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!
