India, Nov. 16 -- As winter tightens its grip on the tricity region, the giant serpents are in a hurry to eat. Rock pythons are very active after the monsoon wanes and lurk near game trails in the scrub so as to waylay prey. The pythons' intense hunting period continues till November. The pythons need to eat solidly and store "fuel" for the deep winter in terms of stored fat. In winter, they will not hibernate as such but will reduce activity and collect in congregations for mating around burrows. Delving on how pythons prepare for the icy weather, Aditi Mukherjee told this writer: "All through the summers, from July onwards and especially during the post-monsoon, pythons are on the prowl and going around and ambushing prey. Winter is mating season for pythons and they tend not to feed for at least two to three months of winter (ie the males) while females may not feed for about six months till the eggs are about to hatch in May-June." Mukherjee has conducted fascinating field research on python behaviour in multiple states of India. Her research included sending into python burrows video cameras mounted on four-wheeled platforms with a powerful traction and relaying live feed of deep internal activity. "Another sign of pythons preparing for winter is moulting. As the pythons feed, their body size increases, so they go in for moult especially the sub-adults and the juveniles. The adult pythons shed their skins just before winter when the congregations for mating start to build up," added Mukherjee. Pythons abandon the isolation and solitariness of their summer lives to congregate in burrows for winter. They bask regularly during deep winter to regulate body temperature and to facilitate mating. Impregnated females spend more time basking than the non-gravid females. Come February-March, impregnated females disperse to isolated spots to lay eggs....