Pythons Are Becoming Common
Pets
by:
Lazarus Prabhu
The days when people had only dogs or cats
as pets are gone. Today, the number of people
who have pets that were once considered
unorthodox is on the rise. Python is one such
pet.
Pets, as we know, are fun. And pythons are
big fun. They will make great companions and
bring joy to your life. You will be fascinated
by their self-effacing manner, laid-back
attitude and giant-like appearance. But before
you acquire a python, you must realize the
commitment you are getting into.
Pythons are everything you will want in a
pet. They are more beautiful to look at,
easier to maintain and handle, they ask for
little, yet give you a lifetime of
companionship. And they are safe too. No
wonder, they make excellent pets. Lots of
people agree. Which is why, every year, there
are so many new python owners.
But there is a sad downside. Most of these
newly acquired pythons die within the first
year. The reason is shocking but true - an
insufficient knowledge about python rearing.
We are sure all these nouveau python owners
loved their recent acquisition. We are also
sure that they did everything they thought was
needed. Unfortunately they didn't know enough.
This is what prompted us to bring out a
Free Newsletter called Python Secrets.
http://www.pythonsecrets.com/
But before we started the newsletter, we
did an extensive research with existing python
owners and aspirants (418 of them to be
precise), to find out what they knew and what
they wanted to know. Python Secrets newsletter
is based on their feedback.
Let's know some basic facts about Pythons:
Pythons are large snakes found in India,
East Indies, Africa and Australia. They live
in rugged tropical regions that have heavy
rainfall and forests, or some type of low,
dense growth. They belong to the python and
boa family, Boidae. Pythons are coldblooded;
they have the same temperature as the
environment. They continue to grow all their
lives, getting bigger and bigger each year.
The world’s longest known python, sighted
at the dense forests of Indonesia, is a
Reticulated Python measuring 49 feet [15
meters] long. And the shortest is the Anthill
Python, which measures a little more than 2
feet [0.6 meter].
All pythons can climb and swim. Some
pythons are truly beautiful to look at. Like
the Carpet Python which resembles an
intricately woven oriental carpet, with its
solid velvety skin speckled with bright yellow
markings; the stunning Green Tree Python which
is bright green with subtle white patches; or
the Indian python, with its bold pattern of
dark brown blotches, edged in yellow, on a
light brown background.
Pythons are also called constrictors. Know
why? Because they wind themselves around their
prey and strangle them to death. It may be no
consolation to its victims, but the python
will not crush their bones; just squeeze them
tight enough to stop their breathing. Large
pythons usually eat animals the size of a
house cat, but 100-pound (43.3 kilos) wild
boars are eaten as well.
Pythons swallow their prey whole, head
first; and not surprisingly, take several
weeks to digest them. But we can breathe easy.
Despite their enormous strength and
intimidating size, Pythons are inoffensive by
nature and do not usually attack humans. They
are not poisonous either. Unfortunately for
pythons, this makes them easy targets for
hunters.
A python's finest wisdom is its sense of
smell. They are able to smell with the aid of
the "Jacobson's organ in the roof of the
mouth" They dart their tongues in and out of
their mouths to obtain gases from the air. The
tongue brings in small particles floating in
the air to this organ. Also they have special
sensors at the tip of their nose to identify
the heat generated by the prey. Therefore, the
python can catch their prey in light or dark
conditions. This allows them to hunt in dense
jungles even at night.
The python doesn't chase its prey. It waits
discreetly hiding, and when a prey comes close
enough, grabs it with its Ainward-curving
teeth. The python's top and bottom jaws are
attached to each other with stretchy
ligaments, which let the snake swallow animals
much larger than itself. The prey cannot move
away, because the more it tries to pull out,
the deeper the python’s needlesharp teeth will
sink and hold it even more firmly in the
mouth. The python now quickly coils around the
victim’s body and squeezes, not so hard as to
break its bones, just tightly enough to stop
its blood circulation and suffocate it to
death.
Then begins the long, leisurely process of
unhinging its jaw and savoring the prey;
swallowing it slowly, starting with its head
first. The rhythmic muscular movements will
pull the prey from the mouth to the throat and
to the stomach, where it’ll be dissolved and
digested by strong acids.
There are 24 major species of pythons. Some
are for the novice, and some strictly for the
seasoned herpetologist.
Whatever the species, Python Secrets tells
you everything you need to know about pythons
- about their selection, care, feeding,
breeding,handling,healthcare,caging and
selecting a healthy specimen. Python Secrets
is designed to serve as a single source
reference on the subject, whether you are a
first-time python owner or an expert seeking
more information.
http://www.pythonsecrets.com/
Wish you and your python (pet/ pet-to-be) a
long and happy companionship!
