road testing aussie pythons

ROAD TESTING AUSSIE PYTHONS
A short guide to snake selection.
Text & images (except where indicated): Doc Rock
Southern Cross Reptiles
est group is the genus
Morelia which includes
the carpet pythons, the
green tree pythons,
rough-scales, the Oenpelli python and Australia’s largest snake the
scrub python. Carpet
pythons are the most
popular captive snakes
in Australia (see Reptiles Australia Vol 3:2).
They include the coastal, jungle, diamond, inland, south-western and
north-western forms,
as well as the centralian
carpet which is a different species and often
just called by its scientific name of “Bredli”.
Introduction
Since I can remember, the late
summer and early autumn months
have been traditionally the busiest
time for python sales in Australia. It
is a period when young newly-bred
pythons are starting to feed and
breeders are keen to reduce their
cleaning and husbandry responsibilities by selling the fruits of the last 12
months labour.
The aim of this article is to provide
a timely and brief overview of the
traits, husbandry quirks and personalities of the various types of python
as a quick matchmaking guide when
faced with the onslaught of options
which are presented to the reptile
shopper these days.
Types of Pythons
Australian pythons can be split
into a number of groups. The larg-
The second most
popular type of captive python belongs to the Children’s group which
includes the spotted python or
maculosus, the large-blotched python or stimsoni and the Children’s
python or childreni. The taxonomy
of these snakes has been in perpetual change for decades with various
author’s placing them in the genus
Antaresia, Bothrochilus and Liasis, so
don’t be confused if you see any of
these names used as the snakes are
still the same.These pythons are not
large animals and include the world’s
smallest python the ant-hill or pygmy
python (also called perthensis) which
is currently uncommon in captivity.
The third group of snakes belong
to the genus Liasis which contains
the popular olive and water pythons.
These quite large and robust snakes
are closely related to the Children’s
group (they used to belong to the
same genus).
The fourth and final group occupies the genus Aspidites. This genus
includes the spectacular black-headed python, often called BHPs for
short, and the woma. They used to
be uncommon in captivity because
of the difficulties in keeping wild
caught animals and then in getting
them to breed. Today, having passed
through a number of captive generations, they are being bred in increasing numbers and their popularity is
rapidly growing.
Scorecard Explained
The score given for each species is
an overall average from all the various
individual animals and forms the author
has encountered over many years.
The higher the rating the better the
performance of the species, except for
cost where a low rating indicates a low
cost.
Handling: Considered over the
life cycle of the species from hatchling
to adult and also incorporates size,
reaction to being approached and
touched and attitude to being held.
Feeding: Considers the life cycle
from hatchling to adult and tendency
to “switch off” if conditions are not
right.
Temperament: Rating is for
adult animals only and their attitude
to disturbance by their keeper for
whatever reason.
Hardiness: Rates the species
tolerance to a broad range of cage and
environmental parameters.
Breeding: Incorporates the
degrees of difficulty in achieving mating,
egg laying and hatching. A low rating
indicates a difficult species.
Cost: Is a relative scale comparing
the cost of an average individual of
each species. A low rating equates to
the least expensive.
The Carpet Group
When considering how best to summarise the various forms of carpet python for this article, I decided to start with
the ones that we have found the easiest to keep and then to work through to the ones that can be more challenging to
maintain and breed.
Inland Carpet Python Morelia spilota metcalfei
Without a doubt and by almost any yardstick, the inland carpet python
(Morelia spilota metcalfei to some) is a stand out captive python. Typically
found along the inland river systems and surrounds over the eastern half
of inland Australia, they are a medium sized carpet which has a lovely placid
nature once adult size and is extremely hardy in captivity. I have captured numerous inland carpets through my involvement in various research projects
and am always amazed at how placid they are as wild caught adult animals.
We have kept the Murray-Darling form of inland carpet for the last two
decades and have found nothing
easier to keep and to breed. They
Handling
handle cold well, not minding if their
Feeding
environment gets down at night to
Temperament
a few degrees in winter as long as they have somewhere to bask for an hour or
Hardiness
two during the day. If their cage gets a bit hot, they don’t seem to mind either.
Breeding
They are not very sensitive to humidity and providing they have something to
Cost
drink and the cage is not soaking wet they seem to thrive.
