#african rock python

[i-m-snek]

This model is perfect for Kaa! Very happy with the paint job on it :P

[llithiaskyla]

ART FIGHT IS COMING UP!! (in like. several months I know leave me alone) but I finally finished a year old sketch ref sheet from LAST year's artfight...

I'm so original with him i know ❤️ closeups of how the hogwarts uniforms SHOULD be (I looked at two references barely once each, I made the uniform out of joy and whimsy)

i heart adding little details to ref sheets that the poor people who draw him probably won't notice </3

Sol's snake, Ari!! She's an African Rock Python, I do hope i did the species' patterning justice 🫡

[hmsmondschein-sonata]

Why are snakes so adorable

Look at that pupper face

[snototter]

A juvenile Southern African rock python (Python natalensis) in South Africa

by Bernard Dupont

[sitting-on-me-bum]

Central African rock python (up to 16.5 feet)

Central African rock pythons are Africa's largest snake, reaching lengths of 16.5 feet.

(Image credit: Michele D'Amico/Getty Images)

[pleistocene-pride]

The Central African rock python (Python sebae) is a species of large snake in the family Pythonidae and one of the 10 living species in the genus Python, which is native throughout almost the whole of sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal east to Ethiopia and Somalia and south to Namibia and South Africa and have become invasive in the florida everglades. Here they are found throughout a wide variety of habitats including including forest, wetlands, savanna, grassland, semidesert, and rocky areas. It is particularly associated with areas of permanent water, and is found on the edges of swamps, lakes, and rivers. They are a generally solitary non venomous species of constrictor which is known to feed upon fish, rodents, birds, monkeys, antelopes, bats, lizards, crocodiles, dogs, goats, sheep, pigs, jackals, hyenas, & big cats. On average Central African rock pythons reach around 9.8 to 16.4ft (3 to 5m) in length and 97 to 121 pounds (44 to 55kg) in weight, however individuals reaching up to 24.6ft (7.5m) and 214lbs (97kg) are not unheard of. African rock pythons have a relatively small, triangular head that is covered in irregular scales that are typically blackish to brownish-gray in color. The body is yellowish, gray-brown, or gray-green, with dark blotches that form a staircase-like pattern on the back. Belly scales are a white color with black specks producing a salt-and-peppery pattern. Mating occurs in the spring after which time the mother climbs inside an old animal burrow, termite mound, or cave and lay 20 to 100 hard-shelled, elongated eggs. The female shows a surprising level of maternal care not typical for snakes, coiling around the eggs, protecting them from predators, and possibly helping to incubate them, until they hatch around 90 days later. She then spends up to 2 weeks protecting and caring for the hatchlings. Under ideal conditions a central African rock python will reach sexual maturity at 3 to 5 years and live up to 30.

[starryknight-dragonarts]

I was thinking more about the potential future of Kaida and Morgan with Children. Kaida would have her genetic clone daughter Kyden but I imagine they certainly wouldn't stop there and would still also want to adopt as well; Kaida was an Orphan once herself and doesn't want any kids to feel unwanted so they would end up having a very big family! I figured since Kaida has her Salandit daughter, why not make the rest of them Eeveelutions like Morgan and each of them get a name after a Trickster god or hero from different cultures.

Anansi gets their name from the West African Spider God originating in Ghana but his influence has spread across the Atlantic the same way a lot of people were brought there, Slavery. Anansi is the God of Stories, Knowledge, and Trickery who is often an underdog to much stronger opponents, but always pulls one over on them by being clever. While he is often a hero he also is occasionally selfish and gets himself into trouble like the time he discovered a peculiar rock that knocks out anybody who points out how strange it looks. He started running a scam where he would lead people to the rock, get them knocked out, and then steal their belongings. Finally one person refused to acknowledge the rock causing Anansi to mention the peculiar rock out of frustration and knock himself out. One of Anansi's most famous stories is how he came to be the god of stories. Anansi was Bored one day, and he realized the reason why he was bored was because there were no stories, the Sky god keeps them all for himself. So Anansi goes to visit the Sky god and asks he let him be the god of stories. The Sky god agrees but only if Anansi can complete 4 challenges: The capture of 4 of the most dangerous and elusive creatures Onini the Python Mmoboro the Hornets Osebo the Leopard and Mmoatia the Invisible Fairy

