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    Pythonidae – Pythons

    Good old pythons might not lurk around much longer

    Members of this family of non-venomous snakes spread across Africa, Asia, and Australia. Some python species (Reticulated python) can get as long as 9 m (30 f), while the smallest, the Anthill python, spans just 61 cm (2 ft).

    Pythons are called old-world snakes because of their absence from North and South America. They are also considered a primitive family of snakes for entirely different reasons. Pythons have retained some of the primitive features of their legged ancestors; that is, they have minute legs still represented by paired spurs near their pelvis. Two lungs characterize Pythonidae as opposed to a single lung typical to other snakes.

    A triangular head with heat-sensitive pits on the sides and a body covered with dark brown/black blotches indicate that you might see a python. All python species, sadly and desperately, need conservation from habitat loss and hunting.