Pythons

[Paleosuchus]

Life history trait overview for Somali rock pythons
(Source material)

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

Take aways from the above

1. The ~9.8m figure often quoted as the largest reliable animal(See O'shea) is apparently hinged on anecdotal evidence
2. A 7.8m figure has been(apparently) accepted by the authors as a reliable measurement, one of the larger authenticated snakes on records if it stands
3.  Mean total body length measurements are reported at 3m "estimations, but i hold reservations on the validity of this, as eye witness testimony and estimations are not independently reliable. However it should be noted if these do hold true, that this is around the size most animals attain sexual maturity(this will be shown later), so while they are adult animals, they are not very aged animals; you can expect a more aged animal to measure 4-5m, typically. A large animal would appear to be in the range of 5-6m, with the absolute largest measuring in excess of 7m. This of course is the size(closer to 4m mark) that they begin to focus on large bodied herbivores as a staple in their diet, as will be seen in the following.
   

Diet

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*This image is copyright of its original author

Growth rates & sexual maturity

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*This image is copyright of its original author

Take aways
   1. As noted by the author of the article abundance of food and environmental factors will greatly affect the growth rates of young pythons, and of course size and age at maturity will vary between localities; those reported in McCurley & Glasgow showing sooner reproductive activity than those reported from Cameroon. Age at maturity and reproductive activity is very variable in sauropsida, and can vary between smaller than expected sizes or greater than expected sizes(Crocodilians pop to mind as a great example of this). It is an interesting prospect for studies. Reply