For Onini, Anansi paces around the Python's house muttering loudly to himself while carrying a long stick. Onini comes out to see what all the fuss is about and Anansi explains he had a bet with his wife that Onini is longer than this stick but now he isn't certain. Willing to prove how long he is, Onini lies beside the stick but everytime he moves part of his tail curls so he can't lie completely straight and stretch to his full length. Anansi suggests he web up Onini's tail just a little and then ends up binding his full body in webs!

For the Hornets he pours some water on himself and over the hornet's nest yelling about some big storm! The Hornets come out to check quick to blame Anansi but he shows how soaked he is too and says the storm will probably come back. Their nest is not gonna hold up against another storm but he has an empty gourd right here that is super sturdy! So the Hornets fly into the gourd and he plugs the top after they are all inside.

For Osebo, Anansi dug out a pitfall trap and covered it with leaves and branches which should seem like an obvious trap but since there are no stories Osebo falls for it immediately. Anansi comes over to offer Osebo a hand out of this mysterious pit that just showed up here, handing him a web which then flings the Leopard into a giant web!

Lastly for Mmoatia the invisible Fairy Anansi carves out a little wooden puppet, covers it in a sticky sap, places a bowl of yam paste on the puppet's lap, and then attaches web stings to the puppet to control its motions while he sits back and hides in a bush. Mmoatia comes around and asks to try some of the delicious yam paste to which Anansi makes the puppet nod. After finishing the bowl Mmoatia thanks puppet but the puppet doesn't respond. Feeling like they are being insulted, Mmoatia kicks the puppet and gets their foot stuck on the sap, then continues to try to fight the puppet and gets completely stuck! Anansi comes out of the bushes, webs up the fairy, and like that he has collected all 4 creatures and is rewarded with all of the World's Stories!

Anansi is frequently lazy, greedy, and selfish, but when it comes to helping others who are being taken advantage of by someone more powerful he will not stand for that kind of injustice and will use all of his cunning and intelligence to make powerful people into fools of themselves.

[thepioden]

In an interesting development to my 'you have too many snakes and not enough enclosures and oops they're hots now' genre of stress dream, last night introduced an African Rock Python with a fucking breath weapon.

[mtfdarkrai]

Jerry Seinfeld: gay people are always calling each other mother yet straight people are always calling each other mommy. Whats the deal with that?

George: *muffled* Jerry I've been swallowed by Kramer's African Rock Python

[your-fav-is-a-snake]

Becky Barnes snake mayhap? 👀

Becky Barnes from Hatchetfield is an African Rock Python!

[dougdimmadodo]

Red Forest Duiker (Cephalophus natalensis)

Family: Cattle Family (Bovidae)

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

A tiny species of forest-dwelling antelope (growing to only around 43cm/16.9 inches tall at the shoulder,) the Red Forest Duiker is native to south-eastern Africa where it mainly inhabits dense high-altitude or coastal forests with reliable year-round access to freshwater. While many grassland-dwelling antelopes live in large herds to provide "safety in numbers" in the absence of sheltered areas in which to hide from predators, this species' densely-vegetated habitat renders defensive group-living unnecessary (with the small bodies and plain brown colouration of adult Red Forest Duikers allowing them to easily blend in with their surroundings,) and as such they typically live alone outside of breeding or raising calves (although small groups of up to 3 individuals, often close relatives, are occasionally seen foraging together.) Both males and females of this species are highly territorial, using strong-smelling secretions produced by glands beneath their eyes to mark out territories, typically choosing areas with good access to water, food (which consists mainly of fruits, flowers and soft leaves, as compared to other antelopes they have only a rudimentary ability to digest tough, fibrous plant matter) and vegetation to hide within; when faced with potential predators (such as Leopards, Crowned Eagles and Southern African Rock Pythons,) Red Forest Duikers will initially freeze in place in hopes that they have not been seen, and if the predator then begins to approach they will rush towards the undergrowth in a series of short bounding leaps. Female Red Forest Duikers may breed at any time of year, giving birth to a single calf at a time after a gestation period of around 8 months. The calf is protected and fed by its mother for around 6-8 months before reaching maturity, and while its father will not aid in its raising it may remain in contact with it and its mother through a series of snorts, whistles and shrieks - in response to their young calf's distress call, both parents have been known to rush in to defend their young.

