Indian Pythons in GURPS

Python molurus

Indian pythons are a giant species which can be found on the Indian sub-continent south through Burma and Indo-China, as far north as Southern China, and south through the island of Borneo. Introduced Indian pythons of the Burmese subspecies have a small but growing population in the Florida Everglades. It is found in a variety of habitats, from scrub and marshes through jungles, but always near water and always where it can find cover. These pythons are heavy bodied and covered with attractive blotches.

Indian pythons are primarily mammal eaters, although they supplement their diet with birds and lizards when possible. Rodents form the bulk of their diet, although larger animals will be readily taken by the bigger serpents. It primarily hunts by scent and by using its heat "vision" to detect warm blooded prey. Indian pythons are known to scavenge already dead food items.

The southern populations of Indian python become large enough to kill humans, but fatal encounters are rare. These pythons are valued for their leather. In devouring rodents, they help farmers combat losses due to these pests. The Burmese race of the Indian python is the most popular pet among the giant constrictors, primarily due to its docile disposition in captivity. Unfortunately, many people who aquire one of these snakes as cute hatchlings find they are unable to deal with a four to five meter serpent when it reaches adulthood.

Indian pythons commonly reach Huge size, and unusually large specimens can get to the large end of Humongus. Females are generally larger than males, and the easterly races from Burma and Indochina grow larger than those in the west.

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