About the word python.

The name of the animal python is derived from Πύθων, the name of the creature Apollo killed.

Does anyone know if the greeks discovered that kind of snakes (by sailing to north Africa and seeing pythons imported from central Africa / hearing about them) and then named them after the monster, or was it something romans did (pretty sure they knew about pythons as Cleopatra had some).

Not sure if that's the best sub to ask, sry.