Reptiles · Squamata · Pythonidae

Central African Rock Python

Python sebae

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The African rock python is a scaled reptile of the family Pythonidae found in sub-Saharan Africa; it is also found in Florida, where it was introduced as a pet and released by owners who could no longer keep it, and where it has become a danger to native species. It is the largest snake in Africa and one of the largest in the world, comparable in size to the Burmese python, with which it competes for third place among the largest snakes on Earth. Python natalensis was formerly regarded as a subspecies of it.

Weight

40 kg – 90 kg

Size

3 m – 6 m

Lifespan

30 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

SavannaRainforestFreshwaterCarnivore Nocturnal Solitary Reptile Savanna Rainforest Freshwater

44countries 7parks6same family

Fun facts

GeneralThe largest snake in Africa: over 5 m long.
alimentaciónIt is one of the largest snakes in Africa and will occasionally take large prey, small antelopes included, after which it may go months without eating again.
The female incubates: she coils around the clutch for almost three months without eating and barely moving, then stays with the hatchlings for a further two weeks, parental care exceptional among snakes.
It is the largest snake in Africa and one of the very few in the world with documented cases of predation on human beings, though these are extremely rare.
It has established itself as an invasive species in southern Florida from escapes in the pet trade, adding to the problem already caused there by the Burmese python.