python

(pī'thŏn', -thən)

[Probably French, from Latin Pȳthōn, mythical serpent killed by Apollo near Delphi. See Python.]

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Large snake, up to 26 ft long, with big, square head, prominent jaws and a distinct neck. Awesome but not venomous. Includes carpet snakes often kept as housepets because of their appetite for rodents which they swallow whole.

• snakes

Python
Burmese python, Python molurus bivittatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Pythonidae
Genus:	Python Daudin, 1803
Synonyms
Python Daudin, 1803 Constrictor Wagler, 1830 Enygrus Wagler, 1830 Engyrus Gray, 1831 Enygris Gray, 1842 Heleionomus Gray, 1842 Morelia Gray, 1842 Hortulia Gray, 1842 Asterophis Fitzinger, 1843 Liasis Duméril & Bibron, 1844 Simalia Gray, 1849 Aspidopython Meyer, 1874 Aspidoboa Sauvage, 1884 Hypapistes Ogilby, 1891[1]

Common names: pythons.^[2]

Python, from the Greek word (πύθων/πύθωνας), which in turn got it from the hebrew word פתן (Peten) or the Cnaanite בת'ן (Bethen), is a genus of non-venomous pythons found in Africa, Asia and Australia. Currently, 7 species are recognised.^[2] A member of this group, P. reticulatus, is among the longest snakes known.

Contents 1 Geographic range 2 Species 3 Uses 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

Geographic range

Found in Africa in the tropics south of the Sahara, but not in southern Africa, the extreme southwestern tip, or in Madagascar. In Asia it is found from Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, including the Nicobar Islands, through Myanmar, east to Indochina, southern China, Hong Kong and Hainan, as well as in the Malayan region of Indonesia and the Philippines.^[1]

P. molurus and P. sebae are both invasive species in North America, and they are becoming quite abundant in South Florida and the Everglades.^[3]

Species

Species[2]	Taxon author[2]	Subsp.*[2]	Common name	Geographic range[1]
P. anchietae	Bocage, 1887	0	Angolan python	Africa in southern Angola and northern Namibia.
P. curtus	Schlegel, 1872	2	Short-tailed python	Southeast Asia in southern Thailand, Malaysia (Peninsular and Sarawak) (including Pinang) and Indonesia (Sumatra, Riau Archipelago, Lingga Islands, Bangka Islands, Mentawai Islands and Kalimantan).
P. molurusT	(Linnaeus, 1758)	1	Indian python	Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, southern Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, southern China, (Sichuan and Yunnan east to Fujian, Hainan, Hong Kong), Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Peninsula Malaysia and Indonesia (Java, Sumbawa, Sulawesi).
P. regius	(Shaw, 1802)	0	Ball Python/ Royal Python	Africa from Senegal, Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Benin, Niger and Nigeria through Cameroon, Chad and the Central African Republic to Sudan and Uganda.
P. reticulatus	(Schneider, 1801)	0	Reticulated python	Southeast Asia from the Nicobar Islands, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, east through Indonesia and the Indo-Australian Archipelago (Sumatra, Mentawai Islands, Natuna Islands, Borneo, Sulawesi, Java, Lombok, Sumbawa, Sumba, Flores, Timor, Maluku, Tanimbar Islands) and the Philippines (Basilan, Bohol, Cebu, Leyte, Luzon, Mindanao, Mindoro, Negros, Palawan, Panay, Polillo, Samar, Tawi-Tawi).
P. sebae	(Gmelin, 1788)	1	African rock python	Africa south of the Sahara from Senegal east to Ethiopia and Somalia, including Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Upper Volta, Ghana, Togo, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Chad, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe south to northern Namibia, Botswana and northeastern South Africa (to Natal).
P. timoriensis	(Peters, 1876)	0	Timor python	Indonesia on the Lesser Sunda Islands (Flores, Lombien and Timor Islands).

*) Not including the nominate subspecies.
^T) Type species.^[1]

Uses

Python skin is used to manufacture the Erhu, a popular Chinese instrument.

See also

• List of pythonid species and subspecies
• Pythonidae by common name
• Pythonidae by taxonomic synonyms

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
2. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Python". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=202186. Retrieved 11 September 2007. 
3. ^ Python Snakes, An Invasive Species In Florida, Could Spread To One Third Of US at ScienceDaily. Accessed 18 October 2008.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Python (genus) (category)

• Python at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 11 September 2007.

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
n. - pythonslange

Nederlands (Dutch)
python

Français (French)
n. - python

Deutsch (German)
n. - Python, Pythonschlange

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (ζωολ.) πύθωνας

Italiano (Italian)
pitone

Português (Portuguese)
n. - pitão (m), jibóia (f)

Русский (Russian)
питон

Español (Spanish)
n. - pitón

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - pytonorm, spåman

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
大蟒, 巨蟒

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 大蟒, 巨蟒

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 비단뱀, 이무기, 무당등에 붙은 귀신

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - ニシキヘビ

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) أفعى كبير‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮פיתון (נחש חונק)‬

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