<P> Burmese pythons also compete with the native American alligator, and numerous instances of alligators and pythons attacking - and in some cases, preying on - each other have been reported and recorded . </P> <P> Burmese pythons are mainly nocturnal rainforest dwellers . When young, they are equally at home on the ground and in trees, but as they gain girth, they tend to restrict most of their movements to the ground . They are also excellent swimmers, being able to stay submerged for up to half an hour . Burmese pythons spend the majority of their time hidden in the underbrush . In the northern parts of its range, the Indian python may brumate for some months during the cold season in a hollow tree, a hole in the riverbank, or under rocks . Brumation is biologically distinct from hibernation . While the behaviour has similar benefits, specifically to endure the winter without moving, it also involves preparation of both male and female reproductive organs for the upcoming breeding season . Controversy exists over whether the Burmese species is able to brumate . </P> <P> Burmese pythons breed in the early spring, with females laying clutches of 12--36 eggs in March or April . They remain with the eggs until they hatch, wrapping around them and twitching their muscles in such a way as to raise the ambient temperature around the eggs by several degrees . Once the hatchlings use their egg tooth to cut their way out of their eggs, no further maternal care is given . The newly hatched often remain inside their eggs until they are ready to complete their first shedding of skin, after which they hunt for their first meal . </P> <P> Like all snakes, the Burmese python is carnivorous . Its diet consists primarily of appropriately sized birds and mammals . The snake uses its sharp rearward - pointing teeth to seize its prey, then wraps its body around the prey, at the same time contracting its muscles, killing the prey by constriction . It is often found near human habitation due to the presence of rats, mice, and other vermin as a food source . However, its equal affinity for domesticated birds and mammals means it is often treated as a pest . In captivity, its diet consists primarily of commercially available, appropriately sized rats, graduating to larger prey such as rabbits and poultry as it grows . Exceptionally large pythons may even require larger food items such as pigs or goats, and are known to have attacked and eaten alligators and adult deer in Florida, where they are an invasive species . </P>

Where does the burmese python get its name