Reticulated python
Malayopython reticulatus
At the Detroit Zoo
The Detroit Zoo is home to a male reticulated python that is over 15 feet long and weighs around 40 pounds. It was confiscated in Seattle, Washington, in a piece of luggage that originated from Asia. The python spends his time in the pool inside his habitat at the Holden Reptile Conservation Center and seems to prefer eating rodents.
Description
These are the longest snake species in the world, averaging around 22 feet and reaching up to 30 feet. Black criss-cross patterns run the length of the python’s gray, brown and tan body, giving them the reticulated name. The snake’s coloring contributes to their ability for camouflage to elude predators and conceal themselves from potential prey.
Fun Facts
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The reticulated pythons are a “constrictor”; they use their large, strong bodies to constrict and then suffocate their prey.