Royal python
Scientific name
Python regius
Size and weight
Up to 182 cm and 1.6 kg
Diet
Small mammals and birds
Conservation status
Near threatened
Native habitat
West and Central Africa in grasslands, shrublands and open forests
Lifespan
10 years
Meet our royal pythons
We have two resident members of royalty – Baldrick and Loaf the royal pythons! Two males, they live happily together in a large off-show enclosure. They are very docile and regularly join the Education Team to meet school groups and the public. Every snake has its own unique pattern, so it is easy to tell the two apart – it also helps that Baldrick is a lot larger than Loaf!
Fancy meeting our royal pythons up close? Why not book our scales and shells experience on the link below?
About royal pythons
Royal pythons find their warm-blooded prey using special heat sensing pits on their upper jaw. They then sneak up on the prey and strike. They are nonvenomous constrictors which means they catch their prey by squeezing it with their bodies until it can’t breathe. However, if the prey is small enough, they just swallow it whole.
They stick their tongues in and out to sense, smell and taste the world around them. Their forked tongue is so sensitive they can tell if a smell is coming from the left or right.
These snakes are popular as pets. A lot are bred in captivity, but unfortunately, many are still taken from the wild to be sold which puts pressure on wild populations.
Did you know?
also known as a ball python as they curl into a ball when stressed or frightened
- they only have to eat once every two or three weeks
they are revered as a symbol of the earth by the Igbo people in southeastern Nigeria as they travel so close to the ground
they are the smallest python in Africa
females are slightly longer and heavier than males – something which is common in many snake species
