keep them warm and
protect them until hatching.
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