Fun Facts
Bigs Snacks
Pythons can consume prey that is 75-100% of their own body size. A Burmese python is more likely to eat prey 50% of its body size however.
Big Jaw
Burmese pythons have stretchy ligaments in their jaws that allow them to swallow animals that are up to five times as wide as their head.
The Great Escape
It is believed that an estimated 1,000 pythons escaped into the Florida Everglades during hurricane Andrew in 1992 which destroyed a breeder's facility just south of Miami. This has led to a significent decline in a number of native animals like raccoons, possums and rabbits. On the other hand, the decline of some of these egg-eating mammals has led to an increase in ground-nesting animals like turtles, lizards and some songbirds due to less nest disturbance and egg predation. Burmese pythons therefore have a significant impact on the complex ecosystem of the Everglades.
Smell
Snakes can smell with their tongues, and they flick their tongues to pick up the scent of nearby prey or predators.