The question of whether a python is a snake is easily answered with a definitive yes. Biologically, the python is a member of the suborder Serpentes, making it unequivocally a snake. It is a fascinating reptile with unique adaptations that set it apart from other snake species. The confusion often arises because the word “python” also names a popular programming language.
Taxonomical Identity
Pythons belong to the family Pythonidae, a distinct classification within the larger snake order. This family is part of the class Reptilia and the order Squamata, which includes all snakes and lizards. Belonging to Pythonidae clearly distinguishes them from other large constricting snakes, such as Boas, which are in the family Boidae. Pythons are naturally non-venomous reptiles found in the Old World tropics across Africa, Asia, and Australia.
Defining Physical Characteristics
Pythons possess several specialized anatomical features that distinguish them from most other snakes, notably the presence of vestigial hind limb remnants. These remnants manifest externally as small, claw-like protrusions called pelvic spurs, located on either side of the cloaca. While non-functional for locomotion, these spurs are remnants of the pelvic girdle and femur bones from their limbed reptilian ancestors. Males actively use these spurs during courtship and mating, moving them to clasp and stimulate the female.
Sensory Organs and Size
Another distinctive physical trait is their specialized sensory organs, the labial heat pits, which line the upper and sometimes lower jaw scales. These pits function as thermal vision, allowing the python to detect the infrared radiation emitted by warm-blooded prey, even in complete darkness. The highly innervated sensory membrane enables the snake to create a thermal map, which is a powerful advantage for a nocturnal ambush predator. Pythons are known for their robust, heavy-bodied build and formidable size, with some species reaching lengths of up to 30 feet. Their non-venomous nature means their teeth are primarily designed for securing and grasping prey.
Constriction Hunting and Maternal Behavior
Pythons employ constriction, a powerful method of prey subjugation that works by inducing circulatory arrest rather than crushing bones or causing suffocation. The snake tightly coils its muscular body around the prey, applying pressure significantly higher than the prey’s blood pressure. This pressure rapidly halts blood flow, preventing oxygen from reaching the heart and brain, leading to unconsciousness and cardiac arrest within moments. The python monitors the prey’s heartbeat to confirm expiration before swallowing the meal whole.
Reproduction and Parental Care
Pythons primarily consume mammals and birds, utilizing their constriction ability to subdue large prey. They exhibit oviparity, meaning they lay eggs, which contrasts with the live-bearing strategy of their relatives, the boas. Following the laying of a clutch, female pythons engage in maternal brooding. The mother coils around her eggs to regulate the clutch temperature, sometimes generating metabolic heat through muscle twitching, a rare behavior among reptiles. This brooding promotes the egg’s viability by reducing evaporative water loss and protecting the clutch.