Python Snake Gallery

Reticulated Python

Reticulated Pythons, Python reticulatus, are also only for the serious snake collector. These snakes can grow to around 7 m. The longest retic in captivity is 7.2m. The retic is also the longest snake ever recorded, in 1912, one was found in Celebes and it measured over 32ft (almost 10m). Retics are known to have a bad temper and you do NOT want to get bitten by a 4 meter retic. Like any snake, and as in humans, you get good looking specimens and you get some not so good looking specimens. My experience with retics leaves me with good memories of the snake.

Retics are native to India, Philippines, Southeast Asia, Malay peninsula, Borneo, Java, Sumatra, Timor and Ceram. Their habitat is rain forest and woodlands and they are often found near rivers or lakes. Retics are also good swimmers, explaining why they are found on many isolated islands in the east.

Retics only reach sexual maturity at around five years. The females have a gestation period of 135 days. Females can lay anywhere from 10 to 60 eggs in a clutch. Juveniles hatch from their eggs after about 70 days of incubation and measure about 2ft (almost 1m). Juveniles are quite snappy and their bite hurts!

Lighter specimens are very attractive, with a background colouration of light grey and an unusual pattern of yellow, black and kaki. Unfortunately these snakes suffer because of their beauty, as thousands are killed for the skin trade. They have the most amazing orange eyes. They also have a beautiful irredescence to their skin. Retics are the most intelligent of the pythons in my opinion, as my experience has showed that they associate to different things quickly, eg. feeding in a particular manner at a particular time, handling in a specific manner. Retics are also the only python that are known to have a taste for humans - many small asians have been reported missing, only to be found in the belly of a retic in the forest... So you want a retic, do you?

Ball Python

The ball python, Python regius, also referred to as the Royal Python, is an attractive python presenting with a golden or pale brown background colour with a black mottled pattern along the length of the snake. Ball pythons have proved to be quite difficult to breed in South Africa; however, more and more captive bred specimens are becoming available each year.

Ball pythons are native to West Africa, Sierre Leon, Togo, Senegal and Gambia. The habitat of the ball python, is forest and woodland and they are often found in crevices of trees.

Ball pythons only grow to a maximum of around 150 cm (5 feet) in length. Ball pythons are quite shy snakes and often hide their heads in their coils when they are alarmed - hence the name ball python. Wild caught ball pythons do not do well in captivity, often having feeding problems and they often carry parasites. It is best to purchase a captive bred specimen.

The gestation period for a ball python is around 120 days. A female can lay anything from 1 to 8 eggs in a clutch. The eggs will hatch after 90 days of incubation and the juveniles will measure 8 to 10 inches (around 30cm) after hatching from their egg.

Carpet Python

Carpet Pythons, Morelia Spilotes variegatus, are a subspecies of the Diamond Python. Carpet Pythons are native to most parts of Australia, except for arid regions and western Australia. Carpet Pythons can grow to over 3m (10ft), but they average about 2.5m (8ft). The habitat in which the carpet python is found is woodland, rocky outcrops and ravines, also usually around areas with water.

A female carpet python can lay anything from 7 to 25 eggs in a clutch. The gestation period is around 135 days. Eggs will hatch after around 50 days of being incubated. The young are born at a length of 2 ft (about 60 cm). Juveniles are very snappy and this trait is retained into adulthood, unless you handle them often when they are still small.

The Carpet Python has a dark ground colour of cream to light green with an unusual black mottled pattern along the length of the snake. The snake has a rough look in appearance. I would not recommend this as a beginner snake.

Blood Python

The snake shown here is Python curtus brongersmai, a subspecies of the Blood Pythons. The other subspecies of Blood Python is Python curtus breitensteini. Blood pythons hail from Malaysia, Borneo and Sumatra. The snakes referred to as Malaysian Bloods, are more blood red in colour and are the very attractive subspecies, brongersmai. Borneo Bloods are the less attractive, less colourful subspecies,breitensteini. Blood pythons are not common in South Africa, with only a few breeders specialising in both subspecies.

Blood pythons are short but powerfully built, reaching a length of around 1,5m. Blood Pythons, especially the babies, fare better in a humid environment. Blood pythons will eat the usual rodents but some individuals have been found to take birds only. Blood Pythons will lay around 5 - 15 eggs. Each species of snake is beautiful in its own right, and the Blood Python is no exception. Both subspecies of Blood Python will bring satisfaction to the collector. It is recommended that even if an individual has the finance to purchase a Blood Python, it is not a snake for beginners.

Burmese Python

Burmese Pythons, Python molorus bivittatus, have always been popular among hobbyists. Thanks to selective captive breeding, mutations such as Green, Albino Green, Labyrinth, Albino Labyrinth and normal albino burmese pythons can be purchased...for a SMALL FEE of course and provided you know where to look... no need to look any further...

Burmese pythons are native to Burma, Malaysia and Indonesia, Southern Asia, Pakistan, southern China, Milay Archipelago. Burmese Pythons are recommended only for collectors who will provide the necessary caging and have the ability to handle a snake that can grow well over 4 meters, usually averaging around 3 meters. Some specimens have grown to well over 22 ft (about 7m) in captivity.

Burmese pythons will breed from around 3 years of age, they have a gestation period of 100 to 150 days, after which 1 to 5 dozen eggs will be layed in a clutch. The eggs will hatch after incubating for 60 to 80 days. Juveniles measure 1 1/2 feet (about 50cm) when they emerge from their egg.

Albino Burmese Python

Thanks to selective captive breeding, stunning specimens like this lovely lady, can be purchased on the pet market. The albino variety lack the black pigment, which is represented by the white patches on the snake. I personally love the albino variation, there is something about a 5m yellow snake with pink eyes...

The albino (amelanistic) variation is still about double the price of that of the standard coloured burmese. Fortunately the price of albinos is still within most collectors budgets.

Albino Burmese Pythons are very popular in the hobby and more and more appear on the market each year. This snake is well worth purchasing, if you are into the "Big Snakes".

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Last updated: April 2007