Reticulated python can behave and sound like a domestic cat

In combining two stories about reticulated pythons, I have come to the conclusion that this species of snake can behave and sound like a cat! The Guinness World Record’s longest snake in captivity is Medusa, a reticulated python. They say it purrs like a snake when happy!

Medusa
Medusa. Image: Guinness World Records.

I can’t confirm this interesting snippet of information but it is very strange as it seems that either the snake is copying the cat or the cat copies the snake regarding hissing, spitting and purring! The truth is probably less prosaic as I expect the snake’s purr is nothing like the cat’s purr. There may be a similarity but that’s about it.

I guess you know that the domestic cat’s wild ancestor learned to spit and hiss during its evolution by mimicking the snake as it discovered that it was an effective way of deterring predators.

And the other python story is on YouTube. A couple live with pet snakes and they stroke (pet) the snake as if they were petting a cat as you can see in the video.


Note: this is an embedded video and its lifespan on this site is probably limited. If it does not work, I am sorry but I can’t control its existence.


They claim that they pet python almost behaves as a cat or dog. I can see that as the enjoy being petted and this one is a ‘lap snake’. No, not a lap cat but a lap snake.

Pet reticulated python behaves like a cat or dog and is a lap snake
Pet reticulated python behaves like a cat or dog and is a lap snake

Funny (strange) that these two very different animals share some characteristics which would not occur to most. There is one last issue: the cat’s reflexes are faster than those of the snake and the snake’s reflexes are recognised as very fast.

Do cats have the quickest reflexes of all land-based mammals?

Rare photo of a feral cat in battle with the venomous mulga snake

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Post Category: Cats > behaviour