THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY

Reptilia    Squamata (part-snakes)    Pythonidae  

Northern African Rock Python
Python sebae (Gmelin, 1788)
PIE-thon — SEE-bay

SSAR 9th Edition Comments:
 Native to sub-Saharan Africa from Kenya and Tanzania west to Mali and Mauritania. It was introduced via the pet trade in Sarasota and Miami-Dade counties, Florida, and is established in western Miami near US Highway 41 and Krome Avenue, (Reed et al., 2010, Reptiles & Amphibians 17: 52–54; Mendyk et al., 2016, Reptiles & Amphibians 23: 16–20; Krysko et al., 2019, Python sebae. Pages 458–460 in Krysko et al. (Editors) Amphibians and Reptiles of Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, Florida). (Krysko, Kenneth and Travis W. Taggart. 2025. Established Exotic Species. Pages 64-87 in Kirsten E. Nicholson (Editor), Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding, 9th Edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Lawrence, Kansas. 87 pp.)

Range maps are based on curated specimens and provided gratis by CNAH.
(Created by Travis W. Taggart; Version: 2025.03.30.20.22.13)
Download GeoJSON polygon range file: - 0.17 MB

Province/State Distribution:
United States: Florida

Taxonomic Etymology:
Named for a French naturalist.
Python — From Greek mythology: the monstrous serpent Python slain by Apollo at Delphi. Adopted for large constricting snakes by Linnaeus.
sebae — A patronym honoring Albertus Seba (1665–1736), a Dutch pharmacist and zoologist whose museum collections formed a foundation for early taxonomy.

First instance(s) of published English names:
No historic English names have been assigned to this taxon yet.

Taxon Links:

  
Catalog of American Amphibians and Reptiles
  
The Reptile Database
  
NatureServe
  
iNaturalist
  
GenBank
  
USGS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database

Selected References:
1788 Gmelin, Johann F. Caroli a Linné. Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tom. I. Pars III. [Charles from Linnaeus. The system of nature through the three kingdoms of nature, according to classes, orders, genera, species, with characters, differences, synonyms, places. Volume 1. Part 3.] Impensis Georg Emanuel Beer, Lipsiae [Leipzig], Germany. 1035pp.
2010 Reed, Robert N., Kenneth L. Krysko, Ray W. Snow, and Gordon H. Rodda. Is the Northern African Python (Python sebae) established in southern Florida. , . 52-54pp.
2016 Mendyk, Robert W., Kenneth L. Krysko, Michael R. Rochford, Sean-Patrick Wallace, and Frank J. Mazzotti Reproductive biology of female Northern African Rock Pythons (Python sebae) in southern Florida, USA. Reptiles & Amphibians 23(1):16–20
2019 Krysko, Kenneth L., Kevin M. Enge, and Paul E. Moler (Editor) Amphibians and Reptiles of Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. 728pp.

THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY — Accessed: Friday 05 December 2025 16:52 CT