~OTESONTHE CAPTIVE REPRODUCTION OF THE AFRICAN ROCK PYTHON (PYTHON SEBAE SPP.) Emanuele Cimatti, Via Volterra 7, 40135 Bologna, Italy. Phone: +39-051-6447492; fax: +39-051-436795; Email:
[email protected] INTRODUCTION nataliensis): the last one is present in the Afri can south eastern region only {Natal, Repu The African rock python (Python sebae), cal blic of South Africa). In captivity, this python led also the 'hieroglyphic python' for its is not very popular owing to its large size and beautiful decorated coot, is the biggest snake its bad temperament. All the same, it is very of Africa: it is able to reach a length of about beautiful in pattern and colour, and it is heal eight metres (24,4 feet), although there are thy and hardy. examples of nine metres (27,4 feet). The African rock python occurs frequently in Cen CAPTIVITY tral and Southern Africa but it doesn't exist in the Saharan and Mediterranean areas: it lives I had two African rock pythons some years in savonnahs, hilly rocky areas, open plains, ago: the male was three metres and the shrubby steppes and marshes, while rarely it female was four metres. They were captive ventures into the nearly forests. It preys upon born in a private collection. I determined sex rodents and ground birds, but it can also eat by probes: in the male the probe passed to a wild boar, goats, crocodiles and young antelo the depth of 11 subcaudal scales, in the fema- pes; it often reach human settlements, where it feed them selves with fowls, dog~ sheeps and does.