1. The correct pronunciation of the word "Python" in English is [ˈpaɪθən].
2. Python is a large constrictor snake native to tropical and subtropical regions.
3. These snakes are nocturnal and ambush their prey, often preying on small mammals, birds, and other reptiles.
4. Python mating season involves a strong scent trail left by the female, which males follow to find her.
5. After a lengthy courtship, the male and female engage in mating, a process that can last for several hours.
6. Females typically lay a clutch of 8 to 103 eggs, which incubate for about 55 to 61 days before hatching.
7. The eggs are often camouflaged and left unattended, yet the female python can sense when the young have hatched by detecting vibrations.
8. Baby pythons are independent from birth and can immediately fend for themselves, although they are small and vulnerable.
9. Pythons are not venomous, but they kill their prey by constriction, wrapping around it and squeezing it to death.
10. Once the prey is subdued, the python will consume it whole, and it can go for long periods without eating after a large meal.
11. The python's coloration and pattern vary, but most are brown or yellow with large, dark-bordered cloud-like patterns on their back and sides.
12. They have a distinctive head with a flat nose, and their eyes are positioned to allow for wide-angle vision, helpful for tracking prey.