The Behaviors of Pythons

Constriction

• One of the most notable characteristics pythons exhibit is the ability to constrict. Python muscles carry an enormous amount of strength. Most snakes require only a small amount of food, often hunting small rodents or other snakes; however, large pythons require much larger meals.

  Snake adaptations -- such as venom -- ensure creatures quickly subside, allowing an easy means of successful hunting. Large snakes -- such as pythons and anacondas -- don't have venom, but have evolved the ability to constrict prey when hunting, allowing them to not only suffocate victims, but even break bones.

Eating

• As a python constricts its victim, it doesn't stop there. Even before the victim dies, it often starts the process of eating. Python jaws are designed for dislocation to ensure that most prey will easily fit within their mouths. Starting with the head, pythons move their mouths over the prey until it has been swallowed completely. Internal muscles help guide the victim down into the python's body, where internal gastric juices help digest the creature.

Movement and Hunting

• Pythons don't spend much time in trees, contrary to popular belief. Due to the enormous weight of the snake -- which often exceeds hundreds of pounds -- they mostly stay confined to the ground. Although relatively slow movers on land, in water, pythons are excellent swimmers and can hold their breath for up to 30 minutes. Pythons have poor vision and instead use pits for infrared detection, allowing them to sense body heat for hunting.

Mating

• Python mating takes place during the spring months up to early summer. The normal process is for a male to seek out a female, where he will attempt to reproduce sexually via her cloaca. Most males will wrap themselves around the females, forcing their tail underneath the female's tail, which allows them access to the cloaca, allowing successful mating if fertilization takes place. When females lay eggs, they will sit on top of them for development. If the weather gets too cold, the pythons will "shiver" over the eggs, providing extra heat.