| 1 | Ball python |
There are 40 python species worldwide, yet of those, only 10 are “true” pythons: those belonging to the genus simply titled Python. Several classics are no longer included, such as the reticulated python, the longest snake worldwide, which was reassigned to the Malayopython genus. The true pythons diverged from the rest an estimated 33.62 million years ago, and the ball python (AKA Python regius) is one that took shape in Africa.
At 1.1 metres, this is the shortest true python, yet the most popular in captivity. They’re completely harmless and curl up into a ball with their head in the centre if frightened, which led to their name. Ball pythons inhabit over a dozen countries, sticking to central and western African countries such as Nigeria.
Thousands are scooped up from the wild and exported each year, and another batch are bred in dedicated facilities. Their numbers in the wild are still high, as this is a common, successful species. Ball pythons lurk in the grassy undergrowth and eat small python fare such as soft-furred mice (an actual species) and Gambian pouch rats.
| 2 | Burmese python |
This was the first python to be described by science, back in 1758, originally called Coluber molurus. These days it belongs to the true python family and is called Python molurus. Burmese pythons are most famous as an invasive species in Florida, where they number 300,000 and are so camouflaged that they can be invisible mere feet away from an environmental officer with a rifle. But they have a natural home too, specifically extreme eastern India through to central Thailand, most of their empire being located in Burma.
Burmese pythons are one of the longest, with a record length of 5.74 metres. They mainly eat mammals and birds and can fast for as long as 18 months. Throughout this fasting, their stomach and intestinal volume shrink, and their stomach acid output downregulates.
Burmese pythons are more forest-dwelling than the ball python. As youths, they can ascend trees for a nice lookout, but as bulky adults they restrict themselves to the ground. Burmese pythons are a non-venomous constrictor, but have savage teeth which they use to grip prey, and wouldn’t feel pleasant if digging into you.
| 3 | Central African rock python |
The largest true python and the third longest snake in the world. Central African rock pythons (Python sebae) have taken control of Africa and nothing can persuade them to relinquish their grip. Their average length is already 3-3.5 metres and the longest push to 7 metres, with an unconfirmed, though seriously debated sighting of 9.81 metres in Ivory Coast in 1932.
In captivity, African rock pythons can grow 10cm a month, and they hold the record for largest prey in snakes, a 150 pound hyena. Central African rock pythons are only found south of the Sahara, sticking primarily to the west and centre of Africa. They range from Gambia in the extreme west, to a southerly point of Tanzania. Central African rock pythons prefer intermediate environments such as grassy areas next to rivers, intermingled with healthy rock supplies. They’re commonly spotted on dirt tracks, and are mainly an ambusher, but also prowl around slowly and steadily, like a tortoise, only bursting into life when they pounce.
Central African rock pythons coexist peacefully with ball pythons, because they occupy different ecological niches. The ball python is miniature and focusses on small darting mammals, while rock pythons can swallow up larger African fauna. These true pythons sometimes live side by side.
| 4 | Southern African rock python |
The southern African rock python (Python natalensis) is virtually identical, but has just enough differences to make it a separate species. They were officially separated in 1999, after originally being a subspecies, and occupy South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana and other southern realms. Their personality is identical, being a massive constrictor which prowls around rocky, grassy areas slowly. However, there’s several subtle physical differences. Southern African rock pythons have a slenderer head like a crocodile, rather than a bulky boulder shape.
In the central rock python, the head markings are better defined, with striking colour contrasts. In the southern, everything is more muddied. Northern versions usually have brighter colours. Southern versions are drabber and duller, but have their own speciality: a few can be near black.
Then things get even more technical; in the southern version, the frontal scales (forehead scales between the eyes) are separated, while in the northern versions, they’re usually whole. The two species overlap in Tanzania, where they live side by side in a few areas. They do this while rarely interbreeding, providing more evidence that they’re independent species. The southern rock python doesn’t quite reach the southern tip of Africa, fizzling out in the eastern cape.
| 5 | Blood python |
A python of Malaysia and Indonesia, which naturally lives in humid jungle swamps which no sane person would ever venture to. More recently, it’s colonised manmade palm oil plantations, for the scores of rats that flock there. Blood pythons are a moderate length species, though with a bulky body perfect for slamming into things with an explosive pounce.
This species is part of a python complex with 3 members (possibly 4), living in the vicinity, the others being the Sumatran short-tailed python and Borneo python. This the member where the highest proportion have the signature blood red or orange patterns. It’s also the largest of the three, growing to 2.6 metres versus just 2.1 meters (except extreme flukes).
Because of the patterns, blood pythons are extremely popular in captivity, so much that the species is now under pressure. In 2022, Indonesia reported that 2195 wild caught blood pythons were exported annually, simply for the pet trade. But an illegal trade of 10,000 per year is also believed to exist, sidestepping quotas imposed by the government. There’s also a legal trade in leather – between 2004 and 2020, 67,950 small leather products (like wallets) made from blood pythons were exported from Indonesia.
| 6 | Indian python |
The Indian python lives in eastern Pakistan and extreme western Bangladesh, but is otherwise an exclusively Indian snake, which inhabits virtually the whole country. It’s one of the longest snakes in the world, though not matching the African rock python. A 1990 study in Keoladeo National Park found that 25% measured 2.7-3.3 metres.
