Limbless mule

The limbless mule or farm snake (Python erazm) is a large non-venomous snake of South Apollonia. The snake is a member of the Pythonidae family. The names "limbless mule" and "farm snake" were both given to the species by Alriggians who were the first to domesticate the animal in the late 1650's as the emerging nation did not have sufficient access to traditional draft animals or machinery. The scientific name P. erazm was given in honor of the Alriggian Republic's president, Hieronim Erazm. The limbless mule is closely related to the yueyushe.

Characteristics

Hatchlings of P. erazm range from 20 to 40 cm in total length. Adult snakes are usually between 150 and 170 cm, regardless of sex. The animals are much thicker than other snakes known to Micras. Despite the thorns on their back, they are not related to dragons. The snakes can reach an age of 25 to 30 Norton years in captivity, it is not known what age they reach in the wild. If the snakes are handled by an able snake handler, working snakes can reach almost the same age as snakes that are kept as pets or in zoological gardens.

In the wild, snakes can be found in coastal waters and in rivers but also on land near water. Most are sighted in the murky river delta between Driftwood and Sint Anna. The animals are carnivores, their diet consists of rodents, rabbits and hares, but they are also opportunistic scavengers. They are known to eat humans, bodies of Jingdaoese refugees with biting marks of the snake are often found in the brooks near the Jingdaoese-Alriggian border. There is no scientific consensus whether they actively hunt humans for food, or only kill humans out of self defense.

Usage

In Alrig, limbless mules were traditionally used in agriculture. They were used to draw ploughs, where normally an oxen would have been used in other nations. Carts can also be drawn by limbless mules, but they are not considered to be fast enough for road use and the tarmac can wear out their underbelly. Apart from their use as a draft animals, limbless mules were also kept to keep an area free from rodents. Due to their sometimes violent nature, the difficulty with fitting the plow harness to them, and their inefficiency, they are now usually replaced by tractors and cats.