The Burmese python, 𝘗𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘴 (Buhl,1820), is native to the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia with its range extending as far north as Fujian and Guizhou provinces. It is the largest snake species native to Hong Kong, typically growing to about 4 m in length and 30 kg in weight🐍. However, this species can grow larger, as an individual kept in captivity named “Baby” reached 5.7 m and 182 kg. For perspective, that’s the length of a shipping container and the weight of an adult male lion🦁! Instead of using venom like many other snake species to subdue its prey, the Burmese python uses its size for hunting, squeezing the prey bit by bit until they suffocate💀.
Burmese pythons are mainly nocturnal, and can climb trees when they are young but stay closer to the ground as they grow heavier. Aside from slithering and climbing trees, they also excel at swimming, capable of staying submerged for half an hour🤿. To hunt in the dark, they have evolved pit organs on their heads that act as heat receptors, giving them infrared vision and helping them detect warm-blooded prey, like wild boar and red muntjac🐗. Like other snakes, their jaws can open widely, 4-5 times the diameter of their head, and they have teeth that curve backwards, preventing prey from escaping. The Burmese python swallows its prey whole without chewing or tearing, which leads to quite extreme eating habits🍖. Individuals will fast for around a month between meals, during which the digestive organs will shrink to save energy. Once it gets a meal, however, its stomach will produce a large amount of acid to liquify the whole prey, and its intestines will double in size. The ventricles of its heart will grow by 40% to deliver oxygen needed for digestion. Its metabolic rate increases up to 44 times, costing around a third of the energy contained in the meal itself. Imagine having an after-dinner dip so intense that it lasts for a week😮💨!
Though the Burmese python is now quite rare in its native range, it has become an invasive species in the southeastern USA. They were brought there for the pet trade, and after a hurricane destroyed a Burmese python breeding facility in Florida in 1979🌪️, they have escaped and taken over the Everglades since then. They prey on local animals, causing species like the white-tailed deer, raccoons and opossums to drop in number by 90%🦝, while rabbits and foxes have effectively disappeared🐇. Furthermore, they are competing with the native American alligator for food🐊, and both have been seen attacking and trying to eat each other. Currently, action is taken to remove this destructive alien species from the Floridian swamps to prevent further damage to the ecosystem🚫.
Though it is an invasive species overseas, the Burmese python plays an important role in its native range by being the apex predator ( the“boss”) at the top of the local food chain👑. If it were absent, the populations of their prey would run out of control and disrupt the ecological balance⚖️. Therefore, this seemingly terrifying predator is actually important for the overall health of the whole native ecosystem😲.
The Burmese python is a strong predator, but has a soft side. When under stress or fear, they sometimes undergo thanatosis; which is when they relax their muscles, turn belly-up and play dead😵! This phenomenon has been well documented in other smaller species of snakes to trick predators into losing motivation and buying them time to escape💨, though this is quite rare for larger snakes like the Burmese python🤔.
If you’d like to see a specimen of this fascinating animal for yourself, visit the Hong Kong Biodiversity Museum👍!
Text: Elgar
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