Reptiles · Squamata · Pythonidae

Indian Rock Python

Python molurus

Near Threatened

It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary

The Indian python is a large constrictor of the Indian subcontinent, paler and heavier-looking than its relative the Burmese python, from which it was separated as a species of its own. The female incubates the clutch and, moreover, generates heat: she contracts her muscles in rhythmic spasms to raise the temperature of the eggs several degrees above ambient.

Weight

40 kg – 90 kg

Size

2.5 m – 4 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

Moderate

RainforestTemperate forestFreshwaterGrasslandCarnivore Nocturnal Solitary Near Threatened Reptile Rainforest Temperate forest Freshwater Grassland

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Fun facts

GeneralIt can fast for months after a large meal, and senses heat through pits along its lips.
The female generates heat with rhythmic muscular spasms while incubating, raising the temperature of the eggs as much as seven degrees above ambient: one of the very few cases of active heat production in a reptile.
It is sacred in several traditions of the Indian subcontinent and appears associated with deities in temples in India and Nepal, which has protected it in some regions.
Its close relative the Burmese python is today one of the worst invasive species in the Florida Everglades, where it has cut raccoon and opossum populations by more than ninety per cent.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
Habitat & environment: Rainforest, mangroves, scrub, grassland and farmland of the Indian subcontinent
Sexual maturity: 3 years
Gestation / incubation: 3.3 months
Litter / clutch size: 40

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Python_molurus