| The days when people had only dogs or cats as | | | | squeeze them tight enough to stop their |
| pets are gone. Today, the number of people | | | | breathing. Large pythons usually eat animals |
| who have pets that were once considered | | | | the size of a house cat, but 100-pound (43.3 |
| unorthodox is on the rise. Python is one such | | | | kilos) wild boars are eaten as well. |
| pet. | | | | |
| | | | Pythons swallow their prey whole, head first; |
| Pets, as we know, are fun. And pythons are | | | | and not surprisingly, take several weeksto |
| big fun. They will make great companions and | | | | digest them. But we can breathe easy. Despite |
| bring joy to your life. You will be | | | | their enormous strength and intimidating |
| fascinated by their self-effacing manner, | | | | size, Pythons are inoffensive by nature and |
| laid-back attitude and giant-like appearance. | | | | do not usually attack humans. They are not |
| But before you acquire a python, you must | | | | poisonous either. Unfortunately for pythons, |
| realize the commitment you are getting into. | | | | this makes them easy targets for hunters. |
| | | | |
| Pythons are everything you will want in a | | | | A python's finest wisdom is its sense of |
| pet. They are more beautiful to look at, | | | | smell. They are able to smell with the aid of |
| easier to maintain and handle, they ask for | | | | the "Jacobson's organ in the roof of the |
| little, yet give you a lifetime of | | | | mouth" They dart their tongues in and out of |
| companionship. And they are safe too. No | | | | their mouths to obtain gases from the air. |
| wonder, they make excellent pets. Lots of | | | | The tongue brings in small particles floating |
| people agree. Which is why, every year, there | | | | in the air to this organ. Also they have |
| are so many new python owners. | | | | special sensors at the tip of their nose to |
| | | | identify the heat generated by the prey. |
| But there is a sad downside. Most of these | | | | Therefore, the python can catch their prey in |
| newly acquired pythons die within the first | | | | light or dark conditions. This allows them to |
| year. The reason is shocking but true - an | | | | hunt in dense jungles even at night. |
| insufficient knowledge about python rearing. | | | | |
| We are sure all these nouveau python owners | | | | The python doesn't chase its prey. It waits |
| loved their recent acquisition. We are also | | | | discreetly hiding, and when a prey comes |
| sure that they did everything they thought | | | | close enough, grabs it with its |
| was needed. Unfortunately they didn't know | | | | Ainward-curving teeth. The python's top and |
| enough. | | | | bottom jaws are attached to each other with |
| | | | stretchy ligaments, which let the snake |
| This is what prompted us to bring out a Free | | | | swallow animals much larger than itself. The |
| Newsletter called Python Secrets. | | | | prey cannot move away, because the more it |
| | | | tries to pull out, the deeper the pythons |
| But before we started the newsletter, we did | | | | needlesharp teeth will sink and hold it even |
| an extensive research with existing python | | | | more firmly in the mouth. The python now |
| owners and aspirants (418 of them to be | | | | quickly coils around the victims body and |
| precise), to find out what they knew and what | | | | squeezes, not so hard as to break its bones, |
| they wanted to know. Python Secrets | | | | just tightly enough to stop its blood |
| newsletter is based on their feedback. | | | | circulation and suffocate it to death. |
| | | | |
| Let's know some basic facts about Pythons: | | | | Then begins the long, leisurely process of |
| | | | unhinging its jaw and savoring the prey; |
| Pythons are large snakes found in India, East | | | | swallowing it slowly, starting with its head |
| Indies, Africa and Australia. They live in | | | | first. The rhythmic muscular movements will |
| rugged tropical regions that have heavy | | | | pull the prey from the mouth to the throat |
| rainfall and forests, or some type of low, | | | | and to the stomach, where itll be dissolved |
| dense growth. They belong to the python and | | | | and digested by strong acids. |
| boa family, Boidae. Pythons are coldblooded; | | | | |
| they have the same temperature as the | | | | There are 24 major species of pythons. Some |
| environment. They continue to grow all their | | | | are for the novice, and some strictly for the |
| lives, getting bigger and bigger each year. | | | | seasoned herpetologist. |
| | | | |
| The worlds longest known python, sighted at | | | | Whatever the species, Python Secrets tells |
| the dense forests of Indonesia, is a | | | | you everything you need to know about pythons |
| Reticulated Python measuring 49 feet [15 | | | | - about their selection, care, feeding, |
| meters] long. And the shortest is the Anthill | | | | breeding,handling,healthcare,caging and |
| Python, which measures a little more than 2 | | | | selecting a healthy specimen. Python Secrets |
| feet [0.6 meter]. | | | | is designed to serve as a single source |
| | | | reference on the subject, whether you are a |
| All pythons can climb and swim. Some pythons | | | | first-time python owner or an expert seeking |
| are truly beautiful to look at. Like the | | | | more information. |
| Carpet Python which resembles an intricately | | | | |
| woven oriental carpet, with its solid velvety | | | | Wish you and your python (pet/ pet-to-be) a |
| skin speckled with bright yellow markings; | | | | long and happy companionship! |
| 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 | | | | Prabhu Lazarus |
| light brown background. | | | | |
| | | | Editor |
| Pythons are also called constrictors. Know | | | | |
| why? Because they wind themselves around | | | | Pet Fan-atic! |
| their prey and strangle them to death. It may | | | | |
| be no consolation to its victims, but the | | | | ~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~. |
| python will not crush their bones; just | | | | |