Part 1 in a 5 part series
Featured Snake – Reticulated Python (Python reticulatus)
Kindom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptila
Order: Squamata
Family: Pythonidae
Genus: Python
Featured Snake – Reticulated Python (Python reticulatus)
Kindom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptila
Order: Squamata
Family: Pythonidae
Genus: Python
Species: P. reticulatus
The reticulated python, making its home in Southeast Asia and Indonesia, is the largest snake in the Eastern Hemisphere. It has fought a grueling battle over the years with the anacondas of South America for control of the title of World’s Longest Snake. This species of python was measured at a maximum length of 32 feet 9 inches, just a shade longer than the longest ever recorded anaconda. This length would be approximately equivalent to the length from the baseline to the NBA 3-point line, plus about 3 feet.
This monstrous snake is an ambush hunter. It sits and waits for an animal to enter its coils and then seizes them, squeezing the air and, consequently the life, out of its victims. Reticulated pythons have been rumored to kill panthers, tigers, and crocodiles, but the largest documented kills have been a 23-kilogram Sun Bear (10 weeks to digest) and 60 kg (123 lb.) pigs. They are generally able to eat anything up to ¼ their size and weight. Based on size estimates, it is possible for reticulated pythons to kill and eat humans, though accounts are rare and hard to verify.
Today there are approximately 5,400 reticulated python farms in Southeast Asia. The snakes are raised for their valuable skin to make purses and cowboy boots. In Indonesia, it is rumored that reticulated pythons, due to the popularity of raising them for money, actually outnumber humans in the country by an astounding 15 to 1 ratio.
Like the larger reticulated pythons, Larry Harris had the innate ability to squeeze the life out of not just humans, but an entire community of faithful NBA fans. With his series of poor trades and overpaid free agents Larry Harris managed to tighten around the Bucks franchise as well as the city of Milwaukee and watch as the heartbeat of the fans has slowly died. In addition to his soul-squeezing abilities, Larry Harris was able to lie in wait in the lower levels of the franchise, for years contemplating his time to strike, uncannily alike to the ambush attack of the reticulated python.
Information:
http://www.tigr.org/ - The Reptile Database
http://www.wikipedia.org/
Pictures:
hoglezoo.org
i.a.cnn.net/si/2007/writers/marty_burns/
This monstrous snake is an ambush hunter. It sits and waits for an animal to enter its coils and then seizes them, squeezing the air and, consequently the life, out of its victims. Reticulated pythons have been rumored to kill panthers, tigers, and crocodiles, but the largest documented kills have been a 23-kilogram Sun Bear (10 weeks to digest) and 60 kg (123 lb.) pigs. They are generally able to eat anything up to ¼ their size and weight. Based on size estimates, it is possible for reticulated pythons to kill and eat humans, though accounts are rare and hard to verify.
Today there are approximately 5,400 reticulated python farms in Southeast Asia. The snakes are raised for their valuable skin to make purses and cowboy boots. In Indonesia, it is rumored that reticulated pythons, due to the popularity of raising them for money, actually outnumber humans in the country by an astounding 15 to 1 ratio.
Like the larger reticulated pythons, Larry Harris had the innate ability to squeeze the life out of not just humans, but an entire community of faithful NBA fans. With his series of poor trades and overpaid free agents Larry Harris managed to tighten around the Bucks franchise as well as the city of Milwaukee and watch as the heartbeat of the fans has slowly died. In addition to his soul-squeezing abilities, Larry Harris was able to lie in wait in the lower levels of the franchise, for years contemplating his time to strike, uncannily alike to the ambush attack of the reticulated python.
Information:
http://www.tigr.org/ - The Reptile Database
http://www.wikipedia.org/
Pictures:
hoglezoo.org
i.a.cnn.net/si/2007/writers/marty_burns/
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