Can Ball Pythons swim?

Give us a cuddle: The pair - seen here by the local park pond - have become a tourist attraction

Time for a swim: Police say they're powerless to do anything about the python as it's not poisonous

The pair are now so well-recognised that they have become something of a tourist attraction.

Wang, 31, had at first attempted to take the snake for a walk - or at least a slither - on a lead.

However, the python simply proved too slow and he now drapes it jauntily over his shoulder.

When the weather is hot, the snake goes for a swim in a local park lake.

Police say they are powerless to do anything about the three stone snake as it is not poisonous.

However, a vet has warned that the python has a weakened immune system and may be at risk of death if the temperatures did not match its tropical homeland.

Affection: Whether Wang's pet feels the same about him remains to be seen

Burmese Pythons are among the most deadly snakes in the world and kill by asphyxiating their victims - and swallowing dead prey whole.

Although they are not considered a threat to humans, Burmese Pythons are vicious and can eat anything from birds to large mammals.

They come in various colours including black, brown, green and yellow, like Wang's, and can grow to be 18 feet long and weigh more than 200 pounds.

Pythons are not venomous. Instead, they kill their prey by locking it in their jaws, which boast powerful, backward-facing teeth, then crushing it in their coils. They then swallow it whole.

Their success is due to their ability to gorge on huge meals - and then go without food for months.

After a big kill, the snake's insides remodel themselves to cope with such a feast. Their heart grows in size to produce more blood for digestion, extra stomach acid is produced and the intestines rearrange themselves.

They are also expert swimmers and can often be found in the wild near water. Some are even semi-aquatic, but can also be found in trees.