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Image Source: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1431002-Cephalophorus-natalensis

[kaythefloppa]

I have a lot of grievances over how Vitani's Lion Guard was executed in the finale, but I think the one thing that would've saved it [or made it less bs] is to have them all be different animals. Same characters, personalities, voice actresses (and maybe eye-color?), and you can even keep the all-female guard, just different species of animals that would've made the ending come full circle rather than having its narrative be circular.

Like, Vitani's the one-lion on the Guard who's the leader/fiercest.

Shabaha would be a caracal cat since those motherfuckers can jump high and compete with other, bigger predators for food (we were robbed oa caraca, in TLG anyways so this would've been perfect.

Tazama would be a Secratarybird since they can run fast but also have sharp vision as birds of prey.

Imara would be a South African Rock Python, her strength being her coils and jaw vice - In fact, they could've easily saved time and effort by just co-opting the rock python from Season 1, pulling the ultimate Chekov's Gun by turning a background character into a major game player in the finale (also serving as a heroic parallel to Ushari and giving us a non-villainous snake, not enough of which are shown in media)

Kasi as an African Wild Dog (known for their stamina unlike the cheetah, and again, don't get enough appearances in animated animal-based media sans Wild Kratts)

[toycoheartful]

Kaalan (Balan Wonderworld + The Jungle Book)

Kaalan is a Maestro hybrid African Rock Python is from Balan Wonderworld. He hypnotizing male characters.

[rainesol]

How I write Naga characters! (LONG post)

I need somewhere to lay out Ksho’s anatomy and fit it into the lore, so here’s how I personally write half-snake characters. This version is to fit into the TWST lore, but it can work anywhere. I’m not at all an expert, but I am an animal sciences/zoology student, so I hope this is at least interesting o7 Feel free to use these headcanons lol

As a disclaimer, I am writing this about a character based on an Indian rock python, but I’ll leave little notes here and there on how this would work in general. Etymology wise, I will be referring to the character as a Naga, as the character I am writing for is South Asian. The name Lamia could be used for Greek or North African characters :D I will be referring to the ‘human half’ as the anterior body, and the ‘snake half’ as the posterior body, as my character is obviously not a human OR a snake.

To start with, I don’t consider Naga characters to be beastmen, and instead belong to their own classification that includes centaurs, cervitaurs and any reptilian or mammalian ‘merfolk’. They are a convergent species to snake beastmen and humans as a whole and have no real relation. I’ll be starting from the head and working down to the tail.

Ksho only has hair on his head, eyebrows and eyelashes, as is typical for his species. This is implied to have evolved from something similar to feathers, as he uses the serpentine idiom ‘Do feathers still grow from your skull?’ However, it is fine to not explain this. After all, if a platypus can lay eggs, a fictional reptile can grow hair. He can’t grow any other kind of body hair. His pupils are vertically slit. This DOES NOT mean he is venomous!!!! This means he is better suited for dark environments. He doesn’t have visible heat pits, but is written to ‘see’ heat in a way similar to a human seeing heatwaves off of a hot car, by his own description. This is left mostly unexplained 🥲 He has pointed ears with scales on the back, and he has a forked tongue and a vomeronasal organ.

Dentition wise, he has long thin teeth. These teeth curve back into the mouth, and get longer the further in they are. He cannot chew. The back teeth move forward and back as he opens his mouth to make room. His ‘dimples’ are actually the points where the skin on his cheeks can stretch back to. Like snakes, he can’t actually unhinge his jaw. The two halves are not fused, and merely stretch out. His anterior rib cage, collarbone and pelvis also all stretch very far, which he demonstrates in book 3 by pulling his ribs out, much to everyone’s disgust.

