Python's teeth

[cricket54]

I was sent an e-mail today which included images of a huge python. In one of the pictures, they show the python with it's mouth wide open and baring it's teeth. Also, the picture showed two rows of teeth. Looking at the size of these teeth, which look to be almost over an inch long in the picture, I wondered if the photo was doctored. If so, no surprise since that kind of thing is common place when it comes to these mass-e-mails that have been forwarded to thousands of people around the globe. My question is, how big do python's teeth actually get and do they really have double rows? I am no expert, but most of pythons I have seen, while not as huge as this one, their teeth didn't look like that. Granted, I could be wrong here. If anyone could help me would be great.


Sharon

 

[xanadu1015]

Open Wide and Say Aaaaah!

Sheesh, that mouth looks like it is big enough to fit a child's head...yeeha.

 

[nightbreed]

Its real, its an African rock python that had a fight with an electric fence......and lost click here

Sheesh, that mouth looks like it is big enough to fit a child's head...yeeha.

When they skinned it they found an adult Impala ewe in its stomach

 

[xanadu1015]

Ha, I am going to eat crow. I figured it was a fake.

 

[xanadu1015]

Okay, just checked out those pictures. Whew

 

[pitbulllady]

ALL snakes have double rows of teeth, actually. Pythons just happen to have rather large ones. Most of the time, you can't see much of a snake's teeth, because they fold back into grooves in the gum like switchblades. I've been bitten by a large Emerald Tree Boa, and I swear ITS teeth were even bigger than this Rock Python's, though I'm sure that's just because of the sensation of them scraping bone as she bit down. Seriously, though, big snakes have big teeth, and this particular snake was big enough to swallow an adult impala, so this was no Garter Snake!

pitbulllady

 

[mybabyhasfangs]

I was thinking the same as pitbulllady, check out an emmies teeth or green tree python, they are huge for the size of the snake. OUCHY!

Christina

 

[cricket54]

I'm gonna do that. I just had no idea their teeth could be like this because you rarely even see their teeth. I was bitten by my common boa once and they felt like my hand was shut in a car door lined with razor blades. Her head was only like 6 inches long, so she was young. Sliced my fingers open good, but when she realised it was me, she let go on her own. Going to do searches on snakes for a while now that my interest is really been keyed up.
Thanks for the replies.

Sharon

 

[Lasiodora]

Sharon,
The teeth you see in the middle are called palatine teeth. These teeth are used to grip their prey items. Most snakes have them. If you take a close look at your boa when it's feeding, you can see these teeth. You can see the palatine teeth above the glottis in my imperator picture.

Christina,
Green tree pythons do not have the large fangs that emeralds do. This is a common misconception.

Mike

 

[Beardo]

Green tree pythons do not have the large fangs that emeralds do. This is a common misconception.

GTPs do not have teeth on par with Emeralds, but they still have larger-than-usual teeth, as do all Morelia species.

 

[ingas866]

I have been bitten by a rock and it was not a nice site. I had a big area that looked like a big cat got me. I had teeth still in me and it was a week befor all of them where out. The rocks can give a very nasty bite and you will not forget it ever. The rock that got me was put in with some other larg snakes until we could move them the next day. The other owner of the shop did not tell me she had got the rock and when I went in to get a burm out the rock got me first. One bit on the arm that was all it took for me to get some of my friends to help. It took 4 others to help get this 9 foot rock out and in to a bag.

 

[Lasiodora]

GTPs do not have teeth on par with Emeralds, but they still have larger-than-usual teeth, as do all Morelia species.

I dislike repeating myself but...As I stated before, they don't have the large fangs emeralds do. The size difference is very apparent. I did not compare chondros teeth size to any other snake species. There are a lot of myths surrounding these two arboreals. I was just trying to dispel one of the most popular ones, i.e. chondros have extra large teeth. In fact they do not. Emeralds do.
Happy New Year!

 

[Beardo]

I guess it all depends on what one calls "extra-large teeth" lol. I consider Chondros to have extra large teeth....having experienced them up close and in person that is just my opinion.

 

[Lasiodora]

I've worked with countless numbers of individuals of both species and other arboreals snakes and I don't consider chondro teeth to be large. Emeralds on the other hand do have large front teeth. I don't have pics but I have seen enough of these snakes to say confidently that emerald teeth are bigger. Believe what you like. Chondros and emeralds are still awesome snakes even if they are misunderstood. With that I'll log off and make better use of my time and feed some of my arboreals.

 

[Beardo]

A picture is worth a thousand words....

 

[Stefan-V]

A picture is worth a thousand words....

Well, I can't see nor hear anything, sorry.:?

 

[Lasiodora]

A picture is worth a thousand words....

Yes it is....