A large, uniformly coloured Australian python of rocky watercourses across the tropical north, second only to the scrub python in Australian length.
Description
The olive python is a heavy-bodied python with smooth, uniformly olive-brown to grey-green scales and a slightly paler belly. Adults regularly reach 3 m and rare individuals exceed 4 m. The head is broad with prominent labial pits, giving the species a slightly chunky profile.
Behavior
Olive pythons are nocturnal ambush hunters of warm-blooded prey, lying in wait beside waterholes used by wallabies, fruit bats, and ducks. They constrict large prey and may not feed again for months. They are usually placid but defend themselves vigorously when grasped.
Range
Endemic to northern Australia, with the more familiar nominate subspecies across the Kimberley, Top End, and Pilbara. The Pilbara olive python is a slightly smaller, paler form sometimes treated as a distinct species and classified as Vulnerable.
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