Python (genus)
Ball python ( Python regius )
The authentics pythons (Python) are a genus of snakes of the family of pythons ( Pythonidae ). The genus includes ten species which colonize the tropics of Africa and Asia. The species are medium-sized to very large, belong to the genus, the largest snakes the Old World. The grammatical gender of a specimen is fachsprachlich masculine ( and not the Python).
Description
All species of the genus are medium to very large. Like all Python -like they are non-toxic and kill their prey by looping. All pythons have a pit organ, that can detect infrared rays and so also hunt in the dark. Other common features include the dentition of premaxilla, the enormous tensile mandible and very movable upper jaw bone, reproductive function by laying eggs ( oviparity ).
Dissemination
The distribution area includes tropical Africa and Asia. Four species occur in Africa, the other six in Southeast Asia.
Way of life
All species are mainly nocturnal and feed primarily on small to medium-sized vertebrates. The prey is heat sensory organs, the Labialgruben, detected and located. The prey is then taken, choked by the exceptionally strong body slings and completely choked down. Digestion is very fast, a whole rabbit is completely digested in 4-5 days. This is possible because the significantly concerned in the digestive organs (stomach, intestine and liver) increase by three times during digestion. Digestion is an enormously complex process, so that nearly half of the calories is already used again during the digestive process.
Species
Among the authentics pythons nine species are counted:
- Angola Python ( Python anchietae ): total length of 1 to 2 m; endemic in Angola and Namibia
- Borneo short-tailed python (Python breitensteini ): Total length 1-2 m; endemic to Borneo
- Blood Python ( Python brongersmai ): Total length 1-2 m, max. about 2.6 m; parts of Southeast Asia
- Sumatran Short-tailed Python ( Python curtus ): total length of 1 to 2 m; endemic in the southern part of Sumatra
- Python kyaiktiyo: Myanmar
- Tiger Python ( Python molurus ): Total length depending on the distribution and subtype 2 to 4 m, max. about 5 m; large parts of South and Southeast Asia
- Southern Rock Python ( Python natalensis ): Total length 2.8 to 4 m, max. about 5 m; southern Africa
- Ball python ( Python regius ): Total length 1-2 m; West and Central Africa
- Northern Rock Python ( Python sebae ): Total length 2,7 to 4.6 m, max. about 5 m; West, Central and East Africa
Breitensteini P. and P. brongersmai were considered until recently as a subspecies of P. curtus.
The reticulated python ( Broghammerus reticulatus ) and the Timor python ( Broghammerus timoriensis ) were earlier than Python reticulatus or Python timoriensis also grouped into the authentics pythons. 2008, they were moved to the new genus Broghammerus, as new research had shown that these two species form the sister taxon of all pythons of Australia and Papua New Guinea and are thus more closely related to these than with the other species of the genus Python.
Jacobs, Auliya and Böhme collect in a study of 2009 the Dark Tiger Python, which has been viewed as a subspecies of Hellen Tiger pythons (Python molurus ) at the species level. Thus were the Dark Tiger Python ( Python bivittatus ) to distinguish ten species as Actual pythons.
Protection status
Most snakes in the Pythonidae are listed in Appendix B of the European species protection regulation and may be held without permission. According to the Federal Species Protection Ordinance, however, the attitude of the competent state authority over is notifiable.
P. molurus molurus, the Bright Tiger Python is performed in Appendix A of the European species protection regulation and may not be held without permission.