The African rock python is Africa's largest snake. This python can be found throughout the continent south of the Sahara desert. It is common in scrub, savanna, and forests, generally near water. Rock pythons are powerful snakes marked with large, irregular blotches.
Young rock pythons eat mostly rodents. larger specimens catch and devour all manner of medium sized reptiles, birds, and mammals, including monkeys, warthogs, antelope, fowl, crocodiles, and monitor lizards. Prey is located by smell and by the snake's heat sense. Rock pythons can grow large enough to kill and eat humans, but this is rare. More commonly, the tables are turned and people kill rock pythons for their hides and meat.
Rock pythons commonly range in size up to Huge, although record breaking specimens can become Humongus. As is typical of pythons, females are generally larger than males.