This is, by
far, the largest snake in Africa. They average around 12
to 15ft but have been recorded up to nearly 20ft in
length in Kenya and slightly larger in West Africa,
although such big specimens are becoming rare. They
have four rows of sharp teeth in the top of the mouth,
which they use to hold on to their prey. They wrap their
coils around the animal and constrict (squeeze), the
more the animal breathes out the tighter the snake will
squeeze. The animal dies from asphyxiation, which is a
kind of suffocation and is a surprisingly rapid and
efficient method of killing. A fully- grown Rock Python
can catch and eat animals as large as an Impala or
Grant’s, Gazelle that can easily weigh 55 or 60 kilos.
Although not aggressive to humans if left alone, they
are very ready to give a wounding bite if disturbed and
a big Python is strong enough to kill an adult human but
would be unlikely to eat him/her. Like most other
snakes, the Python would rather run than fight!
