Carpet Python
Morelia spilotaAlso known as Carpet Snake, Diamond Python, Coastal Carpet Python, Jungle Carpet Python
Carpet pythons are highly adaptable, semi-arboreal constrictors famous for their intricate, carpet-like markings that provide excellent camouflage in forest canopies and rocky outcrops. These nocturnal hunters spend their days coiled in tree hollows, rafters, or rock crevices, emerging at night to ambush warm-blooded prey using heat-sensing pits along their lips. They are incredibly resilient, frequently coexisting with humans in suburban areas where they help control rodent populations.
- diet
- Carnivorous (rodents, marsupials, bats, and birds)
- family
- Pythonidae
- threats
- Habitat destruction, road mortality, cane toad ingestion, and persecution by humans
- life Span
- 15 to 20 years in the wild, up to 30 years in captivity
LC
Non-venomous but can deliver a painful defensive bite; observe from a respectful distance.
Equipped with dozens of sharp, backward-curving teeth designed to hold prey, which can inflict deep, lacerating bites that easily become infected.
Never attempt to catch, corner, or handle a wild python; contact a licensed snake catcher for relocation if necessary.- Give them space: Coiled snakes in roof spaces or trees are best left alone to move on naturally.
- Watch for warning signs: A snake holding its neck in an S-curve is feeling threatened and ready to strike.
- Secure your pets: Keep small domestic pets indoors at night if a resident python is nearby.