A Study On The Growth And Development Of Larval Pythonunder The Condition Of Artificial Feeding

Indian python(Python molurus) is a species of order Serpentes, family Pythonidae, and genus Python. It listed as first class protected species in China, and in the Appendix II of CITES. Now, there are two confirmed subspecies P. m. molurus and P. m. bivittatus, the latter also distributed in Guangxi Province, China.In this study, body index of14artificial breeding Indian python in Guangxi Liuzhou Zoo were measured. Food intake and defecation quantity of each time, and the date of ecdysis were documented. After determining nutrients, measuring the body mass and length, and processing the date of growth, results of breeding and growth of python in artificial breeding in Guangxi are as following:(1) Nutrition. For snakelet just out the shell, food is not necessary, but water should be provided in time and vitamins could be added in water to improve the health. Snakelet, which10days after hatching or exuviate for the first time, can be feed with newly hatched chicken. Feeding time and quantity should be fixed to avoid snakelet eat each other because of hungry. According to the comparison and analysis on growth and absolute growing speed, it was primarily confirmed that the manmade formula feed used in this study is suitable for the growth of python.(2)Digestibility feature was different in different months. The digestibility of python was increasing from10months old to20months old and reached peak at20months old. Then digestibility decreased along with the age, and reached to a lower level at40months old.(3)Digestibility feature at the same age was different with different components. Each month, crude fat and phosphorus digestibility was higher,and the utilization of crude protein and calcium was lower.(4) Growth of body weight. Von Bertalanffy model, Gompertz model, and Logistic model were used to construct the weight growth curve of python. Results showed that the growth peak of male python was from7months old to8months old, and that of female python is from9months old to10months old. The body weight of male was significantly greater than that of female during8to21months old, and body weight of female was greater than that of male during22to45months old.(5) Growth of body length. Von Bertalanffy model, Gompertz model, and Logistic model were used to construct the length growth curve of python. The growth peak of male was from3to4months old, and that of female was from4to5months old. The body length of male was greater than female during1to22months old, and body length of female was greater than that of male during22to45months old. Length between snout and anus in male was greater than that in female during1to22months old, but that reversed during23to45months old.