Think Python

Colophon

The animal on the cover of Think Python is the Carolina parrot, also known as the Carolina parakeet (Conuropsis carolinensis). This parrot inhabited the southeastern United States and was the only continental parrot with a habitat north of Mexico. At one time, it lived as far north as New York and the Great Lakes, though it was chiefly found from Florida to the Carolinas.

The Carolina parrot was mainly green with a yellow head and some orange coloring that appeared on the forehead and cheeks at maturity. Its average size ranged from 31–33 cm. It had a loud, riotous call and would chatter constantly while feeding. It inhabited tree hollows near swamps and riverbanks. The Carolina parrot was a very gregarious animal, living in small groups that could grow to several hundred parrots when feeding.

These feeding areas were, unfortunately, often the crops of farmers, who would shoot the birds to keep them away from the harvest. The birds’ social nature caused them to fly to the rescue of any wounded parrot, allowing farmers to shoot down whole flocks at a time. In addition, their feathers were used to embellish ladies’ hats, and some parrots were kept as pets. A combination of these factors led the Carolina parrot to become rare by the late 1800s, and poultry disease may have contributed to their dwindling numbers. By the 1920s, the species was extinct.

Today, there are more than 700 Carolina parrot specimens preserved in museums worldwide.

The cover image is from Johnson’s Natural ...