Central African rock python
Python sebae (Gmelin, 1789)
The central African rock python (Python sebae) is a large snake in the family Pythonidae, also called the African rock python or Northern African python. Adults have a body mass of 73 kg, and its main food is impala.
Quick facts about the central African rock python
The IUCN Red List assesses it as Near Threatened, which is not a threatened category, and its lifespan is 27.3 years, with values up to 30 years.
- Weight
- 73 kgsrc for Weight
- Length
- Not recorded
- Lifespan
- 27.3 years – 30 yearssrc for Lifespan
- Main food
- impalasrc for Main food
- Habitat
- forestsrc for Habitat
- Egg incubation
- 81 dayssrc for Egg incubation
- Young per litter or clutch
- 50src for Young per litter or clutch
- Age at maturity
- 4 yearssrc for Age at maturity
- Litters or clutches a year
- 1src for Litters or clutches a year
- Reproduction
- Eggssrc for Reproduction
- Conservation status
- Near Threatened (IUCN)src for Conservation status
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
Photos of the central African rock python
Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.
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Where does the central African rock python live?
Not recorded
What is the central African rock python?
The Central African rock python (Python sebae) is a species of large constrictor snake in the family Pythonidae. The species is native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of ten living species in the genus Python.
It is Africa's largest snake, and one of the eight largest snake species in the world, along with the green anaconda, reticulated python, Burmese python, Southern African rock python, Indian python, yellow anaconda and Australian scrub python. Specimens may approach or exceed 6 m (20 ft). The Southern African rock python is generally smaller than its northern relative and in general, the Central African rock python is regarded as one of the longest species of snake in the world. The snake is found in a variety of habitats, from forests to near deserts, although usually near sources of water. The snake becomes dormant during the dry season. The Central African rock python kills its prey by constriction and often eats animals up to the size of antelope, occasionally even crocodiles. The snake reproduces by egg-laying. Unlike most snakes, the female protects her nest and sometimes even her hatchlings.
The snake is widely feared, though it is nonvenomous and very rarely kills humans. Although the snake is not endangered, it does face threats from habitat reduction and hunting. Some cultures in sub-Saharan Africa consider it a delicacy, which may pose a threat to its population.
From the Wikipedia article “Central African rock python” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Central_African_rock_python&oldid=1384923690), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
Is the central African rock python endangered?
The central African rock python is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List: it is close to qualifying as threatened.
- LCLeast Concern
- NTNear Threatened
- VUVulnerable
- ENEndangered
- CRCritically Endangered
- EWExtinct in the Wild
- EXExtinct
Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Near Threatened species.
How is the central African rock python classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- classReptilia
- orderSquamata
- familyPythonidae
- genusPython
- SpeciesPython sebae (Gmelin, 1789)
Synonyms Boa hieroglyphica, Coluber sebae, Coluber speciosus, Python houttuyni, Python jubalis, Python liberiensis, Python natalensis, Python sebae sebae
Other names and names in other languages (26)
- African (rock) pythonEnglish
- African rock pythonEnglish
- African rock pythonEnglish
- Northern African pythonEnglish
- LuislangAfrikaans
- أصلة الصخورArabic
- krajta písmenkováCzech
- FelsenpythonGerman
- Nördlicher FelsenpythonGerman
- pitón de SebaSpanish
- pitón africana de rocaSpanish
- Python de SebaFrench
- פיתון סלעים אפריקניHebrew
- pitone di SebaItalian
- Pitone delle rocce africanoItalian
- KlippepytonNorwegian Bokmål
- RotspythonDutch
- HiërogliefenslangDutch
- Noordelijke rotspythonDutch
- pyton skalnyPolish
- Píton-norte-africanaPortuguese
- Скальный питонRussian
- Иероглифовый питонRussian
- chatuSwahili
- งูหลามแอฟริกาThai
- 非洲岩蟒Chinese
Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistITISWikidataIUCN Red List
Relatives of the central African rock python
Other species in the same genus Python.
Ball python
Python regius
Indian python
Python molurus
Burmese python
Python bivittatus
Blood python
Python curtus
Angolan python
Python anchietae
Blood python
Python brongersmai
CompareCentral African rock python vs Ball pythonCentral African rock python vs Indian pythonCentral African rock python vs Burmese pythonCentral African rock python vs Blood python
Common questions
Each answer is written from the sourced facts on this page, and only where they hold the answer.
What kind of animal is the central African rock python?
It is a snake, a reptile in the order Squamata and the family Pythonidae.
How heavy is the central African rock python?
Adults have a body mass of 73 kg, which places it in the large size class (25 to 250 kg).
What does the central African rock python eat?
Its main food is impala.
Is the central African rock python endangered?
No. The IUCN Red List assesses it as Near Threatened, which is not a threatened category.
How long does the central African rock python live?
Its lifespan is 27.3 years, with values up to 30 years reported.
How many eggs does the central African rock python lay?
It lays 50 eggs per clutch and one clutch per year, and the eggs incubate for 81 days.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles · CC0 1.0 · E096-269
Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1 - Catalogue of Life eXtended Release · CC BY 4.0 · 2026-10-16 XR
Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf - Wikimedia Commons · per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed) · 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence). - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).
Embed a card for this animal on your own site
Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.
CreatureData. (2026). Central African rock python (Python sebae). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/central-african-rock-python
“Central African rock python (Python sebae).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/central-african-rock-python.
@misc{central_african_rock_python_2026,
title = {Central African rock python (Python sebae)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/central-african-rock-python},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}