EXHIBIT 6.
BORNEO BLOOD PYTHON
Python brietensteini

There are three species of blood or short-tailed pythons across Borneo, Sumatra and the Malaysian Peninsula. This is the endemic Borneo species which achieves a maximum length of 1.6m.

They are called blood pythons because of the reddish patterning but they can be aggressive when handled so they could also be said to earn the name because they draw blood from handlers.

They are powerful constrictors of mammals that are one of the few snakes to have adapted to oil-palm plantations. Sadly thousands are caught and slaughtered for their skin and meat each year.

Endemic to Borneo, related species on Malaysian Peninsula and Sumatra.

click on the images to enlarge them

Habitat: Borneo rainforest (background) but also found in oil-palm plantations (foreground).

Blood pythons are heavy-bodied terrestrial snakes
The colours of the blood python are often highly variable	This wild specimen has parasitic ticks behind the eye

Other Zones