Python

Food: The size of the food will depend on the size of the python. They eat rodents, birds, lizards and mammals. Some even eat deer. In the wild, they will wait for the prey to move past and then dart out quickly to grab them.

Size: There are about 40 species, so their size can vary. The smallest is the ‘Children’s python’ which grows to 60cm and the largest is the ‘Reticulated python’ which can grow to over 6m in length.

Appearance: They have a triangular head, sharp teeth which curve backwards and beautiful markings on their scales. They can be different colours and have either blotches, bands or stripes.

Pythons make excellent pets. Having one as a pet is a long-term commitment. They can live longer than 20 years in captivity. Their enclosures are called vivariums and must be secure so that they will not escape and should be heated at one end. It needs to be big enough that your python can stretch out full length so can take up a lot of space. They only need feeding every 7-14 days so can be considered low maintenance. That said, their vivarium should always be well maintained and cleaned once a month to ensure they stay healthy.

Consider rehoming a rescue animal. There should be a local charity who have a rehoming scheme or consider these nationwide charities: Blue Cross * Animal Rescue & Care * RSPCA