World’s Most Beautiful, Colorful and Unique Shrimps

Here’s a list of peculiar, attractive and pretty shrimps.

Here they are … the colorful and beautiful ones…

Striped Bumble Bee Shrimp

One of the prettiest species of shrimps is the Striped Bumblebee Shrimp. The beautiful and colorful Striped Bumblebee Shrimp or Gnathophyllum americanum is a shrimp species that can be found in tropical bays, lagoons and reefs.

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This brightly-colored creature with blue highlights usually grows to a length of 2.5 cm.  

Heterocarpus ensifer

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Heterocarpus ensifer is a colorful deep-water shrimp species that is found in the Atlantic Ocean. Other subspecies of this beautifully colored shrimp can be found in the Pacific Ocean and around the Philippines and Indonesia.

Pederson’s Shrimp

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Pederson's Shrimp or Periclimenes pedersoni is a type of cleaner shrimp. The lovely-looking specimen on the above picture was photographed in Bonaire, Dutch Antilles.

Fire Shrimp

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Fire Shrimp or Lysmata debelius is a colorful cleaner shrimp species endemic to the Indo-Pacific region. Because of its beautiful appearance, it is popular in the aquarium trade, where it is known as the Blood Shrimp, Fire Shrimp or Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp.

Northern Cleaner Shrimp

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The Northern Cleaner Shrimp or Lysmata amboinensis is a colorful omnivorous shrimp species which is widespread in the Red Sea and Tropical Indo-Pacific area. It scavenge and eat parasites and dead tissue making them safe and beneficial in salt water tanks since it clean both the tank and occasionally other fish within the tank.

Common Prawn

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Although the Palaemon serratus is commonly called Common Prawn, it is actually a shrimp species. It can be found in the Atlantic Ocean from Denmark to Mauritania. It can be found too in the Black and Mediterranean Seas. It can live up to 5 years.

Cardinal Shrimp

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The brightly-colored Cardinal Shrimp or Caridina dennerli is a small shrimp species that can be found in Indonesia. It grows to a length of up to 2.5 cm. It is popularly known as the 'Cardinal Shrimp' in the aquarium trade.

Pink Shrimp

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Pink Shrimp or Pandalus borealis is a shrimp species found in cold parts of the Pacic and Atlantic Oceans. It is also known for a variety of common names such as Deepwater Prawn, Deep-sea Prawn, Great Northern Prawn, Crevette Nordique and Northern Shrimp.

It can live up to 8 years and lives at depths of up 1,330 m, usually on soft muddy bottoms, in waters with a temperature of 2–14 °.It can grow up to 16.5 cm. Pink Shrimp are hermaphroditic. They start out male, but after year or two, their testicles turn to ovaries and they complete their lives as females

Spotted Cleaner Shrimp

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The Spotted Cleaner Shrimp or Periclimenes yucatanicus is a kind of cleaner shrimp that can be found in the Caribbean Sea. It lives in sea anemone and sways its body and waves its antennae in order to attract fish from which they eat dead tissue, algae, and parasites.

Here they are … the unique and weird-looking ones…

American Ghost Shrimp

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The American Ghost Shrimp or Palaemonetes paludosus is a freshwater shrimp species from the Eastern United States. It is also commonly called the Eastern Grass Shrimp and Glass Shrimp. It can grow up to 2.5 cm long and largely transparent.

Australian Tadpole Shrimp

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The Australian Tadpole Shrimp or Triops australiensis is a uniquely structured Australian species of Triops. It lives temporary pools of water in the arid regions of the Australian outback.

Cameroon Ghost Shrimp

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The Cameroon Ghost Shrimp or Lepidophthalmus turneranus is a ghost shrimp species that lives off the coast of West Africa. It occasionally irrupts into dense swarms, one of which resulted in the naming of the country Cameroon. It can grow up to 14.5 cm long.

Longtail Tadpole Shrimp

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The Longtail Tadpole Shrimp or Triops longicaudatus is a freshwater shrimp species that resembles a miniature horseshoe crab. It is characterized by an elongated, segmented body, flattened shield-like brownish carapace covering two thirds of the thorax and two long filaments on the abdomen. Triops refers to its three eyes, and longicaudatus refers to the elongated tail structures. It is found in freshwater ponds and pools, often in places where few higher forms of life can exist. It is one of the oldest animal species still in existence. It is also commonly called American Tadpole Shrimp or Rice Tadpole Shrimp.

