They range in size between 0.5 and 10 m. Some show vidivly patterns on their scales while others are a non-descript brown. They coil around the pile until all eggs have hatched. These enable them to detect objects that are hotter than the surrounding environment. Pythons that do not have heat-sensing organs identify their prey by smell.
Pythons typically stay in a camouflaged position and then suddenly strike.
They then grasp the prey in their teeth, and kill by constriction. Death is usually a result of suffocation or heart failure rather than crushing. Pythons will not usually attack humans unless startled or provoked.