The specific name, reticulatus, is Latin meaning "net-like", or reticulated, and is a reference to the complex color pattern. The reticulated python was first described in 1801 by German naturalist Johann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider, who described two zoological specimens held by the Göttingen Museum in 1801 that differed slightly in colour and pattern as separate species- Boa reticulata and Boa rhombeata. Adult humans have been killed (and in at least two reported cases, eaten) by reticulated pythons. Like all pythons, it is a non-venomous constrictor. It is an excellent swimmer, has been reported far out at sea, and has colonized many small islands within its range. Due to this, reticulated pythons are one of the most economically important reptiles worldwide. In several countries in its range, it is hunted for its skin, for use in traditional medicine, and for sale as pets. It is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List because of its wide distribution. It is the world's longest snake, and is among the three heaviest. The reticulated python ( Malayopython reticulatus) is a python species native to South and Southeast Asia.
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