Inlands are also excellent subjects when learning to breed snakes. They will
mate with minimal fuss, their eggs are extremely resilient to ignorant abuse and their babies are generally quick to start
feeding. About the only thing negative I could find to say is that they are snappy as babies (like most pythons), but they
quickly settle down.
Coastal Carpet Python Morelia spilota mcdowelli
For many years, the most numerous Morelia in captivity were the
coastal form of carpet python (Morelia spilota mcdowelli to some).
This is probably because they are the most common non-venomous
snakes encountered in the wild around densely populated areas and
so were easy to source for captivity. Coastals live along the central
to northern coast of Australia and can vary markedly in colour and
size, but generally they are one of the largest carpets with animals in
excess of nine feet not uncommon. In March of 2002, a coastal carpet was collected from the mid-north coast of NSW that had a total
length of 3.47 metres (nearly 11.5 feet) and weighed in at 22.3 kilo
making it the third heaviest
snake caught in Australia!
Handling
Feeding
We have kept many
Temperament
coastals and if I was to try and sum them up, I would have to say “highly variable”. I have known some placid, beautiful giants and some unattractive, weedy
Hardiness
little so-and-sos. While some feed happily in captivity, I have known far too
Breeding
many that are patience-testing nightmares when it comes to being finicky. We
Cost
have also found that they are less tolerant to extremes of temperature and
humidity than their inland compatriots. Similarly, while temperament is highly individual, as a general rule they are also
a more nervy and irritable snake. From a breeding perspective, they are not difficult and their eggs are fairly forgiving.
One strong point in their favour is that they are about the least expensive pythons on the market.
Centralian Carpet Python Morelia bredli
A close second to the inland carpet for suitability in captivity would
have to be the Centralian python Morelia bredli. These carpets tend to
grow larger and to be a bit more irritable than the inlands, but on the
whole they are a hardy, tolerant species. They can be a bit trickier than inlands to breed too, but still are by
Handling
no means difficult and their eggs
can survive quite a bit of mismanFeeding
agement. I must confess that they
Temperament
are probably my favourite carpets
Hardiness
not only because of their pleasant
Breeding
nature, but also because of their
Cost
striking appearance with all the earthy colours which mimic their habitat in the
red centre around Alice Springs and the MacDonnell Ranges.
Darwin Carpet Python Morelia spilota variegata
The north-western or sometimes NT or Darwin carpet Morelia spilota
variegata is a medium to small member of the group that is quite slender
to suit its arboreal nature. They have a reputation for being an aggressive
snake and like many northern species they certainly are inclined to be
quite highly strung and assertive in nature. We have kept numerous coastals and most have been willing to bite when given any provocation.The flip
side to this coin, however, is that they are generally great feeders and are
not terribly difficult to breed.
Darwin carpets like warm humid conditions and will not tolerate prolonged cold. One annoying habit
shared by most is their love of
Handling
soaking in their water bowl so that water is spilt everywhere and the cage is
Feeding
constantly wet. However, they do not handle low humidity and will have trouble
Temperament
shedding if their cage becomes too dry. Some NT carpets can be very attracHardiness
tive with their bright orangey markings. Recently, we developed the albino form
Breeding
of this carpet which displays bright yellow/gold and white banding. For a reaCost
son completely unknown to me, these albino carpets generally have extremely
placid natures, even more so than the inlands and Bredli.
Jungle Carpet Python Morelia spilota cheynei
When it comes to an irritable nature, few snakes can top a narky jungle
python (Morelia spilota cheynei to some). While it is hard to beat a bright
black and gold jungle for natural good looks, they can be both the beauty
and the beast all wrapped into one. We have been breeding jungles for 15
years now and have been selecting them for colour, pattern and temperament. While the strain has definitely got more placid over time, it seems
that the better looking the snake the greater the tendency for them to be
stroppy with their keeper.
Like the NT carpets, jungles
require a cage with reasonable
humidity to do well. Unlike the
NT’s, they do not like their cages kept too warm and can become temperamental if not kept in conditions that allow them to escape the heat sometimes.
For this reason, we keep all our jungles in the lowest and coolest cages in our
main breeding room. To finish on a positive note, jungles are generally good
feeders, quick growers and will breed readily in captivity.
