Spotted Blonde Python.
This is my entry for the #dailypetphotography contest organized by by
A casual walk in the park led me to this Spotted Blonde Python. According to her owner, she was harmless and used to human contact but this didn't tempt me to get any closer than what I asolutely needed to, in order to get a few good shots.
Apologies to anyone who viewed some of the images below in a blog I posted early last year, but this one is a lot more comprehensive and hopefully, if you have a snake phobia as I do, you may feel a little warmer towards them after reading this post. I said, "Maybe!"
Spotted Pythons come in a variety of colours and the most attractive of them all, is the "Blonde" colour or morph phase of these species. The Spotted Pythons are the largest and most popular of the Children's python group.
This is the owner of 'Blondie.' He is one of the male species who reportedly prefer blondes because he was clearly infatuated with his pet python.
Occasionally they will grow in length, of up to 1.5 m although most measure about 100 - 140 cms (39 - 55 inches.) The 'Mac' (or Maculosus) variety are quite placid and actually enjoy human contact and don't mind being handled. They are easy to look after, especially when well maintained.
It is helpful to know, that from time to time, juvenile Spotted Pythons can get a bit snappy and sometimes quite aggressive but generally they make an ideal first pet for snake lovers.
Spotted Pythons (Antaresia Maculosa) are very good handlers when they reach maturity, they eat often and are easy to breed. They are also known as 'Eastern Small-Blotched Pythons' and are found in northern parts of Australia and in New Guinea. The blotches have ragged edges due to dark pigmentation which occur only on complete scales.
The diet of captive specimens consists of mice and rats but one of the favourite foods for pythons in the wild are the insectivorous bats which are caught at the entrance to their caves. Females lay up to 15 eggs in a clutch. With proper care, Spotted Pythons live from bewteen 15 to 20 years in captivity but in the wild, it would be substantially less.
This species was described in 1873 by the German naturalist and explorer Karl H. Peters. A new species was described in 2003 by Hoser A. (m. brentonoloughlini) based on specimens found in the Cape York Peninsula.
These snakes were much lighter in colour and were generally 10cms longer but this find wasn't considered valid by other herpetologists and no other subspecies of Spotted Python are currently recognized.
A Dad guides the hand of his toddler to touch, for the very first time, the cool glossy surface of a snake skin.
These pythons prefer to live in dry woodlands to wet forests, river banks and rocky areas. They do love caves and although they are agile climbers, they won't climb large trees but are often found climbing small shrubs or rock faces.
Spotted Pythons are nocturnal and actively seek their prey by using their heat sensor pits on their lower labial scales. These pits are similar to those found on pit vipers which allows them to hunt warm blooded prey including birds.
Like all Pythons, they are non-venomous but they kill their prey by means of constriction. And it is this piece of vital information that makes me very wary of them and nothing anyone can say will ever make me change my opinion of them.
My stance on snakes does not prevent me from admiring other peoples bravery such as this guy here. After only just meeting 'Blondie,' he was willing to let it get right up close to his face and even with the snakes tongue darting ever so close to him he remained calm. CRAZY!!!!
THANK YOU FOR VIEWING. HAVE A GREAT DAY.
