Pythons form an Old World group of tropical and sub-tropical constricting snakes. Though famous for giants such as 9-meter (28 feet) reticulated pythons, some species reach a maximum length of only a little over 24 inches. 

All python species lay leathery-shelled eggs which are incubated by the female. She maintains a constant temperature largely by muscular contractions. When the young pythons hatch, the mother has nothing further to do with them.

Only the most ancestral pythons (Australia's woma and black-headed pythons) lack heat-sensitive pits along one or both lips. Most species are partly or largely nocturnal and have vertical pupils.

Distributed in Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia, southern Asia, and Africa (excluding Madagascar).

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Hoser, Raymond. 1989. Australian reptiles & frogs. Pierson & Co. ISBN: 0-947068-08-2.

Kluge, Arnold. 1993. Aspidites and the phylogeny of pythonine snakes. Records of the Australian Museum Supplement 19.

O'Shea, Mark. 1996. A guide to the snakes of Papua New Guinea. Independent Publishing, Port Moresby, PNG. ISBN: 981-00-7836-6.

Shine, Richard. 1991. Australian snakes, a natural history. Cornell Press, Ithaca, NY. ISBN: 0-8014-2737-1.

Torr, Geordie. 2000. Pythons of Australia; a natural history. University of NSW Press, Sydney, NSW. ISBN: 0868406023. 

Valentic, Robert. 1996. Partial tongue regeneration in a captive black-headed python, Aspidites melanocephalus (Krefft, 1864). Herpetofauna 26(2): 48-49.

Walls, Jerry. 1998. The living pythons: a complete guide to pythons of the world. TFH Publications. ISBN: 0-7938-0467-1

Weigel, John. 1988. Care of Australian reptiles in captivity. Australian Reptile Keepers Association. ISBN: 0-7316-3290-7.