Handling
Feeding
Temperament
Hardiness
Breeding
Cost
Diamond Python Morelia spilota spilota
The last of the carpets I will cover is the Diamond Python Morelia spilota
spilota which is kept in large numbers in Australia. Diamonds are a medium
to large carpet. They are a challenge to maintain indoors in captivity and
keep healthy and even more of a challenge to breed indoors. Because of
this, the majority of diamonds are kept and bred in outside aviaries, or at
least in cages that have access to an outside enclosure. When kept inside
they tend to suffer from a condition which has become known as “Diamond
Syndrome”.This syndrome can express itself as problems with feeding and/
or shedding, a reduced immune system and in extreme cases neurological
and muscular disorders which invariably result in death.
Many years ago we kept diamonds in our main breeding room only to watch them die one by one. Since then, and
after much research and experimentation, we learnt that they cannot handle constant warm conditions. You may hear
that they need UV light or that they must live outside, but this is not our exHandling
perience. As long as you keep them cool most of the time and only provide
Feeding
basking temperatures for short periods during the day they can thrive. We
Temperament
have kept them for nearly 20 years and they now flourish indoors, although
Hardiness
we have been selectively breeding our stock from animals that tolerate the
indoor life best. Currently, we have a beautiful female that is 10 years old and
Breeding
breeds regularly indoors (we have a clutch of eggs in the incubator as I write).
Cost
Needless to say, breeding diamonds regularly indoors is not an activity for the
novice though.
Water and Olive Pythons
Olive Python Liasis olivaceus
Before describing Olive Pythons Liasis olivaceus in captivity, I
must declare a possible conflict of interest and confess that my
favourite pet snake in all the world is my male olive called Brutus. He is big, powerful, alert, inquisitive and as gentle as a snake
of his size can be. In my view, a large placid olive python is very
difficult to beat as a scaly companion.
However, anyone contemplating buying an olive must allow
for the fact that they grow very quickly (still a youngster at 2
metres) and that they can easily reach three to four metres
and weigh over 15 kilo in captivity. My wife, Diane, is also fond
of Brutus, but will not handle him unless I am within screaming
distance just in case he makes a mistake and thinks she is food
instead of friend. Although he is yet to make that mistake, he can get very excited when hungry and he would be a
handful if ever he wrapped around a human neck with thoughts of juicy rats on the mind.
Not all olive pythons are gentle giants either.We have kept a number and one of them in particular considered that its
role in life was to rip the face off anyone that came near its cage – and that’s a lot of face ripping snake to control. So to
some extent, it is a bit of a lottery when you buy a baby olive. Although by far the majority turn out to be gentle giants,
the odd one that doesn’t will be a snake to remember.
Unless you live in a place like Darwin, olives can be very challenging to
breed, especially if you live in the southern half of Australia like we do. It took
us many attempts before we were able to breed them consistently in Adelaide.
When we questioned some of the most successful breeders of olives about
how they did it, there seemed to be no commonly agreed method and most
had little idea why individual snakes bred some years and not others. While I
just love olives, they are not an ideal snake for the first time keeper, for a child,
for a home without the room for a decent cage or for someone to learn how
to breed snakes.
Handling
Feeding
Temperament
Hardiness
Breeding
Cost
Water Python Liasis fuscus
I must also confess that I am rather fond of water pythons Liasis
fuscus too, although we don’t keep any these days. Compared to other
pythons, they are a medium length, heavy bodied snake and are often
called “rainbow pythons” because their skin is highly reflective and has
a prismatic effect on light. The first species we ever bred was a water
python and that is a testament to just how easy they are to breed. We
knew nothing at the time about any aspect of breeding and I shudder at
the way we incubated the eggs, but in the end half the clutch hatched
and we manage to raise a whole lot of baby waters.
Back in this dim, dark past, we leant that there are two distinct types
of water and that they are like chalk and cheese to keep. Firstly, there
image: John Deutscher
are the water pythons with a sort of grey coloured dorsal surface and a
lovely bright yellow belly which come from Queensland. Then, there are the more brownie coloured ones with white
bellies from the Northern Territory. The Queensland ones are usually quite well mannered. In contrast, our experience
is that the NT waters are generally the spawn of Satin and will bite and scent their keeper (i.e. smear foul smelling tail
secretions on you) at the drop of a hat.
