Python (genus)

Genus of snakes

Python is a genus of constricting snakes in the Pythonidae family native to the tropics and subtropics of the Eastern Hemisphere. The name python was proposed by François Marie Daudin in 1803 for non venomous flecked snakes. Currently, 10 python species are recognized as valid taxa. Three formerly considered python subspecies have been promoted, and a new species recognized.

Python skin is used to make clothing, such as vests, belts, boots and shoes, or fashion accessories such as handbags. It may also be stretched and formed as the sound board of some string musical instruments, such as the erhu spike fiddle, sanxian and the sanshin lutes. With a high demand of snake skin in the current fashion industry, countries in Africa and Southern Asia partake in the legal and illegal selling of python skin. Providing an extremely low pay for the hunters with an extremely high selling product for the consumers, there is an enormous gap between the beginning and end of the snake skin trade.

Many Python species, such as P. regius, P. brongersmai, P. bivittatus and M. reticulatus, are popular to keep as pets due to their ease of care, docile temperament, and vibrant colors, with some rare mutations having been sold for several thousands of dollars. Pythons in the pet trade are sourced from the wild, or from captive females that were taken from the wild ('captive born'), or from parents that themselves were born in a captive setting ('captive bred') Despite controversy that has arisen from media reports, with proper safety procedures pet pythons are relatively safe to own.

The word 'Python' is derived from the Latin word 'pȳthon' and the Greek word 'πύθων', both referring to the "serpent slain, who was fabled to have been called Pythius in commemoration of his victory near Delphi by Apollo according to the myth".