தொல்தமிழர் அறிவியல் –104 :  35. மாசுணம்

பாந்தள் (Python)

                               Pythons are nonvenomous snakes found in Asia, Africa and Australia. Because they are not native to North or South America, they are considered Old World snakes. The word python can refer to both the family Pythonidae or the genus Python, found within Pythonidae. -- Life Science.

                        

                  Larger specimens usually eat animals about the size of a house cat, but larger food items are known; some large Asian species have been known to take down adult deer, and the African rock python, Python sebae, has been known to eat antelope. All prey is swallowed whole, and may take several days or even weeks to fully digest. ---Wikipedia.

Anaconda --- ஆனைக்கொன்றான். ; ஆனைகொண்டான்

                        Although the name applies to a group of snakes, it is often used to refer only to one species in particular, the common or green anaconda (Eunectes murinus) which is the largest snake in the world by weight, and the second longest.

                             Edwin described a tiger being crushed and killed by an anaconda when in fact tigers never occurred in Sri Lanka. Yule and Frank Wall noted that the snake was in fact a python and suggested a Tamil origin anai-kondra meaning elephant killer.^[4] A Sinhalese origin was also suggested by Donald Ferguson who pointed out that the word Henakandaya (hena lightning/large and kanda stem/trunk) was used in Sri Lanka for the small whip snake (Ahaetulla pulverulenta)^[5]and somehow got misapplied to the python before myths were created.^{[6][7][8] ----}

^---                    --விக்கிபீடியா.

                                  அகன்ற வாயினை உடைய மாசுணம் யானை போன்ற பெரிய விலங்குகளையும் வேட்டையாட வல்லது. இரையை முழுவதுமாக விழுங்கும் ஆற்றல் கொண்டது.  எடுத்துக்கொண்ட இரை செரிப்பதற்குப் பலநாட்கள் ஆகுமாதலால் இரை தேடாது அமைதியாக ஓய்வெடுக்கும்.

Maasunam, a huge snake

                        

                       “The passage quoted above from Malaipatukadam (260) and Akananooru(68) refer to what is known as Maasunam, a huge snake capable of swallowing even a mammoth elephant bit by bit. Days on end or even weeks, the snake will take to digest.

                             

                        Littoral courtiers around the Indian ocean are said to be the habitats of about 230 types of snakes. Python as a non-venomous type found in Asia, Africa and in Australia. It seems to belong to the species known as Maasunam, referred to in Sangam literature. These huge snakes cover themselves up on the entire body of their prey, crush them to suffocation and death.

                                 Another equally huge and lengthy snake known as Anaconda is a native of American continent. It is the biggest snake both by weight and lemgth. The name of this snake is sometimes related to mean a Tamil word Anai-kondan, -killing an elephant.

                     
                             The point to be in mind is that the reference of a huge snake referred to in Malaipadukadam is no longer fabulous or imaginary but true.” –Editor.   -------------------தொடரும்......