The tiger python is a non-venomous snake that is considered one of the largest in the world. In 2005, the reptile of this species was recognized as the heaviest in the world. With a length of 8.2 m, she weighed 183 kg.
Appearance
This type of reptile got its name due to its color, reminiscent of the color of a tiger. The length of the tiger python reaches 8 m, and sometimes more. The body of this snake is olive or yellowish brown in color, on which large dark brown spots are scattered. On the head of the tiger python, you can see a dark arrow-shaped spot. Among them, there are albinos - individuals that do not have protective pigmentation. In nature, the albino tiger python is very rare, since the lack of a protective color dooms it to death in early childhood. However, due to their unusually beautiful appearance, such individuals are very popular among snake lovers. Therefore, they began to artificially breed them.
Habitat
The tiger python lives in the expanses of Southeast and South Asia. In particular, it is common in countries such as Pakistan, China, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar,Bangladesh and Nepal. As a rule, representatives of this species can be found in swamps, sparse forests, as well as on rocky foothills and fields.
Lifestyle
The tiger python is a sedentary reptile that prefers to hunt at night. Said snake attacks prey from an ambush, then bites it and suffocates it with its body. The food for tiger pythons is rodents, various birds, monkeys and small ungulates. There are even cases when individuals of this species attacked jackals, leopards, wild boars and crocodiles. Most often, tiger pythons can be found near water bodies, because they feel good in the water. They can swim and dive. Also, these snakes can climb trees. Their life expectancy is 20-25 years.
In nature, there are 3 subspecies of tiger pythons:
- Indian python.
- Burmese python.
- Ceylon tiger python.
The largest of these is the Burmese, or dark tiger python. Its length varies between 6 and 8 meters (maximum 9.15 m) and its weight is about 70 kg. In addition, it has the darkest color, which is clearly visible in the photo of the python. At the same time, it has many color variations. This subspecies is often kept in terrariums.
Smaller is the Indian python, which is also called the light tiger python. Its length is 6 m. It has a lighter color. This subspecies is included in the Red Book. Due to hunting, its population is constantly decreasing. The skin of these snakes is used formaking wallets, boots, belts, etc. The Ceylon subspecies is considered the smallest among the tiger pythons. Its length rarely exceeds 3 m. Outwardly, it strongly resembles an Indian python. You can distinguish the Ceylon by the reddish color of the head.
The maintenance of pythons requires the creation of certain conditions, in particular, a specially equipped terrarium with additional heating is needed. Tiger pythons are dangerous if mishandled.