Snake teeth are shaped like this to guide food back and to hold prey still, but the addition of opposable thumbs is vastly more helpful. I imagine that the other ‘sharp’ teeth, such as the leech twins can chew to a certain extent, but will typically just swallow manageable bites, like an eel would.

The anterior body is mostly oesophagus, but it also contains the anterior heart and the first lung, similar in size to one that a human would have, the heart slightly larger. They provide oxygen and blood flow to the brain, arms and extremities. They have no nipples or breast tissue! They are reptiles, eat solid food from birth, and hatch with all their teeth. There is never a reason for them to drink milk. There’s also no visible navel, the area covered by belly scales in a pattern similar to stomach hair to make the transition easier. (The area where the yolk connects is further down) The scales wrap around the hips, and can range from only going slightly up the anterior body, to all the way over the shoulders.

Snakes shed all at once. Naga bodies will shed the posterior scales all at once, and the scaleless skin will shed similar to peeling off dried glue 😬

Moving on to the posterior body, the majority ‘leg’ portion of the body and some of the body on the ground is stomach. He also has a posterior lung and heart, which is much larger. He can hold his breath for around thirty minutes without issue. The liver is a little further down, leading up to the gallbladder and small intestine. Then it’ll lead up to the kidneys, reproductive system and the rest of the digestive system. (I’m sure nobody wants me to go on and on about snake anatomy lol)

Like snakes, they are cold blooded, and are susceptible to different illnesses due to this. Their movement is quite reliant on the CNS, meaning sudden movements can lead to injuries, as they could lunge on instinct. They’re very androgynous as a whole, though the females are typically bigger. Constrictors don’t focus on removing the ability to breathe and actually are strong enough to constrict blood flow to the heart. However, with an intelligent species capable of hunting with tools, this isn’t necessary. That sensitivity to vibrations is still very handy though.

Pythons move by pulling themselves straight forwards by ‘walking’ with their ribs. I divert from this, as I imagine Kshoshurankha moving in the swaying side-to-side way. It just better matches his personality, and works better with the humanoid part imo. He moves forward straight when ‘dragging his feet’ or tired

The posterior body ends with the vent. After that, the ACTUAL tail begins. Most pythons tails are able to hang on and hold its whole body weight. The fact that the organs go through the whole body gives me the belief that they would not be able to take human potions like the merfolk would, as it would be too big a change and send them into shock. (I imagine the leech twins are around 10-15ish feet, the majority of which being tail, and the most vital organ systems ending at the mid ‘thigh’ area)

This isn’t at all gospel for Kshoshurankha’s lore and was mostly written due to my special interest in anatomy and zoology. I’m 100% open to any questions! (or suggestions) I’ll probably make a second post adding on to the life stages and other random trivia anyways \o/

Kshoshurankha (the character I reference multiple times) is 17 and in high school. Any asks about him that are genuinely disturbing, gory or in anyway unsavoury are not welcome.

[rabidskunkz]

Snake AU

I decided to do some snake AU Anti-Cosmo and Anti-Wanda.

I would like to just also appreciate my good pal Gr33n-Drag0n (aka Poison_Protocal on insta) who also has a snake/cobra AU version of AC/AW. They are very cool, you should check them out - though our AUs are completely different and have nothing to do with each others, I just wanted to shoutout my pal since they did do the snake au many, many years before me so I think its only fair to shout them out.

Anti-Wanda

Anti-Wanda is a western diamondback rattlesnake naga with a very large appetite. She appears pretty docile but will strike quick and with deadly poison. She enjoys relaxing and hiding away under shrubbery and sometimes beside rivers or ponds. She is mated to Anti-Cosmo and enjoys sleeping in his coils to keep warm.

Anti-Cosmo

Anti-Cosmo is an African Rock Python naga with a short temper. He is very territorial and isn't afraid to fight or kill others who dare get too close. He enjoys sunbathing and snuggling with his mate Anti-Wanda.

OFC this is not like accurate to the snakes fully but they are only half snake so it doesn't matter too much.

[intothetlkverse]

Decided to challenge myself by drawing every single TLK character out there, up until this point in time, and post it here. You can see the finished project on my main account, though I figured to post it on my tumblr just show I could proudly show off my work and a few of my head canons.