Horseshoe Shrimp

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The Horseshoe Shrimp or Triops cancriformis is an endangered tadpole shrimp species. It can be found in Europe. It can reach a length of 6 cm in captivity. In their natural habitat, it can grow up to 11 cm. This species is considered to be one of the oldest living species on the planet at around 200 million years old.

Artemia salina

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Artemia salina is a very old brine shrimp species that does not appear to have changed in 100 million years. Adults have three eyes and 11 pairs of legs and can grow to about 1.5 cm in size.

Pestarella tyrrhena

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Pestarella tyrrhena is an odd-looking crustacean that belongs to mud shrimps. It lives in burrows in shallow sandy parts of the seabed of Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. It can grow up to 7 cm and has been used as bait by fishermen for the last 200 years.

See also

• Pretty Aquatic Pets: 10 Most Beautiful Shrimps
• Pretty Aquatic Pets: 18 (More) Beautiful Shrimps
• Unique and Bizarre Shrimps for Your Tank

Colorful and Unique Crabs That Beautify and Clean Your Aquarium Tank

Yes, crabs are also popular exotic aquarium pets. The most brightly-colored and most beautiful species are the usual creatures you’ll find in pet shops.

Here’s a list of the most beautiful and popular crabs in the world for your aquarium tank.

Striped Hermit Crab (Ciliopagurus strigatus)

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The Striped Hermit Crab is a brightly colored aquatic hermit crab. It is a favorite aquarium pet for its ability to routinely clean algae. It is an attractive pet for its festive striped coloration and is considered the most brightly colored hermit crab in normal aquarium use.

It feeds on anything but remember to feed it with the needed meat such as mussels, shrimp, clams and scallop so that it will not attack other fish and invertebrate in the tank. Overall, it can support a healthy aquarium environment. It is also known as Halloween Hermit Crab and Orange Legged Hermit Crab.

Blue-legged Hermit Crab (Clibanarius tricolor)

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The Blue Legged Hermit Crab is a brightly-colored crustacean that can be found in the Caribbean Sea. It is a popular aquarium pet and is known for various common names such as Tricolor Hermit Crab, Blue Leg Reef Hermit Crab, Equal Handed Hermit Crab and Blueleg Hermit Crab.

This lovely marine animal is characterized by its blue legs with red banding. It can attain a length of 2 cm and feeds on dead plants and animals, green hair algae, seaweed and cyanobacteria. Like the Halloween Hermit Crab, it is a popular aquarium hermit crab because of its coloration and because its feeding habits lead it to clean tanks.

Anemone Hermit Crab (Dardanus pedunculatus)

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Another hermit crab species that you can put to your aquarium tank to beautify it is the attractive Anemone Hermit Crab. This species is native to the Indo-pacific region and collects sea anemones to place on its shell for defense, hence the common name. This popular pet in marine aquaria can be found in Seychelles, Japan, Hawaii and Australia.

Feather Star Squat Lobster (Allogalathea elegans)

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The beautiful Allogalathea elegans on the above picture was taken in Cebu, Philippines where it is endemic. Feather Star Squat Lobster is also known as Crinoid Squat Lobster or Elegant Squat Lobster.

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The Feather Star Squat Lobster on the above photo is a black and white color morph. It is kept in marine aquariua because of its egg-shaped and striped body, beauty and elegance. In an aquarium, it requires a water temperature of 77–79 °F (25–26 °C), a pH of 8.1–8.3 and a salinity of 1.020–1.024. It feeds on thawed food and small freeze dried items.

Strawberry Hermit Crab (Coenobita perlatus)

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The Strawberry Hermit Crab is a terrestrial hermit crab that features reddish orange colors. This popular aquarium pet is a widespread scavenger across the Indo-Pacific region. It can grow up to 8 cm and can weigh 80 grams. In the wild, animals may live up to 30 years but only live for up to 4 years in captivity.

Caribbean Hermit Crab (Coenobita clypeatus)

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The Caribbean Hermit Crab is lovely-looking land hermit crab endemic to the West Atlantic, Bahamas, Belize, Florida, Virgin Island, West Indies and Venezuela. This scavenger and herbivorous creature feeds on animal and plant remains, overripe fruit, and feces of other animals. It uses the shell of the West Indian Top Snail for its home.

