Malayopython reticulatus
Southeast Asia to Southeastern Vietnam and Indo-Pacific Islands west of New Guinea
Not Evaluated
Ambush Hunters
This large python inhabits wetlands, rainforests and grassland forests. It utilizes the waterways in the habitat range to its advantage by submerging in the water and ambushing its prey. The python employs this same ambush technique when hiding in or under brush.
Oviparous
The python family is oviparous, which means they lay eggs. The female coils over the eggs to incubate them with muscle contractions called “shivering thermogenesis.” However, this incubation is where any maternal care ends. Once the young hatch, they are on their own for food and survival. Young pythons are subject to numerous predators including eagles, herons and other small mammals.
Sense of Smell
This species lacks good eyesight and relies on vibrations from the ground and its surroundings. It has an acute sense of smell through its tongue and flicks particles of air from the tongue to the vomeronasal organ on the roof of the mouth.