Pythons

There are two pythons in Ghana, the African python and the Royal python. The African python can grow very big and long (a 5 m python has been recorded). The Royal pythons do not grow very big and are used a lot in the Ghanaian society for a lot of things, in movies, magic shows among others. 

In recent times, fraudsters use them in charming monies and have succeeded in defrauding countless number of youth. They are used in rituals which supposedly will result in the royal python spitting money for a person who has gone for such rituals. Pythons are protected in some Ghanaian communities, hence in such communities, they are not killed for any reason. 

Pythons can swallow prey items far larger than themselves. They have evolved mechanisms to enable them do this.
1. Their lower jaws are connected loosely by elastic ligaments and thus, can be stretched horizontally.
2. They have a quadrate bone which is foldable and connects the lower and upper jaws, enabling them to open their mouth vertically to about 150 degrees.
3. Their sharp long recurved teeth ensure smooth swallowing; thus, when they are swallowing a prey item, any attempt made to escape by the prey is met by the sharp recurved teeth, hence the prey will prefer to go down the oesophagus to coming out of the snakes mouth
4. Scales, the body scales of the snakes are extendable to create room for extension of the body. 
5. Strong digestive juices - they have strong digestive juices which start digesting the prey even before the prey is completely swallow. 

Also, they swallow head first, they swallow everything (horns, hooves, etc) in a go and spit out fur later. They are said to have a kinetic skull due to the movement of parts of the skull bones.

1. African/Rock Python (Python sebae)

is one of the longest snakes in the world after the Reticulated python (Asia). In Ghana, up to 5 m long African pythons have been recorded. Fig1 below shows a killed African python which was a little over 4 m long in the Western Region of Ghana very close to human population; in a marshy area within 100 metres to the Takoradi Airport. 

Normally, pythons are sought after and killed in Ghana after livestock (poultry, goats, sheep and sometimes dogs) start getting missing and no one in the area seems to have an idea about who is responsible. With time, the culprit is found to be a python, which is killed when seen.

Fig 1. Killed matured African Python 

There is a phobia for snakes all over the world which leads to snakes being killed on sight. People think all snakes are venomous and dangerous, however, only about 450 snakes out of the about 3000 snakes worldwide are venomous. And only about a third of the 450 can be considered dangerous to humans.

African pythons even though not venomous can kill humans due to their large size and strength, hence, marshy/swampy areas known to harbour them should be avoided at night. 

African pythons can be aggressive in the wild when attempts are made to handle them. With several long recurved teeth in their mouths they can give nasty bites.

Fig 2 and 3 below show a young African python taken from a rice storage facility in Tamale, the Northern Regional capital of Ghana.

Fig 2. A juvenile African python 

Fig 3. Same Juvenile African python showing head region

2. Royal Python (Ball python) (Python regius)

The royal pythons do not grow as big and long as the African pythons. Most of the time, they are found coiled up with the head protected by the coils. 

Fig 4 A royal python

Fig 5 Showing how they protect their heads by coiling