The Caribbean Hermit Crab is a popular pet sold in the United State. It is also known for a variety of common names such as Soldier Crab, West Atlantic Crab, Tree Crab, and Purple Pincher because of the distinctive purple claw.

Ecuadorian Hermit Crab (Coenobita compressus)

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The Ecuadorian Hermit Crab, also known as the Pacific Hermit Crab is another species of land hermit crab commonly sold as pet in the United States. It is one of the smallest hermit crabs in the world growing only up to 1.2 cm in length. If properly treated, it has a lifespan of up to 23 years with some cases of reaching 32 years.

Australian Land Hermit Crab (Coenobita variabilis)

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The Australian Land Hermit Crab is a terrestrial hermit crab endemic to Australia. This creature, which is kept as a pet, is a nocturnal, omnivorous crustacean. It can attain a length of 4 cm.

See also 

• The World’s Most Colorful Crabs
• World’s Most Colorful and Unique Hermit Crabs
• Unique and Peculiar Squat Lobsters
• Freakiest and Weirdest Crabs in the World
• Amazingly Unique and Weird Lobsters 
• World’s Most Colorful Lobster in Their Natural Habitats
• World’s Most Colorful and Unique Porcelain Crabs 
• The Most Beautiful and Distinctively Colorful Hermit Crabs in the World 

Small Snakes for Exotic Pet and Their Diet

These small snakes are affordable exotic pets to keep because they require minimal expenses for their food and maintenance.

Spotted Python (Antaresia maculosa)

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The beautiful Spotted Python is a non-venomous snake of Northern Australia. It is a very popular pet among Australian reptile enthusiasts due to its small size which can attain a length of up to 140 cm only.

Diet:

Its favorite food is bat but will usually accept mice and small rodents in captivity.

Albino Checkered Garter Snake (Thamnophis marcianus)

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The Albino Checkered Garter Snake is a lovely-looking snake native to the United States. The Checkered Garter Snake is typically green in color, with a distinct, black checkerboard pattern down its back. It is capable of growing to lengths of 42 inches or less than 4 ft. It is the easiest garter snake to tame; even a wild one can become tame in a few days when handled carefully.

Diet:

It feeds on small frogs, toads, small fish and earthworms. If already trained, it feeds also on small mice or fish fillet. It rarely bites but it releases a smelly liquid onto your body.

Eastern Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis sauritus sauritus)

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The Eastern Ribbon Snake is a small snake that can be kept as exotic pet. It is native to the United States and gets its name from its very thin body. It can achieve a length of up to 86 cm. It is also informally called Common Ribbon Snake.

Diet:

The Ribbon Snake generally eat small fish, tadpoles, salamanders, small frogs and toads, and occasionally insects. In some cases the female has been observed eating her young.

Pygmy Python (Antaresia perthensis)

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Another species of small python native to Australia is the Pygmy Python which grow to a length of 50 cm only or less than 2 ft and weigh up to 210 grams only. It is relatively smaller than the Spotted Python and the Children’s Python.

Diet:

This small exotic reptile pet feeds on small rodents such as mice and rats.

Plains Garter Snake (Thamnophis radix)

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Another relatively thin and slender snake is the Plains Garter Snake. It is endemic to the United States and has a distinctive orange or yellow stripe that goes from its head to tail. It can grow up to 91 cm in length.

Diet:

This garter snake typical diet is consists of earthworms, slugs and small amphibians, such are larvae of salamanders. It also feeds on small birds like Bank swallows and Easter Meadowlarks.

San Francisco Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia)

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The San Francisco Garter Snake is a slender multi-colored snake native to California, USA. This endangered species prefers wet and marshy areas and is elusive to see or capture. It is estimated that there are up to 2000 individuals that remains.

Maritime Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis pallidulus)

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The uniquely-patterned Maritime Garter Snake or scientifically named Thamnophis sirtalis pallidulus is a subspecies of garter snake.  The specimen on the above photo was taken in Nova Scotia.

