# Central African rock python (*Python sebae*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/central-african-rock-python  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

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. 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.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 73 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 27.3 years – 30 years |
| Main food | impala |
| Habitat | forest |
| Egg incubation | 81 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 50 |
| Age at maturity | 4 years |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1 |
| Reproduction | Eggs |
| Conservation status | Near Threatened (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Reptilia
- order: Squamata
- family: Pythonidae
- genus: Python
- species: *Python sebae* (Gmelin, 1789)

Synonyms: *Boa hieroglyphica*, *Coluber sebae*, *Coluber speciosus*, *Python houttuyni*, *Python jubalis*, *Python liberiensis*, *Python natalensis*, *Python sebae sebae*

## Common questions

### 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

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), 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](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), 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](https://commons.wikimedia.org), 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](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), 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).

Cite as: Central African rock python (Python sebae). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/central-african-rock-python