Distributed range & status
These snakes are found in southern Asia. In Sri Lanka they are recorded mostly from islated loclities. Also they are found in Pakistan, India, southern Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, southern China, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Peninsula Malaysia and Western islands of Indonesia (Java, Sumbawa, Sulawesi).

Scales

They bear 63-72 mid body scale rows. Their scales are smooth and generally glossy. Mental groove is present. Head shields are large.

Characteristics
These snakes are large, stout, heavy bodied & also cylindrical & constricting. The neck is distinct from the head. They have a flattened head, lance shaped with large nostrils, directed upwards and situated high on the blunt snout. They have sensory (labial) pits in rostral. Their eyes are small and the pupil vertical, with the iris apparently flecked with gold. They have small spurs; vestigial or rudimentary limbs situated on either side of the anal vent. Tail is relatively short & prehensile.

Colour
The color pattern on the dorsal side is yellowish grey to dark brown with 30-40 large, squarish, irregular shaped blotched patterns varying from shades of yellow to dark brown or grey. They bear light centers. The dorsal & lateral spots are darkr& a dark subocular stripe is present. The head bear a spear point mark. Head is pink in colour most of the time. Dry zonal pythons are light coloured.

Venom
These snakes are non-venomous.

Dentition
Teeth are curved inward & are very large in size.

Behavior
They are diurnal & nocturnal. It’s terrestrial, areboral & semi aquatic. Occurs in a wide range of habitats, including grasslands, swamps, marshes, rocky foothills, woodlands, "open" jungle and river valleys. They depend on a permanent source of water. Sometimes they can be found in abandoned mammal burrows, hollow trees, dense water reeds and mangrove thickets.

Lethargic and slow moving even in its native habitat, they exhibit little timidity and rarely try to escape even when attacked. Locomotion is usually rectilinear, with the body moving in a straight line. They are very good swimmers and are quite at home in water. They can be wholly submerged in water for many minutes if necessary, but usually prefer to remain near the bank.

Large individuals could be dangeourous to humans. When threatened wags the tail & trys to bite. Some times it shows the death feigning.

Breeding
Mating of them takes place in December bto February. These snakes are oviparous, & clutches of 10 to 100 eggs are laid. Eggs are deposited in rocky areas& within the hollows of trees. The eggs are protected and incubated by the female. Towards this end, it has been shown that they are capable of raising their body temperature above the ambient level through muscular contractions. Incubation period can be 58-72 days depending on the temperature.

Growth
The hatchlings are 450-600 mm in length and grow quickly. Adults grow to an average length of 4 m and weigh an average of 70 to 129+ pounds. Their relative girth exceeds that of all other snakes. Females are known to be larger in size than the male.

Food
These snakes feed on warm blooded prey such as mammals-rodents & deer forming their main diet & birds, frogs and also cold blooded reptiles such as lizards are also included. Roused to activity on sighting prey, the snake will advance with quivering tail and lunge with open mouth. Live prey is constricted and killed. One or two coils are used to hold it in a tight grip. The prey, unable to breathe, succumbs and is subsequently swallowed head first. After a heavy meal, they are disinclined to move. If forced to, hard parts of the meal may tear through the body. Therefore, if disturbed, some specimens will disgorge their meal in order to escape from potential predators. After a heavy meal, an individual may fast for weeks; the longest recorded duration being 2 years.