Celebrating snakes at Turtle Back Zoo with a weigh-in for the reticulated python

WEST ORANGE, NJ — In celebration of World Snake Day, Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. helped animal keepers from the Turtle Back Zoo measure and weigh the reticulated python. The 16-year-old python, named Angie, weighed 132 pounds and was 17 feet and 2.75 inches long. World Snake Day was Saturday, July 16.

“Turtle Back Zoo is a fascinating and exciting place where exotic animals from around the world are on view. Having students from our summer camp and allowing the public to view the weigh-in and measuring is a rare opportunity to get an upclose look at these strong reptiles that usually are only seen behind glass,” DiVincenzo said in a press release.

“We are always looking for new ways to expand the zoo experience to educate the public about nature and conservation, and to raise awareness about the important role animals have in the world,” Turtle Back Zoo Director Brint Spencer said in the release. “Witnessing the power and grace that the reticulated python possesses will give people a better understanding and appreciation for the animals.”

Pythons are indigenous to tropical regions near the equator in Asia, Africa and Australia. They were introduced to the United States, South America and Europe as pets. Reticulated pythons are among the longest in the world, with the record being 33 feet. The reticulated python came to Turtle Back Zoo in 2005 when the Education and Reptile Building opened. When it first arrived it was 14 feet long and 90 pounds.

Generally, pythons have a forked tongue that helps them detect their prey. They kill through constriction, which means they literally squeeze the life out of their prey causing suffocation. Pythons swallow the entire body of their prey, so the larger the prey, the longer it takes to digest. This means the reptile may only eat four to five times a year. In the wild, pythons feed on lizards, caiman, monkeys, antelope and farm animals.

For more information about the zoo, call 973-731-5800 or visit www.essexcountynj.org.

  County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr., Turtle Back Zoo