About This Lesson
Lemondrop, a bright yellow 15 ft (4.4 m) male albino reticulated python, gets a physical exam before being introduced to his new home at the Academy. The snake lacks the dark pigment melanin necessary for normal coloration; lack of coloration can be a survival disadvantage because he won’t blend into the environment and is more likely to be spotted by predators. Lemondrop was born in captivity and hasn’t faced the perils of the jungle environment. Reticulated pythons are nonvenomous ambush hunters using both sight and smell to locate prey.