The Indian Rock Python is a large species of snake native to India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and other surrounding countries. It is one of the largest species of snake in the world. Its scientific name is Python molurus.
Taxonomy
As its name suggests, the Indian Rock Python comes from the Python family of snakes. There are currently 42 recognized species of Python that are grouped into 10 different genera.
It belongs to the Python genus meaning it is considered one of the ‘True Pythons’. Some of the other Python species in this genus include the African Rock Python, Ball Python and Angolan Python.
The Burmese Python was once considered a subspecies of the Indian Rock Python until it was upgraded to full species status in 2009. There are a lot of similarities between both species and they are often confused with one another.
Indian Python Description
The Indian Python is tan in color with their body covered in dark brown blotches. This coloration provides them with excellent camouflage and helps them to ambush unsuspecting prey.
The coloration of these snakes is known to vary throughout its range. They are a large species, growing to an average length of around 10 feet. However, some specimens do get even larger than this.
They have heat-sensing pits in their upper and lower jaws. These pits are very sensitive to small change in temperature which helps them to locate warm-blooded prey.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Indian Rock Python is native to the dense forests of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan.
While their preferred habitat is dense forested regions, the Indian Rock Python can also be found in a wide range of other habitats including swamps, paddy fields, rocky outcrops and along riverbanks.
Wherever they live, these snakes require s permanent source of water. They are also very good climbers and will often be found in trees. They also like to hide in dense water reeds and mangrove thickets.
They share some of their geographical range with species such as the Bamboo Viper, the Gooty Sapphire Tarantula, the Bengal Monitor and the Mourning Gecko.
Feeding an Indian Python
A juvenile Indian Python can be fed an appropriately sized meal every week. It is best to start hatchlings off on rat pups instead of mice so that they don’t develop a preference to mice.
While mice are ok to feed, your Indian Python will soon become too big for them. These snakes will grow quickly but are generally a little slower to put on size than other large snakes such as the Reticulated Python.
As your snake approaches adult size, you can increase the duration between feeds. If you are feeding them large meals, you can offer them a meal every 10-14 days. You can also continue to feed them weekly but with smaller meals.
They key to feeding adults is to ensure they are maintaining a healthy body weight. There is no golden recipe here as every snake is different. A lot of factors affect energy requirements such as the snake’s size, activity level and the temperature of their enclosure.
A large adult Indian Python may need a bigger food source than rats. Most keepers will offer them appropriately sized rabbits but you can also offer things like large Guinea Pigs and chickens.
Indian Python Housing
A hatchling Indian Python can be housed in a suitably sized enclosure or in a tub or rack system. These types of enclosures provide juveniles with an added sense of security but they will quickly outgrow them.
Once your snake reaches around 1 years of age, they will need to be housed in a relatively large enclosure. You should aim for an enclosure measuring around 4ft x 2ft x 2ft. This will do the snake until they are around 3 years of age.
At this point your Indian Python will need to be housed in an adult sized enclosure. As they are large snakes, they will need very big enclosures. You should be aiming for an enclosure measuring 8ft x 4ft x 4ft.
This is a massive enclosure and isn’t practical for most reptile keepers. This is something you need to keep in mind before purchasing one of these snakes.
There are a number difficulties people face when it comes to large enclosures. The obvious ones are the cost of the enclosure and finding the space for it. However, you also have to consider how you are going to control things like temperature gradients and humidity.
It is important to have clean water present at all times. An Indian Python will appreciate a large water bowl to soak in so try offering them a large tub of water if you have the space.
Light and Heat
An Indian Python should be given a basking spot of around 92F. This can be achieved with overhead heat or by using an under-tank heat mat. Whatever heat source you use, it is important that it is controlled using a good quality thermostat.
In most cases, under-tank heating won’t be possible for these snakes depending on your enclosure type. A large Indian Python will be too big for a tub or rack type enclosure and there are no commercially available glass tanks big enough to house them.
However, a heat mat may be used for a juvenile’s setup. Do not place a heat mat inside the enclosure. These are heavy bodied snakes. When they lie directly on a heat mat, they can create hot spots. This can cause very high temperatures that can burn your snake.
You can let the ambient temperature in the enclosure drop to around 80F. There is no need to turn off the heat source at night. As long as you offer your snake an adequate thermal gradient, they will be able to regulate their body temperature correctly.
You do not need to provide your Indian Python with and special kind of lighting such as UVB. However, they should be exposed to a day/night cycle of around 12 hours each.
Substrate
You can use a variety of different substrates in your Indian Rock Python enclosure. However, it is important to remember that their enclosure is going to be large and will require a lot of substrate.
If you want to use a naturalistic substrate, you can go for aspen bedding or cypress mulch. You can also use a bio-active soil-based substrate which will require less maintenance.
Some keepers choose to keep their Indian Python on a basic substrate such as newspaper or paper towel. These substrates are cheap, easy to maintain and quick to change out.
As these snakes thrive in humidity levels of around 50%, you really aren’t limited to your choice of substrate and it generally comes down to a personal preference.
Handling an Indian Python
There is a misconception that the Indian Python from the mainland is docile while specimens originating from Sri Lanka are more aggressive.
This statement is not true and each individual snake can have its own temperament. It is true however that you can get both docile and aggressive Indian Pythons.
As with any large snake, it is very important to have a second person with you when handling the snake or cleaning the cage. Even a docile snake can have an off day and one mistake with such a large snake can have serious consequences.
