Spotted Python - Antaresia maculosa
Habitat:
dry and wet forests, cane fields, and rocky areas
Range:
east coast of Queensland in Australia and nearby islands
Activity Cycle:
active during feeding times
Features:
dark blotches with an irregular shape and jagged edge
Size:
average is between 43-47 inches and 2-3 pounds
Social Structure:
they are solitary
Life Expectancy:
20 years
Diet:
vertebrates such as frogs, lizards, birds, rodents, and bats
Status:
Listed in Appendix II of CITES
Interesting Facts:
- they kill their prey by constriction
- they are often found around human dwellings and are normally tolerated because they eat mice and rats
- Forked tongue allows them to smell more precisely, smelling air particles on either the right or left fork of the tongue
- Pits around their mouth act as heat sensors, helping them locate warm blooded prey
- Use counter shading to help camouflage (dark on the top and light on the bottom)
- Our spotted pythons get offered mice once a week
- A snake in the wild, if they get a big enough meal, can go for up to a year without eating
Video:
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