Reticulated Python
Range: Indo-China,
Indonesia, and the entirity of Southeast Asia.
Habitat: Moist
areas, rain forests, open woods frequently around human habitation.
Class: Reptilia
Genus: Python
Species: reticulatus
Length: On average - females 16 to 20 feet; males 14 to 16 feet
Weight: Up to 200 pounds
Average
Lifespan: Up to 30 years
Wild Diet: Birds, mammals including rats, pigs, monkeys, small deer,
and fish.
Predators: Man often kills the reticulated python for the leather
trade. Also crocodiles, peccaries, wart hogs and raptors when the
snake is young.
This is the longest snake in the world. It is not unique to the
Philippines, however, and can be found in various islands of the
Indo-Malayan region. A specimen captured in Palawan was found to
have a 60-kilo wild boar in its stomach.
Characteristics: Pythons (and boas) are considered to be the most
primitive snakes alive today. They possess a pelvic girdle and
vestigial limbs. Both lungs are functional. Pythons have a
supra-orbital bone and premaxillary teeth. The teeth, which may
number over 100, are recurved, long and sharp.
Body is slender with black lines edged with yellow crossing the dark
brown ground color. A narrow black line extends from the snout to
the neck. Immediately after shedding, this snake has a blue
iridescent sheen. It is fast growing; aggressive in the wild but if
well fed in captivity is usually sluggish and docile.
Behavior:
Juvenile reticulated pythons are arboreal (tree-dwelling) and
terrestrial (ground-dwelling). Adults are seldom found in the trees,
usually near lakes, rivers and canals. They can also be found in
large, crowded cities throughout their range. These pythons are
active at dusk and throughout the night.
Reproduction:
Sexual maturity is reached at 2-5 years with males maturing earlier
than females. The male stimulates the female with his spurs to
initiate copulation. The oviparous python lays 15-100 eggs
(depending on the age and size of the female) in a conical pile. She
wraps her body around the clutch for most of the 2-3 month
incubation. Through rhythmic movement she raises the temperature of
the nest 4-6 degrees. The hatchlings are immediately able to hunt
and constrict prey.
Interesting Facts:
Reticulated pythons are sexually dimorphic, meaning that there are
differences between the males and females of this species. Females
are usually longer and heavier than the males.
Tamaraw
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Subfamily: Bovinae
Genus: Bubalus
Description
The tamaraw is the Philippines’ largest land mammal and the national animal. As is characteristic of many island-dwellers, the tamaraw has a small build, only slightly larger than the anoa. Its color and skull dimensions are similar to that of the water buffalo on the Asian mainland, but the light markings on the head, neck and legs are reminiscent of the anoa. Overall, it has the appearance of being a cross between an anoa and a mainland water buffalo.
Habitat and Ecology
The biology of the tamaraw is largely unknown, having been observed in the wild only in isolated cases and for short periods. Similar to anoas, tamaraws appear to live primarily as solitary animals or in small groups. They inhabit open grassland, forest glades, thick bamboo jungle, marshy river valleys and upland forest. Tamaraws are primarily grazers and, when not feeding, spend the majority of their day bathing and wallowing.
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