Northern rock python

Northern rock python

The Bonn city magazine "Schnüss" has been supporting the Alexander Koenig Society for years with advertising for the rainforest exhibition and has therefore been honoured with a sponsorship for the rock python (Python sebae).

The northern rock python(Python sebae) belongs to the python family (Pythonidae) and, with a maximum body length of over 6 metres and a weight of up to 90 kg, is one of the largest snakes in the world and the largest snake in Africa. It occurs in a strip south of the Sahara as far as the Congo Basin and is replaced south of there by the southern rock python(Python natalensis).

The habitat of the northern rock python is mangroves, swamp forests, savannahs and semi-deserts. As its name suggests, it is also often found in areas with boulders and rocks, between which it can hide well. It is important that they live in close proximity to freshwater habitats such as lakes and rivers. Like all pythons, the northern rock python is also a constrictor. This means that it kills its prey by attacking it from an ambush, biting into it and strangling it until it suffocates. The food spectrum of the Northern Rock Python includes a variety of different terrestrial vertebrates as long as they fit into its expandable gullet. In large specimens, this can even include antelopes and crocodiles weighing up to 50kg. Humans have also fallen victim to it on several occasions.

The breeding season of the northern rock python depends on its area of origin, but is usually in the cooler winter months. After mating, the gestation period of the female is around 3 months. The clutch usually consists of 30 to 50 eggs, which are laid in a tree hollow, an old termite mound or an underground burrow of a small mammal. The females display unusually strong brood care behaviour for a snake. They wrap themselves around the eggs, protect them from nest robbers and very rarely leave the nest to drink. Even after the young have hatched, the mothers continue to protect their brood for about 2 weeks before they go their separate ways.

The population of the northern rock python is currently not endangered overall, but has been declining sharply in recent decades. One of the main reasons for this is the hunting of the animals for snakeskin, meat and ingredients for traditional medicine. It is therefore protected by the Washington Convention. In addition, their favoured habitats are increasingly being destroyed by humans.