Functionality like local static in C

[Python]

Cecil Westerhof wrote:
> In C when you declare a variable static in a function, the variable
> retains its value between function calls.
> The first time the function is called it has the default value (0 for
> an int).
> But when the function changes the value in a call (for example to 43),
> the next time the function is called the variable does not have the
> default value, but the value it had when the function returned.
> Does python has something like that?

Sort of, one way is to have a argument with a default value
which is mutable. Hint: don't do that.