South African Rock Python

Afrikaans name: Suider-Afrika Luislang

South African Rock Python

Photo © Lars Lachmann - Fotolia.com

Python sebae natalensis

The South African Rock Python is a sub-species of the African Rock Python. Rock Pythons are the largest snakes in Africa and may grow to a length of 6 metres, but the subspecies found in South Africa tend to grow to around 4 metres or so.

These large snakes can be found in a wide variety of habitats from forest through to grass land to semi-desert. They do prefer areas with permanent water and are particularly common in marshy areas.

Although the South African Rock Python is not venomenous they can inflict a nasty bite.

They catch a wide variety of prey including rats, monkeys, antelope and Nile Crocodiles. They grip their prey in their fangs and then wrap their powerful body around the prey constricting them until they die.

References and further reading

A Field Guide to the Snakes of Southern Africa - Author: V.F.M. Fitzsimmons - Published: 1970 - Page: 75

A Guide to the Reptiles of Southern Africa - Author: Graham Alexander and Johan Marais - Published: 2007 - Page: 61

African Wildlife - Vol 38 No 6 - Author: - Published: 1984 - Page: 236

Animals of the Kruger National Park - Author: G. de Graaff - Published: 1987 - Page: 121

Bill Branchs Field Guide to the Snakes and Other Reptiles of Southern Africa - Author: Bill Branch - Published: 1988 - Page: 51

Freshwater Life - Author: C. Griffiths, J. Day & M. Picker - Published: 2015 - Page: 66

Game Ranger in your Backpack - Author: Megan Emmett and Sean Pattrick - Published: 2013 - Page: 202

Illustrated Guide to the Game Parks and Nature Reserves of SA - 2nd edn - Author: Readers Digest - Published: 1991 - Page: 406

Kruger National Park Map - 2010 - Author: Joy Frandsen - Published: 2010 - Page: 10

Kruger National Park Questions and Answers - Author: P.F. Fourie - Published: 1987 - Page: 354

Questions and Answers - Snakes and Reptiles of Southern Africa - Author: John Comrie-Greig - Published: 1992 - Page: 9

Questions and Answers - Snakes and Reptiles of Southern Africa - Author: John Comrie-Greig - Published: 1992 - Page: 26

Questions and Answers - Snakes and Reptiles of Southern Africa - Author: John Comrie-Greig - Published: 1992 - Page: 31

Reptiles & Amphibians of Southern Africa - Author: Warren Schmidt - Published: 2006 - Page: 16

Reptiles of Southern Africa - Author: Rod Patterson and Anothony Bannister - Published: 1987 - Page: 67

Sasol First Field Guide to Snakes & other Reptiles of Southern Africa - 2nd edit - Author: Tracey Hawthorne - Published: 2016 - Page: 17

Snakes & Snakebite in Southern Africa - 2nd edition - Author: Johan Marais - Published: 2014 - Page: 97

Snakes of Africa - Author: R.M. Isemonger - Published: 1983 - Page: 134

Southern African Wildlife - Author: Readers Digest - Published: 1989 - Page: 216

Southern Africas Threatened Wildlife - Author: John Ledger - Published: 1990 - Page: 68

The Reptiles of the Kruger National Park - Author: U. de V. Pienaar, WD Haacke and NHG Jacobsen - Published: 1983 - Page: 136

Wildlife of Southern Africa - Author: Martin Withers and David Hosking - Published: 2011 - Page: 252

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