Python: The non-venomous constrictor that swallows big meals

Pythons are among the largest snakes in the world and among the animals people find most fascinating and most frightening. They carry no venom, yet they have a unique way of hunting — hugging their prey tight. Let's meet this "gentle giant".

Its body

A python's body is very thick, ranging in length from 1.5 to 6 metres depending on the species. Its most interesting structure is the lower jaw: the two halves are joined only by stretchy ligaments and can move independently. That lets it open its mouth very wide and swallow prey much thicker than its own head. After one big meal, it can go several months without eating again.

Where it lives and how it hunts

Pythons are carnivores. When hunting, a python grips its prey, then wraps its body around it until the prey suffocates. Along its lips runs a row of "heat pits" that sense the warmth of prey, working like night-vision goggles to lock onto warm-blooded animals in the dark. They mostly live in warm, damp forests, grasslands and near rivers.

How it breeds

Some mother pythons coil around their eggs to incubate them, even shivering gently to generate heat and keep the eggs at a suitable temperature. This way of "warming eggs with the body" is very unusual among reptiles and shows how pythons care for their young.

A note for grown-ups

You could talk with a child about hunting without venomous fangs: a python relies on strength and patience rather than venom. Helping a child see that every animal has its own way of surviving is valuable. At the same time, remind them that pythons are large and powerful — wild pythons must always be kept at a safe distance.