Royal Pythons essays

Royal Pythons essays A massive Royal python rests quietly in almost perfect camouflage. To the untrained eye this snake could not be seen. As the serpent awaits a jackrabbit, it's "V"- shaped tongue is in constant motion, gathering important information. The rabbit moves closer-SNAP! In a flash the python strikes the rabbit across the head and face area. Within ten minutes the rabbit already begins to digest in the python's body cavity. The amazing thing is this python will be able to go several months without another meal. The Royal python or Python regius, which originated from the jungles of Africa, is one of the most fascinating snakes in the world. The Royal python is a very interesting and complex breed. First of all, the python does not have moveable eyelids, but a transparent area of the eye protects its cornea. Its eyes are directed laterally, which give them a very wide view. Royal pythons will detect the slightest movements in a large area, but with the inability to see detail of their prey at longer distances (Parker 28). This means if you are walking around the jungles in Africa a ten-foot python may mistaken you for an antelope. Snakes have rods and cones in their eyes, just like humans, but they lack the diversity of colored oil droplets. They do have color vision, but it is not as broad of a range as human's have (Osburn 1). "Experiments show that snakes cannot perceive most air-born sounds although they do respond to a restricted range of low frequency waves and to vibrations of the surface on which they rest" (Parker 29). When it comes to smelling, Royal pythons have an organ called a Jacobson's organ. This organ enables them to follow a scent trail. It consists of two saccular structures that rest in the python's mouth. Each sac communicates with the mouth by a short duct, which is a tubular passage through which a substance is conveyed (Morris 402). When a snake is active its tongue is almost in constant motion. ...