Reptiles
Indian Rock Python
Python molurus
On a warm riverbank in central India, an Indian rock python lies half-hidden in the grass, its pale, blotched coils almost invisible in the dappled light.
Overview
The Indian rock python, Python molurus, is a Near Threatened constrictor of grassland, marshes, rocky foothills, and open forest across India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Its size, brooding behaviour, and ambush hunting make it one of the great snakes of South Asia, but its numbers are falling.
A mother that shivers
The female Indian rock python coils around her eggs for weeks and shivers her muscles to generate heat, a rare example of a snake warming its own clutch.
Status
Near Threatened, with a declining population.
Indian Rock Python: common questions
How does the Indian rock python keep its eggs warm?
The female coils around her eggs and shivers her muscles to raise their temperature while she incubates them.
Is the Indian rock python the same as the Burmese python?
No, the Burmese python was long considered the same species, but it is now treated as a separate species.
Is the Indian rock python venomous?
No, it is a constrictor that kills its prey by wrapping coils around it and squeezing.
Where is the Indian rock python found?
It lives in grassland, marshes, rocky foothills, and open forest across India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.