Head to head
Indian Rock Python vs Burmese Python
Indian Rock Python
VS Burmese Python
The Indian rock python and Burmese python are two heavy-bodied Asian constrictors that were long classed as a single species and are now treated as separate ones.
| Indian Rock Python | Burmese Python | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Python molurus | Python bivittatus |
| Relationship | Long considered the same species as the Burmese python | Now treated as a separate species from the Indian rock python |
| Size | Commonly 3 or 4 metres long, and occasionally more | Commonly 3.5 to 5 metres, with large females reaching 5.5 metres and rare individuals over 90 kg |
| Prey | Mammals such as rodents, monkeys, and deer, as well as birds and reptiles, killed by constriction | Mammals and birds up to the size of deer and, in Florida, even alligators, killed by constriction |
| Brooding | The female coils around her eggs and shivers her muscles to raise their temperature | The female coils around a clutch of up to 100 eggs and twitches her muscles to generate heat |
| Range | India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka | South and Southeast Asia from eastern India and Nepal through Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam to southern China and parts of Indonesia |
| Impact | Declining because of habitat loss and hunting for skins, meat, and the pet trade | Established in south Florida since the 1990s, where it has been linked to declines of over 90 per cent in several native mammals |
| Conservation status | Near Threatened, and decreasing | Vulnerable |
Indian Rock Python vs Burmese Python: common questions
Are the Indian rock python and Burmese python the same species?
No, they were long considered one species, but the Burmese python is now treated as a separate species.
Which one is invasive in Florida?
The Burmese python, which has been established in south Florida since the 1990s from escaped and released pets.
How do the females keep eggs warm?
Both coil around their eggs and shiver or twitch their muscles to generate heat while they incubate them.