How to Identify Pythonidae

Key Identification Features

• This species is best known for its characteristic defense strategy: when threatened, it coils into a tight ball, tucking its head and neck away in the center.
• The Central African rock python has two distinct light lines that run from the nose, over the eyes, and to the back of the head; these same lines are much duller on the Southern African rock python.
• The head is distinctly separate from the neck.
• This species has a triangular head marked by a distinct row of thermoreceptive pits along its lips.

For instant identification in the field, use the iNature app — AI-powered, works offline.