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Article: SNEAKY SNAKE: ; Will rock pythons put squeeze on Everglades?
- Article from:
- Charleston Gazette
- Article date:
- September 25, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2009 Charleston Gazette. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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AFRICAN ROCK PYTHON Length: Adults average 16 feet but can grow
to more than 20 feet Prey: Gazelles, wart hogs, monkeys, rats,
birds, small Nile crocodiles Hunting: Uses heat-receptive cells on
upper lip to detect warm-blooded prey, even in darkness Strikes with
back-curved teeth and coils around prey Habitat: Grasslands and
forests near water in sub-Saharan Africa Sources: Reptiles and
Amphibians of Southern Africa, Sun Sentinel research
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The largest snake in Africa, a powerful
constrictor that consumes goats, wart hogs and crocodiles, has been
found east of the Everglades, raising the possibility it is breeding
in the wild in a state already overrun with non-native ...