Verified photograph pending
This profile is pending review by a qualified herpetologist. Never rely on it to decide whether a snake is safe to approach.
Overview
Sri Lanka's largest snake. It is not venomous and kills prey by constriction, but large pythons should only be moved by trained rescuers.
How to recognise it
- 1Heavy body with large, dark-edged blotches
- 2Arrow-shaped mark on top of the head
- 3Heat-sensing pits along the lip scales
Where it lives
Forests, grasslands and wetlands, often near water, mainly in the dry zone.
