What is a carpet python?
The carpet python is a large, non-venomous constrictor found across much of Australia. It is named for its patterned skin, which resembles an oriental carpet.
Carpet pythons commonly grow to two or three metres long, and some reach about four metres. Their colour and pattern vary widely between regions, from bold black and yellow bands to softer brown and olive blotches.
They are ambush predators, waiting coiled on branches, rocks or rafters for prey such as possums, rats, birds and bats. Heat-sensing pits along their lips help them find warm-blooded animals in the dark. They kill prey by squeezing it until it cannot breathe.
Snakes in the roof
In suburbs of Brisbane, Sydney and other eastern cities, carpet pythons often live in roof spaces, where they hunt rats and mice. Many people welcome them as natural pest controllers.
Although they can bite if provoked, carpet pythons are not dangerous to adult humans.
Females lay eggs and coil around them until they hatch, shivering to keep them warm. Carpet pythons are popular pets in Australia, where licences are required to keep them.
Did You Know?
The diamond python of the Sydney region is a subspecies of the carpet python.