Brad Sample, age 9, of Bennington, Vt., for his question:
HOW LONG IS A PYTHON?
A python is a large snake that lives in southwestern Asia, the East Indies, Africa and Australia. Some pythons are among the world's largest snakes. The reticulate python of southeastern Asia and the East Indies and the African rock python may grow to be 30 feet long. The amethystine python of Australia and the East Indies, and the Indian python of southeastern Asia and the East Indies grow to be about 20 feet long.
Only the giant anaconda of South America is longer than the pythons.
Because they squeeze their prey to death, pythons are called constrictors. They wind themselves around the victim and tighten their coils. To kill, they do not squeeze hard enough to break the victim's bones or change its shape. They squeeze just enough to stop the victim's breathing and blood circulation.
Large pythons usually eat animals about the size of a house cat. But sometimes they eat larger animals, such as wild pigs that weigh up to 100 pounds.
Pythons swallow their prey whole. It may sometimes take a python several days to digest a large victim.
Almost all pythons climb trees and swim well. They usually live in rugged tropical regions that have heavy rainfall. They also are found frequently in forests that have some type of low, dense growth.
Like most snakes, pythons hatch from eggs. The number of eggs in the nest varies greatly. Sometimes a female python will lay about 100 eggs.
The female then coils about her eggs until they hatch. The Indian python actually incubates her eggs, or keeps them warm with heat from her body. Incubation, very unusual in snakes, helps eggs hatch more quickly.
Large pythons have tough skin that is very beautiful. It can be made into valuable leather.
Hunting pythons is not considered dangerous because these snakes are not poisonous and they do not attack man.
Python, by the way, is also the name of a serpent in Greek mythology. He attacked the people and cattle around Delphi. Apollo killed Python with his arrow and gave the name of Python to his oracle at Delphi. He founded the Pythian games to celebrate his victory.
Pythian games were popular national contests held by the ancient Greeks in honor of the god Apollo. The early games were held every eight years and were contests between singers. A new series was begun about 586 B.C. and continued until about A.D. 300.
Later athletic contests and horse racing were added to the song contests. Later still, dramatists, historians, poets and artists competed for honors. Laurel wreaths and palm branches were given as prizes.