Indian pythons are extremely closely related to Burmese pythons, but separated into their own species in 2009. Compared to other true pythons, both have an exceptional tolerance for cold weather, including in hibernation. The two are separable with a few expert ID hints. The clearest is that Indian pythons have several pink stripes on their head which Burmese pythons lack. They also favour drier, more arid environments. Indian pythons are lighter colours, generally a mixture of beige and brown, versus grey for the Burmese. Finally, the Indian python has a diamond shaped spot on its head.
Like many snakes, Indian pythons have poor eyesight and rely heavily on scent to track down prey. They’re non-discriminate and swallow up a wide variety, including mammals and birds. Indian pythons wreak particular havoc in Indian livestock, causing farmers to kill them out of policy and not just fear. July and August are their most active months.
| 7 | Anchieta’s python |
Africa’s rarest python. This is the ball python’s closest relative, but with far narrower territory. Anchieta’s python sticks to Namibia and Angola and doesn’t overlap with the ball python at all. They average at just 1.2 metres, with a maximum of 1.8m. This species is reddish brown or dark brown, contrasting against creamy white, jagged stripes. A thick head and pale underside are another two special features.
Anchieta’s python has a varied diet of mammals and birds, and in captivity. they’re particularly fond of sparrows. Opinions differ on how common Anchieta’s python is within its territory. Some say that they’re easier to find than African rock pythons, while others laugh and say it’s an impossible task.
Anchieta’s pythons dwell in open areas like dry savannahs and rocky outcrops. They lay just 4-6 eggs, and younglings hatch at an especially large 50cm. Anchieta’s pythons tend to lighten with age. Their defensive strategy is identical to their ball python cousin: curling into a ball and shielding their head and brain. Despite hundreds of miles of separation, this is a feature that has lingered on.
| 8 | Sumatran short-tailed python |
The blood python’s less common cousin. Short-tailed pythons (Python curtus) are found on Sumatra as with the blood python, but with a sharp split. They’re found in the western half, divided by the spine-like Barisan mountains, while blood pythons stick to the larger east (plus peninsular Malaysia and Thailand). Sumatra is the only island where this python is found. Their habitats are virtually identical, with humid swamps and palm oil plantations being their bases. Their bulky body shape barely differs from blood pythons. But they have significantly duller colours and are shorter, averaging at 1.5-1.8 metres.
Sumatran short-tailed pythons are also widely exploited for leather, with 100,000 processed each year. This python, like its two cousins, is overwhelmingly mammal-eating. A study analysed 2036 blood pythons and 181 short-tailed pythons, and failed to find a single reptile. In the latter, there were 127 mammals and 8 other animals.
Sumatran short-tailed pythons are exceptionally long-lived, with one reaching 27.8 years. This is partly because of their slow metabolism and lazy lifestyle.
| 9 | Borneo python |
The final member of the blood python crew (we think). The Borneo python sticks solely to its namesake island, which is divided between Indonesia, Brunei and eastern Malaysia. Unlike the Sumatran short-tail, it shares no landmass with its blood python cousin. This map has a handy breakdown of the 3 species.
The Borneo python brings back the bright colours of the blood python, with a glistening orange quality that helps them to blend in. The maximum length recorded is 2.1 metres, with a typical length of 1.3m (though with a thick body). Despite being smaller, Borneo pythons lay more eggs per clutch than the blood python, at an average of 17.2. Male Borneo pythons tend to be slenderer and longer-headed than the females, which are built like east German tanks.
Within the family, the Sumatran and Borneo pythons are more closely related. The blood python has an 8.9% genetic separation, while the former two are just 3% apart. Originally, the blood python was considered to be one species, but these exact genetic discoveries led to them being split. Borneo pythons and short-tailed pythons are estimated to have diverged 1.5 million years ago, after falling sea levels caused the two landmasses to separate.
| 10 | Myanmar short-tailed python |
The rogue potential 4th species of the blood python family. Virtually nothing is known of its diet or personality, for one simple reason – only has ever been discovered. This specimen was found in 2002 in Kyaikhtiyo Wildlife Sanctuary at an altitude of 390 metres. Previously, only the Burmese python was known in this region, yet this python was unusual.
It was bright orange, similar to the blood python of Indonesia, yet was clearly different to those by the vast number of ventral (belly) scales, over 180. The Myanmar short-tailed python (Python kyaiktiyo) was granted specieshood in 2011, despite only one still being known. The war-torn nature of Myanmar has hampered research, yet Python kyaktiyo may be naturally rare.
It’s kind of unjust – the reticulated python does all the hard work establishing a python reputation, slithering through sewers and climbing lampposts, yet this obscure weirdo is granted official status instead. The Myanmar short-tailed python has smooth scales, and the sole captured female measured 150cm. Local Burmese people almost certainly know more than scientists at this stage.