Indian rock dragon
Indian Rock Python
Family: #Pythonidae
Many people in the world are afraid of snakes because their legless existence looks very scary. Around 3000 species of snakes are found around the world, out of which about 600 species are poisonous.
Similarly, there are about 80 species of snakes in Pakistan, out of which about 15 species are poisonous. Among the non-venomous snakes in Pakistan, there is also a snake called the Indian Rock Python.
The Indian rock python is the largest snake found in Pakistan and is the fifth largest snake in the world. It belongs to the snake family Pythonidae and its zoological name is Python molurus. It is called Ajdha in Urdu, Ajgar in Sindhi and Hindi, while in different areas of Azad Kashmir it is called Sanganad.
The length of the Indian Rock Python ranges from three to three and a half meters and weighs over 50 kg. The record of the longest snake of this species was found in Pakistan with a length of 4.6 meters and a weight of 52 kg. This snake is light fawn in color with large dark brown spots with black lines. This snake is thin at the head and thick at the middle.
The Indian Rock Python is a forest-dwelling snake, but in Pakistan it is found in vegetation around rivers and lakes. In Pakistan, it is present in Sindh and its surrounding areas of Sanghar. Besides this, it is also found in Bhanbhar and Kotli etc. in Azad Kashmir. In Azad Kashmir, its largest population is found in the Dewa Vitala National Park near the Indian border in Bhambhar district. It is not found in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Outside of Pakistan, the Indian Rock Python is also found in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
The number of Indian Rock Python in Pakistan is now very low. One of the reasons for this is the loss of their habitat.
They used to be found in the scrubby areas around the fields which were usually left as waste by the farmers but now thanks to modern farming techniques even these wastelands have been made arable, due to which the habitat of these snakes has disappeared. Is. They are also hunted for their valuable fur. Their fur is very valuable and is in high demand in the market.
As their population in the wild has decreased, many people have started farming these snakes to meet the market demand for their skins. Besides this, the third reason for their scarcity is to kill them as dangerous. Moreover, their meat is also eaten in some parts of the world.
The Indian Rock Python is a non-venomous snake that wraps around its prey and kills it by sucking its tail. It has no poison at all, but due to its sharp teeth, if it bites someone, it can cause a deep wound.
Their diet includes mice, rabbits and small birds. Apart from this, it can also swallow whole deer etc.
After swallowing food, they slow down and if teased during this time, they regurgitate their prey as it makes it difficult for them to move with the prey in their stomach. They can swallow prey much larger than their mouths because their jaws are not fused together and are separated while swallowing the prey.
The Indian Rock Python does not walk on its bill like other snakes, but walks in a straight line thanks to its ribs. They are excellent swimmers and can stay underwater for long periods of time. Since snakes are cold-blooded animals, they hibernate during the winter, in which their body's metabolism becomes extremely slow, and thus they can survive the winter season easily.
A female Indian python lays up to 100 eggs. After laying the eggs, the female protects the eggs and produces heat by contracting her muscles to incubate the eggs. Hatchlings are one and a half to two feet long. In India, their eggs are incubated artificially and their babies are released into the wild.
According to the IUCN, the population of the Indian rock python is declining, which may put them at risk of extinction in the future. Currently its status is near threatened. Throughout its range, its population has declined by 30 percent from 2010 to 2020.
If you have seen the children's cartoon movie The Jungle Book, the character Kaa in it was actually the Indian rock python who at one point plans to swallow Mowgli.
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