77 kg Reticulated Python Captured on Farm After Swallowing Goat and Unable to Move.
(Video: Johor Fire and Rescue Department, Malaysia)
The Johor Fire and Rescue Department in Malaysia shared a video and images of officers sedating the reticulated python and relocating it away from residential areas on the same day. The python was so heavy that it required seven men to transport it, Newsweek reported.
Rescue personnel were called to a goat farm in Kulai, Johor, on the morning of September 28. The farmer at the site reported the loss of a female goat and was convinced that the python had swallowed it whole. After guiding the python away from the goat pen, the rescue team proceeded to extract the goat’s remains from the python’s mouth.
Rescue team captures the reticulated python that wandered into the farm.
Reticulated pythons are native to Southeast Asia and can be found in a variety of habitats, including forests, grasslands, and rainforests. They have a high adaptability to different environments. In Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysian Borneo, reticulated pythons are even found in drainage systems. They are carnivorous, primarily preying on birds and mammals. Their jaw structure has evolved to allow independent movement, enabling them to swallow large prey. Their lower jaw is not fixed but loosely connected through flexible ligaments, allowing them to open their mouths wider than normal. Like all constrictor snakes, reticulated pythons are non-venomous and kill their prey by suffocation.
Reticulated pythons are among the longest snake species in the world, typically exceeding 6 meters in length. The record-holding reticulated python measures over 9.8 meters, while the largest individual in captivity, named Medusa in Kansas, is 8.2 meters long and weighs 158 kg. Despite being extensively hunted for their skin, reticulated pythons maintain a relatively stable population. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies them as “Least Concern” on their list of endangered species.
