Burmese Python

Species Description

Burmese Pythons (Python bivittatus) are among the largest snake species in the world, with adults typically measuring 3–5 meters (10–16 ft) in total length, though they may reach a maximum length of over 6 meters (20 ft). They belong to the family Pythonidae, an Old World snake lineage composed of both small and giant constricting snakes. All taxa in this family are restricted to the tropics and subtropics of the Eastern Hemisphere, primarily sub-Saharan Africa, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Asia (below 30 degrees N latitude), and Australia.

The Burmese Python has large, black-bordered brown dorsal and lateral blotches on a base color of pale tan, gray, or yellowish-brown. It also features a white line extending posteriorly under the eye and a dark, arrow-shaped mark on top of the head that points toward the nose.

Introduced to South Florida, Burmese Pythons have now become established in and around Everglades National Park, where they are contributing to declines in other wildlife populations.

Taxonomy

Distribution

Burmese Pythons primarily range from northeastern India through Southeast Asia, including countries like Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. Isolated populations are also found in Indonesia, as well as on Java and several other islands.

In Florida, Burmese Pythons are believed to be established only in the southern part of the state, from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay and Key Largo. There have been a few observations outside of that area, even as far north as Jacksonville, but these are believed to be individuals that were released or escaped pets, rather than evidence of established populations.

Habitat

Burmese Pythons utilize a variety of forested habitats, including mangrove forests and rainforests, but they can also be found in grasslands, swamps, and rocky foothills. These pythons have a strong association with water, including rivers, lakes, and small pools in the forest. Orlov et al. (2000) documented the species’ presence at an elevation of 1,200 meters in Vietnam, while Shah and Tiwari (2004) reported an altitudinal range of 100 to 2,800 meters for Burmese Pythons in Nepal.

Studies of GPS-tracked adult Burmese Pythons in Florida have shown them utilizing a wide range of habitats, including pine rocklands, sloughs, lowland forests, and marsh prairies.

Movement and Home Range

A study conducted by Smith et al. (2021) monitored seven adult Burmese Pythons in northeastern Thailand from 2018 to 2020. They reported an average daily movement of 41.56 meters, with the pythons staying stationary for approximately five consecutive days at a time. Another study by Rahman et al. (2014) in Bangladesh observed that Burmese Pythons had a mean home range of 95.67 hectares, with seasonal variations affecting their habitat usage.

Radio-tracked Burmese Pythons in Everglades National Park exhibited a significantly larger home range of 2,250 hectares, demonstrating low site fidelity. Both males and females had similar home range sizes, and their movement appeared to be closely associated with surface water availability. The average daily movement of invasive Burmese Pythons ranged from 40 to 180 meters, with one individual traveling a maximum of 1,400 meters between successive telemetry locations.

Diet

Burmese Pythons in their native range eat a wide variety of species, including amphibians, birds, and mammals, and are well known for their ability to consume large prey, such as Barking Deer, wild pigs, and Sambar Deer. In Florida, they have been reported eating species ranging in size from small rodents to White-tailed Deer and American Alligators.

Reproduction

The Burmese Python follows a typical snake life history. It hatches from an egg at a relatively small size, grows rapidly, and reaches maturity within a few years. During the mating season, males actively search for mates, while females remain stationary, waiting for males to locate them. Afterward, females lay eggs to complete the reproductive cycle.

Females in their native range can produce 8–107 eggs per clutch. They nest in open-ground sites, under fallen trees, and inside tree cavities. Females remain coiled around their clutch without feeding, raising the clutch’s temperature through shivering thermogenesis—the process of generating heat through the rapid contraction of skeletal muscles. By doing this, a female may raise the temperature of her clutch by 6–8°C.

Burmese Python courtship appears to be triggered by warming temperatures, especially in areas of seasonally reduced activity. Mating aggregations have been observed in India from December to March and in South Florida from March to April.

Conservation Concerns

In Southeast Asia, Burmese Pythons have been heavily harvested for their meat and skins, and for their perceived threat to human safety due to their large size. Additionally, they are under threat due to the illegal trade. They are listed in CITES Appendix II, meaning they are not yet considered threatened with extinction but might become so without regulating trade. Burmese Pythons are listed as Critically Endangered in the Vietnam Red Data Book and the Chinese National Red List, and are protected in Thailand, China, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

The biology and ecology of this species have been extensively researched in their introduced range due to their potential detrimental impact on native wildlife populations. More is currently known about their introduced range than their native range. Therefore, further research is necessary on native populations to determine the effects of overharvesting, illegal trade, and habitat degradation.