See also 

• World’s Most Beautiful, Colorful and Highly Recommended Small Exotic Snake Pets 
• The World’s Most Colorful Snakes 
• Stocky, Colorful and Beautifully Marked Snakes for Pet
• The World’s Most Attractive and Colorful Reptiles
• Bizarre and Exotic Pets: Weird and Unique Turtle 
• Uniquely Patterned and Colorful Slender Snakes
• World’s Most Colorful Banded Snake and Their Distinct Characteristics
• Brightly Colored Snakes with Unique Geometrical Patterns 
• Top 15 Most Venomous Cobras in the World 
• The World’s Most Venomous Snakes 
• World’s Largest and Longest Snakes Ever 
• Snakes With Unique Patterns and Distinct Blotches and Markings 

The World’s Most Colorful Medium-sized Slender Snakes for Exotic Pets

If you don’t like large and small colorful snakes for pet, you can consider colorful medium-sized snakes for pet.

Here’s a list of colorful medium-sized slender snakes for you to choose from.

Green Unicorn (Rhynchophis boulengeri)

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The brightly colored Green Unicorn is a beautiful slender snake from Vietnam and other parts of Asia. It looks like a unicorn for the distinctive, scaled protrusion on the front of its snout. This snake that features a single horn on the front of its snout is also known as Rhinoceros Ratsnake, Rhinoceros Snake, Rhino Rat Snake and Vietnamese Long-nosed Snake.

Honduran Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum hondurensis)

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As its common name implies, the colorful, slender and beautiful Honduran Milk Snake is endemic to Honduras. This snake is one of the more commonly bred milk snakes in captivity. It can grow up to a length of 5 ft and its base color is red with distinct rings or bands of black and yellow. It adapts well to captivity due to its docile nature. It must be housed alone.

Diet:

The Honduran Milk Snake feeds on other snakes, birds, eggs, lizards and rodents and uses constriction to kill its prey.

Slender Boa (Corallus hortulanus)

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The Slender Boa is a colorful and uniquely patterned snake. Unlike most boa species which are often stocky, this one is slender. This non-venomous snake is endemic to South America and can grow up to 6.5 feet or 2 m in length. Just take note, this animal is notorious for being very aggressive and has very long sharp teeth which make its bite a bit painful. Don’t worry, its not fatal.

Corn Snake (Pantherophis guttatus)

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The Corn Snake or Red Rat Snake is a colorful slender snake of North America. It is ideal for a pet due to its docile nature and reluctance to bite. It can grow up to 5.9 feet or 1.8 meters in length.

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You will surely love its bright coloration attractive pattern. It is also very simple to care which make it a popular pet snakes. It usually lives around 23 years in captivity.

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Diet:

The diet of Corn Snakes includes rodents such as mice and rats. It can be feed with small lizards and it prefers Anoles.

Black Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum gaigeae)

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I don’t know why they called this beautiful and colorful snake the Black Milk Snake although its most prominent color is red. This milk snake species is the largest known Milk Snake. It can be found in the mountains of Panama and Costa Rica. It can attain a length of up to 7 ft or more than 2 meters.

Diet:

Black Milk Snakes typically eat mice, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, reptile eggs, birds, and bird eggs in the wild.

Golden Carpet Python (Morelia spilota cheynei)

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The Golden Python is one, if no the only, slender species of all pythons. This non-venomous python can be found in Queensland, Australia. This colorful python can grow up to 8 ft in length and can live up to 30 years in captivity.

Diet:

This slim-bodied python, which is the brightest of all Morelia, feeds on chicken (chicks), quails, mice and rats

Pueblan Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum campbelli)

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The Pueblan Milk Snake, which is also commonly called Campbell's Milk Snake, is a non-venomous snake. The Pueblan Milk Snake is commonly bred in captivity and is found in several color variations with base color of red with distinct rings or bands of black and whitish yellow. It can attain a length of up to 48 inches or 4 ft.

Diet:

The pretty Pueblan Milk Snakes feeds on birds, frogs, mice, rats and snakes even the most venomous species.

See also 

• The World’s Most Colorful Snakes 
• Uniquely Patterned and Colorful Slender Snakes
• Stocky, Colorful and Beautifully Marked Snakes for Pet 
• Bizarre and Exotic Pets: Weird and Unique Turtle 
• The World’s Most attractive and Colorful Reptiles 
• World’s Most Colorful Banded Snake and Their Distinct Characteristics 
• Brightly Colored Snakes with Unique Geometrical Patterns 
• Top 15 Most Venomous Cobras in the World 
• The World’s Most Venomous Snakes 
• World’s Largest and Longest Snakes Ever

The World’s Most Colorful Large Snakes for Pets

Extra large snakes are popular attractions in zoos from around the world. There are several large snake species to choose from but only a few are brightly colored although most of them are uniquely patterned.

