AUSTRALIAN PYTHONS

Family: Pythonidae

coastal-carpet-python-morelia-spilota

Coastal Carpet Python (Morelia spilota mcdowelli).

Fun Facts

  • Australia is home to around half of the world’s python species.

  • Australia is home to the world’s smallest python the Pygmy Python (Antaresia perthensis) growing up to 60cm.

  • When a Pygmy Python hatches it weighs only 4 grams, less than a teaspoon of sugar.

  • The largest of all Australia’s snake species is the Australian Scrub Python (Simalia kinghorni) with specimens exceeding 5 metres in length.

  • The Bluff Downs Giant Python (Liasis dubudingala) is the largest known snake species to have ever occurred in Australia (4.5 million years ago) and is estimated to have grown up to 10 metres in length.

Pythons are non-venomous constrictors from Australia, Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. Australia has around 15 species of pythons occurring in every state except Tasmania. Pythons are typically nocturnal ambush predators feeding on mammals and birds with some species specialising on reptiles.

pygmy-python-smallest-python-in-the-world

Pygmy Python (Antaresia perthensis)

free-online-reptile-education-steve-crawford-prestige-pythons

Steve Crawford with a Diamond Python (Morelia spilota spilota).

private-encounter-with-charlie-the-albino-darwin-carpet-python

Have a listen to python researcher Daniel Saliba chatting about the threatened Murray Darling Carpet Python on our podcast the Aussie Wildlife Show.

If you’re thinking about getting your first pet python and have been thinking about what is required there are some great courses available. We highly recommend the online python husbandry courses by Steve Crawford from Prestige Pythons.