[bbfan1991]

A giant Burmese python has been babysitting a 13-year-old boy.

The 15ft snake is the pet to a Chinese family, The Sun reports.

Azhe Liu, from Dongguan, Guangdong province, was born six years after his dad Chan Liu brought home a python egg and hatched it.

Chan explained: "I'd always thought them the most beautiful creatures, and I was interested to see what would happen when my son came along."

Instead of being scared of the 220lb cold-blooded predator, Azhe would often cuddle up to her on hot summer days to find relief from the scorching hot weather in her cool scaly skin.

Chan continued: "After a while we were certain the snake wouldn't hurt him, and we began to leave them together alone. They really are inseparable."

After some time, the family began to think of the python of a kind of nanny figure for their son, and began leaving the pair together while they were out.

Chan said of the choice of babysitter: "I don't think many kidnappers would tangle with her."

Azhe now wants to train as a zoologist so that he can work with snakes all the time.