Carpet Python

Carpet pythons are the most widespread group of pythons in Australia, occurring across much of the mainland. Robust snakes, they may vary considerably in colour and form.The carpet pythons from the rain-forests of northeastern Queensland can be a striking black or dark brown with long bold yellow stripes or blotches.

The so called Diamond Python that occurs along the east coast from  southern New South Wales to Victoria is the one encountered by many people: olive black with  creamy yellow rosettes along the body. Other variations occur in inland, northern and Western  Australia.

Carpet pythons are generally ambush predators rather than active hunters. They select a spot next to a trail used by other animals and lie in wait.

Amethystine Python

The Amethystine Python, which is also known as the Scrub Python, is Australia’s largest snake. Specimens have been measured at more than 8.5 m in length but this is quite exceptional and a 5 meter snake is regarded as very big.

The name of this species comes from the milky iridescent sheen on its scales,which gives it an amethyst-like colour. Unlike many of the very big boas from overseas, this snake has a slim body.

Just the same it can eat large prey and will kill and eat wallabies and bush pigs. More often it takes  birds, fruit-bats, possums and similar sized mammals. It is usually active at night and younger animals are mainly tree dwelling.

The large adults are more terrestrial but they are still quite capable of getting up into the trees, male Amethystine Pythons are aggressive with one another during the mating season and at such times they will engage in combat.

Childrens Python

Children’s python is a name applied to a group of three small pythons. Contrary to popular belief their name does not signify that they are pythons for children; it is in fact the name of an English naturalist, JG. Children after whom the snakes were named.

They are, however, popular snakes with reptile keepers and are a good species for young people to keep because of their small size and placid temperament.

Children’s pythons occur over much of Australia and are often associated with rock outcrops and caves where they are very adept at catching bats.They will climb a rock face at the entrance to a cave where bats are roosting and wait there until the bats fly out in the evening.They will catch a bat flying past and eat it hanging in mid-air,secured to the rocks only by their tails. They also eat frogs, lizards and rodents.

Woma Python

Pythons generally constrict their prey by coiling around it and increasing the pressure every time the animal breathes out. The prey then suffocates as it cannot draw another breath.

The Woma or Sand Python has a different strategy. It locates much of its prey down burrows where there is not enough room to coil and constrict. Instead the Woma squashes the victim against the burrow wall with its body. Womas may often be found with scarring on their bodies where victim did not give in quietly.

These pythons are also known to lure prey by wriggling the end of their tails in much the same way as death adders. As a consequence, adults of this species may be found with part of their tails  damaged or missing where a curious bird, mammal or reptile has had a snap before being attacked itself.

Which Australian snakes are non-venomous?

Not all snakes are venomous ans indeed most venomous snakes are dangerous. There are far more non-venomous snakes than venomous ones worldwide, but in Australia the opposite is the case and the majority are venomous. Unfortunately unless you are familiar with snakes it is not possible merely by looking to tell if a snake is venomous or not.

In Australia, four of our seven families are regarded as non-venomous;

• Blind snakes
• Pythons
• File snakes 
• Colour-blinds

The Blind snakes have small shiny worm like bodies with blunt heads ans short tails that end in a spine. Their eyes are reduced to dark spots and the scales are a uniform size around the body (with one enlarged on the belly as in some other snakes). When handled, they have a tendency to emit a strong, pungent odour.

Pythons are muscular , usually heavily built and slow moving. Most Australian pythons have heat-sensing pits in some of the scales of their lips. They all have 30 or more scale rows around the middle of the body and their belly scales are larger than the others. All pythons possess surs(whic are the vestiges of ancestral hind limbs) on either side of their vent.

The File snakes are totally aquatic and have large bodies with baggy skin. Unlike the paddle-like tail of the typical sea snakes, the tails of the file snakes are narrow and can grasp things, so they are useful 'anchors'. The scales are small, very rough and rasp-like.

The Colour-blinds are found across northern Australia and down the east coast. These snakes may be completely non-venomous, although some have enlarged, grooved, poison-conduction fangs at the back of their mouth but even these are not regarded as dangerous.

How do reptiles keep warm?

After the cool of the night reptiles have to warm up in the morning sun. This they do by basking until their body temperature is high enough to start their daily activities. Some reptiles flatten out to expose a greater body area to heat and so warm up quickly.

In colder climates many reptiles have dark bodies allowing them to absorb greater heat than will a paler body. You may have seen lizards lying on bitumen roads, particularly in rural areas. The black surface absorbs the heat from the sun and lizards often flatten out on the road to absorb this heat a bit like an electric blanket.

During the day reptiles shuttle between sun and shade in order to keep their temperature at the desired level. If it gets too hot, they will disappear into shelter. Nocturnal reptiles can operate at lower temperatures. Some of these will actually heat up under cover bu selecting sheltered spots that gets the afternoon sun.

Reptiles cannot just keep heating up all day. There is a critical point at which the temperature becomes lethal That point does vary between species but it can exceed 40 degrees C. If the reptile cannot reduce its body temperature, it will very quickly die. They must keep warm enough to be able to carry out their daily activities, but must also be wary of overheating.