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Pythons Are Becoming Common Pets
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.
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.
Wish you and your python (pet/ pet-to-be) a long and happy companionship!
About The Author Prabhu Lazarus
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