Darwin Carpet Python
Morelia spilota variegata
Darwin Carpet Python
The Darwin Carpet Python, sometimes known at the North-Western Carpet Python, usually grow up to 2m as adults, but some over 2.5m have been found. As the name implies they can be found in the city of Darwin, around in north-western Western Australia and in northern parts of the Northern Territory, east just over the border into Queensland’s Lawn Hill area, as well as New Guinea. Like other carpet pythons, they inhabit trees and areas of sandstone.
This colourful and beautifully patterned Python has colouring that ranges from blacks, greys and browns to bright yellow, gold and rust, with an almost translucent white underbelly. Their patterns can be in the form of stripes, splotches and cross-bands.
They are mostly arboreal and found to spend around 70% of their time in trees and will utilize the same trees over time. They spend little time on the ground, and when found outside of resting areas will usually have recently eaten. They are generally nocturnal predators feeding on small mammals and birds. Often seen on roads at night especially in the northern Wet season (October-May).
The Darwin Carpet Python is not venomous and kills prey by constriction. Their diet is varied and includes many different birds and mammals. Populations that inhabit forested areas are mostly arboreal and often feed on brushtail possums.
Albino Darwin Carpet Python
Almost all Albino Darwin Carpet Pythons are decedents of “Blondie”, a wild born albino hatchling found in a Darwin caravan park in the 1990’s and taken to the local wildlife park. Experts at the Territory Wildlife Park and breeders in Adelaide bred Blondie to produce normal carriers, which later produced the first visual albino offspring.
The albino python lacks dark melanin pigment, replacing black and brown with crisp white or cream, with vibrant yellow, orange, or red patterns instead of dark bands.
