African Rock Python (Python Sebae)

BTS · Post by **BTS** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 8:02 am

African Rock Python (Python sebae)

The Rock python is Africa's largest snake. The rock python eats mammals and birds.

Lays up to 100 eggs about the size of a tennis ball in antbear (Aardvark) holes, hollow tree or similar suitable place. The female coils herself around the eggs to protect them.

The snake in this picture had eaten a full grown Impala ewe and, sadly, caught itself in an electric fence.

Over four metres in length, this was a large specimen.

When the python was skinned we found a full grown Impala ewe had just been swallowed.

The python kills its prey by coiling itself around the animal and constricting it. When the animal is dead the python swallows it normally head first. Having swallowed its prey, the snake will find an abandoned burrow or hollow tree in which to hide and digest it's meal.

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Valerie100 · Post by **Valerie100** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 8:55 am

It just goes to show how nature is delicately balanced -- good and evil, peaceful and harmful. It's not that the snake is evil. It was just trying to survive and needed a meal.

Scary, though. I wouldn't want to meet up with a snake like that!

The Red One · Post by **The Red One** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 9:15 am

All I can say is gross!

The Red One · Post by **The Red One** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 9:22 am

I am sorry for the snakes agony and pain it suffered, I just don't like snakes.

I've had a fear of them forever, I can't even stand to see a dead one.

The reason I said gross, and I should have probably stated this on my other reply, is because I WAS eating breakfast. :wah:

The Red One · Post by **The Red One** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 9:32 am

I don't like animals suffering either Snooze, it's just snakes are ewwwwww.

Speaking of animals suffering, at 11:14 last night I heard my dog bark twice and then I heard him yelping. My hubby doesn't move fast but he sure did last night! LOL Come to find out it wasn't our dog yelping, another dog came in the yard to where he is and well, you know dog's. My dog is fine and we looked for the one that got hurt, it ran into the field next to our house, no luck finding it and I fell asleep crying, I finally fell asleep as I heard the other dog yelping. He must have gotten it bad. :-1

The Red One · Post by **The Red One** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 9:40 am

He's always getting ahold of animals. He's killed a snake, rabbit, possum, cat, racoon, and the list goes on. The cat was the worst one I've seen so far, bad enough for me to run to the bathroom and throw up! EWWWWWWWWW. It was REALLY bad.

BabyRider · Post by **BabyRider** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 9:58 am

Valerie100 wrote: It just goes to show how nature is delicately balanced -- good and evil, peaceful and harmful.
A) there is no "good" or "evil" in nature. Things just are the way they are. Would you call a lion evil for stalking and killing an antelope? No. There's nothing evil about it.

B) As hideous as the picture looks, the snake probably didn't feel much of anything. It struck the fence and then never moved another muscle. Looks like he went pretty quick to me. I doubt he suffered at all.

Accountable · Post by **Accountable** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 2:31 pm

SnoozeControl wrote: I disagree. The snake was most likely caught under an electrified wire due to its large meal, and tried to defend itself against the object that was causing pain. When it tried to strike a wire, its jaws were caught. Electricity most likely caused it's heart to stop after both wires in its mouth jolted the sh*t out of the poor guy. Most states stopped death by electrocution because it was deemed too cruel. This wasn't an easy death.You have a heart of gold, Snooze. :yh_flower

BabyRider · Post by **BabyRider** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 4:24 pm

SnoozeControl wrote: I disagree. The snake was most likely caught under an electrified wire due to its large meal, and tried to defend itself against the object that was causing pain. When it tried to strike a wire, its jaws were caught. Electricity most likely caused it's heart to stop after both wires in its mouth jolted the sh*t out of the poor guy. Most states stopped death by electrocution because it was deemed too cruel. This wasn't an easy death.
If you look at the picture, you'll see there are no marks along the ground to indicate the snake thrashed around at all. He is stuck in a perfect pose, frozen at the moment of impact of his strike. He hit the fence, he struck, he was zapped and died pretty quickly. Unlike a whole bunch of other ways to go in the wild, like being gored by a hippo or disemboweled by a lion. Nah, I doubt this snake suffered.