Meet the Carpet python
The carpet python is Australia's most widespread and adaptable python, at home in more habitat types than any of its relatives. It ranges from tropical rainforest to river red gums and suburban backyards, and its colours change dramatically across its range.
The diamond python of coastal NSW and eastern Victoria is black with cream-yellow diamond spots and is the world's most southerly python, coping with cool winters. The coastal carpet python of eastern Queensland is the largest form, while the jungle carpet python of the Wet Tropics is famous for its bold black and yellow.
Carpet pythons are ambush predators that constrict their prey. Females lay up to about 50 eggs and coil around them, and can raise their body temperature by shivering-like muscle contractions to warm the clutch.
The species was described by Lacépède in 1804 as Coluber spilotus, making it one of the first Australian snakes known to European science.
Where it lives
The most widespread Australian python, found through most of mainland Australia except the driest centre, plus New Guinea; different subspecies occupy the east coast, the north, the Murray-Darling and parts of SA and WA.