[throawayonthe]

isn't that kinda how python preallocates integers -5 to 256? https://docs.python.org/3/c-api/long.html#c.PyLong_FromLong

[hinkley]

Sounds like it. I wasn't familiar with how python does this but it looks like the identity operator is 'is' so while someone could definitely screw that up, it would stick out more in a code review than == versus ===