A glossy iridescent black mountain python of New Guinea, prized by collectors and considered sacred by some highland communities.
Description
The Boelen python is a thick-bodied snake with deep blue-black dorsal scales that flash purple and green in sunlight, broken by clean white or cream lateral bars on the lower flanks. Juveniles are bright reddish-orange and transform during their first three years.
Behavior
A slow-moving, secretive python of cool, wet mountain forests, this species spends much of its time on the ground but climbs well. It is rarely seen in the wild, and most knowledge of its diet and reproduction comes from captive specimens kept by specialist breeders.
Range
Restricted to the central highlands of New Guinea, from about 1,000 to 2,500 m elevation in both Papua New Guinea and the Indonesian provinces of West Papua and Papua. Captive breeding is difficult, making wild collection a persistent conservation concern.