Varanus Monitor

   It is widely distributed in India, Sri Lanka and a greater part of Burma. Like other species of varanus, it is carnivorous and feeds on birds, eggs of birds, small mammals, reptiles, fishes and even large insects. Sometimes it is also known to feed on carrion. It can run at a great speed and when it does so it keeps the tail lifted up at an angle from the ground. It can climb trees very well and when chased, it readily disappears in the hollow of a tree. When angered or cornered, it becomes ferocious and bites hard, hissing loudly and lashing its tail vigorously. It enters water readily and is able to swim well. Its coloration harmonises well with its surroundings. Its tail and claws are very strongly developed and the powerful grip with which it can take hold of vertical surfaces is well known. Its flesh is supposed to have restorative properties and hence used in making medicinal preparations. Its eggs are also eaten.

Python

   The Indian Python or Rock Snake, Python molurus (Tamil: Malai paambu), is the largest among Indian snakes. The Python is non-poisonous, but kills its prey by coiling around it and constricting it to death. It is capable of capturing and swallowing animals much larger than itself. Sometimes animals as large as a deer or a pig are known to have been swallowed by pythons. The Indian python is largely an inhabitant of the jungle, especially on the rocky slopes of low hills.

   The bones of python are of special interest as they support the 'spurs' which are the only vestigial remnants of the hind limbs found among living snakes today. The skeleton serve to illustrate how, in the absence of limbs, locomotion is effected in snakes by means of the numerous ribs which are attached to the abdominal muscles at their lower ends.