Colourful Python

Snakes can have some of the most interesting and beautiful skins. Get up close and personal with this python and check out its amazing pattern and colour. Reticulated pythons are often compared with anacondas, as these two species are the largest species of snakes in the world. Reticulated pythons are a little bit longer, and anacondas are a little bit heavier, but I don't think anyone can watch this video and argue about which snake is prettier! Reticulated pythons are named for their colour patterns—"reticulatus" is Latin and means "net-like". In the wild, most of these pythons are dark brown and tan, with black borders outlining the netting pattern and lighter spots along their sides. Many unusual colours have been observed before, though, including iridescent blues and greens, albinos, calico colourations and tiger-like orange striping. A lot of these different colourings are the result of captive breeding to produce unique patterns, but the appearance of reticulated pythons in the wild can vary quite a bit from place to place. The python's patterns help it camouflage with natural material on the forest floor in a shadowy jungle habitat—it's hard to believe how well a six metre long snake can disappear!