[1] Python kyaiktiyo was first described by George R. Zug, Steve W. Gotte, and Jeremy F. Jacobs in 2011 based on a female specimen collected in Kyaikhtiyo Wildlife Sanctuary in 2002.

The presence of unique traits and sufficient allopatry indicate that it is distinct from its nearest geographical counterpart, the blood python.

They are smooth-scaled, primarily terrestrial, and possess, as do most pythons, facial pits that sense differentiations in radiant heat.

Overall, they are naturally reddish-brown, with dark brown to black mottled spots running the entire length of the body.

Python kyaiktiyo is thought to be endemic to Myanmar's Tenghyo Range in Mon State, though it has been observed rarely in the region.