Here are the most colorful large snakes in the world for pet.

Albino Burmese Python (Python molurus bivittatus)

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The Albino Burmese Python is one of the most beautiful large snakes in the world. It is also one of the largest and native to Southeast Asia. It can grow to a length of up to 19 ft or 5.8 meters.

Brazilian Rainbow Boa (Epicrates cenchria cenchria)

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The Brazilian Rainbow Boa is a large colorful snake native to Brazil. It was commonly name Brazilian Rainbow Boa for its vivid and bright coloration. This exotic pet is not advisable for beginners. Young specimens will often bite, but tend to calm down as they become more used to handling.

Peruvian Rainbow Boa (Epicrates cenchria)

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Another very colorful large snake is the Peruvian Rainbow Boa of Peru in South America.

Green Tree Python (Morelia viridis)

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The Green Tree Python is a large bright green snake with white spots. This beautiful snake is endemic to Indonesia and New Guinea and part of Australia. It can grow up to 200 cm or 6.6 ft in length. It feeds on small mammals, such as rodents, and sometimes reptiles.

Boelen Python (Morelia boeleni)

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This colorful large snake is commonly known as Boelen Python. This huge non-venomous snake is native to New Guinea. This beautiful snake is considered to be highly desirable by private keepers due to its beauty, but is also exceptionally rare in collections

Diamond Python (Morelia spilota spilota)

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The Diamond Python is a large snake of Australia. It was commonly named Diamond Python due to the presence of numerous clusters of yellow/cream scales that form 'rosettes' that look a bit like diamonds. It can grow up to 4 meters in length and is commonly kept in captivity by collectors in Australia and around the world. Its diet includes rats and other rodents

Macklot's Python (Liasis mackloti savuensis)

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Macklot's Python is a non-venomous subspecies endemic to Indonesia. Prospective owners should remember that this huge snake has a reputation for being an irritable snake. It can grow up to Adults may grow to 7 feet or 213 cm in length or longer. This colorful snake breeds easily in captivity.

Caramel Burmese Python (Python molurus bivittatus)

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Burmese Python grow fast. In a span of 1 year it could attain a length of 7 ft. It is often sold as pet and is made popular by its attractive color and apparently easy-going nature. This powerful snake also consumes large amount of food and due to its size it requires large, often custom-built, secure enclosure, which can be very expensive.

Reticulated Python (Python reticulatus)

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The world’s longest snake and reptile, Python reticulates of Southeast Asia, is often kept as exotic pet for its beautiful markings or patterns. It can grow up to a length of 28 ft or 8.7 meters. This non-venomous snake is normally not considered dangerous to humans. Reticulated Python as a pet is not recommended to amateurs.

Emerald Tree Boa (Corallus caninus)

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Emereald Tree Boa, which resembles the Green Tree Python, is a large brightly colored snake often kept as an exotic pet. This non-venomous snake is native to South America and can grow up to 6 ft or 1.8 meters in length.

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It is distinguished from the Green Tree Python for its white irregular interrupted zigzag stripe or so-called 'lightning bolts' down the back and a yellow belly. It feeds mostly on small mammals, but they have been known to eat some smaller bird species as well as lizards and frogs.

Angolan Dwarf Python (Python anchietae)

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Although the common name of Python anchietae is Dwarf Angolan Python, this snake can grow up to 6 ft in length. It is native to Angola and Namibia in Africa.  This reddish-brown bulky snake with yellow belly is a non-venomous one which is a rare species seldom seen in the wild or in captivity. It is the only known python to have "bead-like" scales and its diet consists of small mammals and birds. It was once one of the most expensive pet with a price of more than $20,000 USD. Today, it can be purchased for as little as $1,000.

See also 

• The World’s Most Colorful Snakes
• World’s Most Beautiful Colorful and Highly Recommended Small Exotic Snake Pets 
• Stocky, Colorful and Beautifully Marked Snakes for Pet
• Bizarre and Exotic Pets: Weird and Unique Turtle 
• The World’s Most attractive and Colorful Reptiles
• Uniquely Patterned and Colorful Slender Snakes 
• World’s Most Colorful Banded Snake and Their Distinct Characteristics 
• Brightly Colored Snakes with Unique Geometrical Patterns 
• Top 15 Most Venomous Cobras in the World 
• The World’s Most Venomous Snakes 
• World’s Largest and Longest Snakes Ever