Python bivittatus

P. bivittatus is a very large (6 m total length), heavy-bodied snake (175 kg), although the figures on maximum size are disputed and/or based largely on captive specimens (Murphy and Henderson 1997, Barker et al. 2012;see next paragraph for more detail). Females grow larger than males. As with many pythons, several scales on the snout contain obvious heat-sensing pits. The body has dark, black-bordered, brown dorsal and lateral blotches separated by tan coloration that extends to the belly;a dark triangular region or spearhead on top of the head;a white line that extends posteriorly under the eye;and a light-coloured belly bordered by black spots. Considerable variation exists among individuals, and several aberrant colour ÔmorphsÕ (albino, ÔgreenÕ, ÔgraniteÕ, ÔlabyrinthÕ, etc.) have been produced by reptile breeders (information in this paragraph compiled from https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/66412#2F0653D0-4CC5-4891-9E04-CF5950…" Smith, 1943;https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/66412#F93D0674-4360-4497-99A3-5CF440…" Groombridge and Luxmoore, 1991;https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/66412#FC7B1E3C-3608-45F4-A7B0-D109FF…" Walls, 1998;https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/66412#FA65979E-3026-43BD-9DB7-34AA52…" Reed and Rodda, 2009).