Here is all the snakes across TLK:

Starting off in the Lion Guard we have the most diverse character and well-known Ushari(provocation), the copper red Egyptian cobra. I do feel bad for the character in that it seemed he was set up to fail and be a villain from the very start, seeing him constantly get trampled and harmed by the group of young, reckless Lion Guard members. I honestly did hold out a sliver of hope that he would have a heel-face redemption, having him be a double-agent for the Pridelanders and end up delivering information to them while pretending to be the poor abused snake that is fed up with how he's been treating. If I ever rewrote the Lion Guard, I'd have that, to just give some positive representation of snakes in children's media, though in the end, no matter how hurt he's been in the past, he did make the decision all on his own to go down the destructive path to his doom.

Next up is the Strange Cobra who I have given the name Sephiri(secret-Southern Sotho). He's a melanistic, Black-necked spitting cobra and almost nothing is known about him. Sure Scar did mention him in his tale to Ushari, though Ushari is dead now. Additionally, while Askari did mention his tale of the lion and cobra to his guard and Mufasa and they did find the lion's body to corroborate his tale, they never did find the cobra's body. Perhaps he landed on the lion as they fell, breaking his fall, and lived to spread his deadly venom through generations, perhaps the guard wasn't thorough enough in looking for him. Regardless, his motives, name, identity, and legacy will forever lay in secrecy.

Last of the cobras we have the aptly named Cobra from the T&P Show's episode "Once Upon a Timon". A forest cobra named Kamba(rope), while Timon's colony may have escaped the hyenas, their new home is not without danger completely. Even as they assemble a task force, the Komboli Rangers, to help defend themselves and their pups, a new threat lurks unseen, only revealing itself when they least expect it.

Moving on we go from venomous cobras to constrictor pythons. Swallow-Whole/Kumeza(swallow), an African rock python from Hakuna Matata's "Snake Attack". A fully-grown python, it's not completely known how a warthog, meerkat, and adolescent lion cub were able to defeat a massive constrictor such as himself, though one thing is for sure, since that night he came across them he has sworn off all three species.

Next up is Joka(serpent), a lavender variant African python with from 6NA's "A Snake in the Grass". Using his bizarre scale color mutation to disarm and confuse potential prey, he also has a smooth tongue and sinister way of manipulating prey into becoming isolated from p0otnetiasl saviors, relishing seeing them suffer before devouring them. He too is defeated by the three, however an more adult Simba, and is flung down into a ravine where he meets his end.

Finishing up with antagonistic snakes, and coming originally from the Amazon rainforest in the T&P Show episode "Brazil Nuts", we have Eddie/Ejo(snake-Yoruba) and Ralph/Raf(seen-Arabic). Changed to fit in the African geography, Eddie is now an African Bush Viper and Ralph a grey gaboon viper. Despite being malicious and highly venomous creatures, the two share only one brain cell, and usually that goes on frequent holiday back to Brazil. Despite being two different species, the two are close as brothers from different mothers, and have agreed to help each other survive in this dangerous world where mongooses and snake-eating raptors exist.

Now going on to more protagonist/positive representations of snakes, first off from the Operation Pridelands game we have Kasai/Kasia(oar), a spotted bush snake. Considering they're an arboreal species, I decided to get him up into the trees. Kasia was part of the creatures on the list Zazu gave Kigali in order to find and bring back to the Pridelands to replenish the population. Snakes were part of the predator list, and while Kasia was weakened from the journey too to the Oasis, Kigali, Timon, and Pumbaa were able to find enough food to give him enough strength to make the journey back with them.

And lastly, from "Simba and a Snake for a Friend", we have Snakey/Akee(established-Arabic) the African tiger snake. A childhood friend of Nala's, they grew closer during Scar's reign. When Nala made her escape to find help, Akee was one of several animals, including Bahati, Daabi, and Zazu, which helped mask her trail, or in Akee's case, was present when the hyenas went looking for her tracks and scared him away with his, admittedly small, rear fangs and mild venom, preventing her from being followed.