In Thai it's a "gnu lamm" (Burmese Python). This is the snake as we found it at a construction site; the workers are in the background. It is wild, not an escaped pet.
It was measured at 4 meters, but it was still curled a bit, so I'm guessing closer to 4.5 or 5 meters. They said it was a male (not sure I want to know how they knew).
The person in the purple shirt gets a nasty bite and turns the snake over to another guy. The snake is not poisonous, but it's fangs are like nails hooked at the points.
It's a carnivore and it eats dogs, cats, birds, other snakes, rats, and will eat wild pigs, deer, monkeys, etc, but probably not the latter in the city.
20130517: Heard from the site manager that they found it's mate of comparable size and relocated it to a jungle North of Bangkok.
From Yahoo Answers on what is the difference between reticulated and Burmese pythons:
A version of this question has been asked before. Python reticulatatus, the reticulated python, comes from Africa and is still officially the biggest snake in the world by actual measurement Anacondas are fatter and heavier but have never been caught over 28 feet. The females are larger. The Retic is very nasty animal and makes a poor bite. It can decide to bite at any time and an adult is big enough to kill a person. Most retics never get over 18 feet and there is a dwarf version stat stays about ten or twelve feet and is much lighter. They need to ke kept in enclosure than is 2/3 as long as the snake and half as deep at about 30 degrees C..
The Burmese Python, Python molurus ( Burmese is Python molurus bivitattus), is a docile python which does make a good pet, but grows to about 20 feet fast. One of my best friends is a breeder, and he routinely handles gentle 16 foot animals. Again you need the same size enclosure as for a reitic, same temperature and a large soaking bowl. Indians and Burmese spend much more time in the water than retics.
In color retics have irregular b lack brown and white patters, whereas Burmese have brown squares often bordered by yellow. The other subspecies, the Indian, has the same squares bordered by cream or beige. They are also a protected animal that is illegal to sell in most of the USA.being on appendix I of CITES convention. The Indian Python occasionally makes it to Black Market and while more expensive, their size (10-12 feet) and temperament make them the best pet.
Most of the accidents that happen with either of these species is due to stupid feeding errors. After handling rodents, you must wash your hands before going near the snakes, as those little pits on the side of their heads detect smell.Don't try to hand feet one.. If they miss you may wind up in a hospital. People have been killed by ignoring this necessary precaution.
Source(s):
Robert Price,Ph.D., Herpetology, discoverer of boa constrictor longicauda
Robert · 4 years ago