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Of
the twenty-five or so species of pythons that exist, many are found in
Africa, Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands. The largest among them
all is the reticulated python (Python
reticulatus) of Southeast Asia, which reaches a full length of 10
meters. The Indian python (P.
molurus) that grows to a length of 7.5 meters is a close second and is
a great favorite of snake charmers. Next in line is the African rock
python (P. sebae) that grows to
a length of 6.5 meters.
Boidae
A non-poisonous snake that belongs to the category of
constrictors is the boa, with the boa constrictor being the most well
known member of the family Boidae. The boa family
has eight genera and 39 species and they do differ from pythons on several
counts, but are very often mistaken for pythons. This is because the
differences are apparent only on dissection. Their skeletons differ a lot
from each other. One main difference is that boas give birth to their
young whereas pythons lay eggs. Boas are generally found almost everywhere
in the world whereas pythons are restricted to certain areas. The boa
constrictor has a reddish grey hue and broad dark stripes all over. It
grows to a maximum of four meters in length.
All
in the family
Anaconda is an illustrious member of the family. It is a water
boa. The anaconda has the distinction of being the longest snake found in
the Western Hemisphere and of being the heaviest snake in the world. An
adult anaconda may measure up to six meters in length and weigh a whopping
107 kilos. The anaconda is often mistakenly assumed to be a python. No
wonder it has been an inspiration for movies.
Tree
boas with strong prehensile tails and rubber boas with blunt heads and
tails, which make it look like a two headed snake, are the other well
known boas. The diamond snake, named so because of the diamond shaped
yellow and black markings found on its body, also belongs to the Boidae
family. Some species of python are also referred to as diamond snake.
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