Slinky creatures: The 29 pythons slithering in a drain behind a Shah Alam eatery. — Photo from Shah Alam Fire and Rescue Department
SHAH ALAM: It was a sight that would make anyone who has a fear of snakes feel squeamish: 28 baby pythons and their mother were found inside a drain behind a restaurant in Section 20 near here.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department deputy director (Operations) Ahmad Mukhlis Mukhtar said firemen received a distress call on the snakes being spotted at the location at 9.56pm on Wednesday.A team of six rescuers from Shah Alam’s fire and rescue station was sent to the scene.
“The firemen found what appeared to be 28 newly hatched baby pythons, along with their mother, slithering in the drain.
“The team members used poles with loops to catch the reptiles.
“The snakes were all safely released into a jungle after they were captured,” said Ahmad Mukhlis.
When contacted, veterinarian Dr Lohanthira Kumaar said it was surprising that all the hatchlings from the same clutch were caught with their mother.“Usually, the offspring will go away on their own immediately after being hatched.
“The adult python will also move away from the hatchlings, if not immediately, after a short while,” said Dr Lohanthira, who specialises in wildlife and is the resident veterinarian at a theme park in Melaka.Only about one or two hatchlings from a clutch will survive to become adult pythons, he added.
“Most will end up as prey to other snakes, such as the King Cobra, which is known to eat python hatchlings,” he said.
Reptile enthusiast Francis Poh said he was also surprised to learn that the hatchlings from the python’s clutch were still together with their mother.
“In my experience, once they hatch, the pythons would move away and go everywhere, as opposed to all being at the same spot,” said Poh.
Although not venomous, he said bites from large pythons can sever a person’s veins as the snakes have very long and sharp teeth.
“Large pythons can also coil around one’s body and constrict,” said Poh, who is often called to rescue snakes and monitor lizards from homes and neighbourhoods.Python enthusiast Zakwan Fadzil said from the photographs of the snakes seen on the Internet, the snake found in the drain was a reticulated python, also known as “ular sawa batik”.
“It is a protected species in Malaysia. It’s sad that the snake had to huddle in the drainage because it may have lost its natural habitat,” he added.
Zakwan, who has a pet ball python, said it takes about three months for pythons to mate and the hatchlings to emerge from the eggs.
“Once the eggs have been laid, the female python will coil around them and lie there until they hatch. This will take about two months or even slightly longer,’’ he added.
Due to this, Zakwan said it is possible that the female python was holed up in the drain for about two to three months.
He said the female python does not eat throughout this period. Once the eggs have hatched and she can move away, she would be lethargic and very hungry.
“She will eat up the dead and weak hatchlings and move away from her babies to go and look for food,’’ Zakwan added.