Often, I’m asked about python bites and which ones I think are the worst.
Putting aside scrub pythons, I would say that for power and determination it’s
hard to beat a big BHP and for razor sharp teeth and deep penetration it’s hard
to beat a large GTP. However for all round deep penetrating power and tenacity, there is nothing worse than a large NT water python. I have caught many
bites in my life, but remember my few big water python bites above all others.
Handling
Feeding
Temperament
Hardiness
Breeding
I do not want to put the reader off this species by talking about bites.
Cost
Water pythons can be beautiful, well-handling snakes which some argue are
much more interesting and active than the Morelia group. However, blood line
is important when buying a L. fuscus, because as the advert goes “waters ain’t waters”.
The Children’s Group
Spotted Python Antaresia maculosus
When it comes to describing the Children’s group of pythons in
captivity it is probably best to discuss the spotted pythons (maculosus, or sometimes just maccies) separately from the Children’s and
Stimson’s pythons which are both very similar to keep and to breed.
Handling
Feeding
Temperament
Hardiness
Breeding
Cost
Maccies are found in the wild from north-eastern NSW to the tip
of Cape York Peninsula. Although relatively small compared to other
pythons, they are the largest of this group and average about 75 to
90 cm with the biggest reaching well over one metre. On the positive
side, spotted pythons are generally good feeders, breed easily, maintain
their bold markings throughout their life, are hardy and can thrive in
most cage setups. On the negative side, they are generally the feistiest
members of the group and often can take quite a bit of work to quieten
down sufficiently to stop them constantly snapping and scenting their
keepers. However, once settled into their captive home, they can be an excellent snake for responsible keepers of any age or skill level to keep.
image: John Deutscher
Children’s Python Antaresia childreni
Handling
Feeding
Children’s pythons are found along
the top part of Australia from the
Gulf of Carpentaria though to the
Kimberly district of Western Australia. Stimson’s pythons are found from
the West Coast of WA through central Australia to the area east of the
Great Dividing Range. They are both
small pythons with childreni averaging
a slightly larger size than the stimsoni,
but with neither exceeding one metre
often. The colourful patterns on childreni tend to fade more with age than
those on stimsoni, so that as adults
stimsoni are usually the more attractive snakes.
Stimson’s Python Antaresia stimsonsi
Handling
Feeding
Temperament
Both these snakes, and particularly
Hardiness
Hardiness
the Stimson’s pythons, are more chalBreeding
Breeding
lenging pets to keep and to breed than
their maculosus cousins. Many varietCost
Cost
ies are extremely difficult to establish
as feeders when babies. We have force fed non-feeding Stimsons for three years before finally giving up. If they are sold
when too young and before they are feeding well, they can go off their feed and be almost impossible to start again. If
they get a little too cool in their cage environment (because of the cage itself, or the place they choose to hide), they
can stop eating too. So, vital prerequisites when buying a young Stimson’s or Children’s python, are firstly to make sure
your object of desire is feeding and growing well and secondly to take careful note of the cage conditions and temperature regime it is being kept under successfully. Providing this advice is taken, then these snakes are a joy to keep. Once
grown up, they rarely bite and can become very relaxed even with frequent handling.
Temperament
The Children’s group do not like to bask in the open, but prefer to position themselves in a tight warm hideaway. For
this reason, their cages are extremely easy to setup and all they need is thermostatically controlled heat tape, a water bowl
and something to hide under which is warm at one end and cool at the other. A plastic tub with heat tape under it and
newspaper inside as a substrate and for hiding under is all they require to thrive.
One of the other great advantages of the Children’s group is that, because they are small and thrive in compact vivaria,
you can have lots and lots of them in a small area! These days there is an enormous variety of forms in captivity and a keen
collector can have a dozen different forms from a range of habitats on a few shelves instead of the half a house that larger
species would require.
The Aspidites Group
Black-headed Python Aspidites melanocephalus
Black-headed pythons Aspidites melanocephalus are found across the northern third of Australia and would have to be one of the most impressive looking
pythons that our country has to offer. Their large size, shiny jet back heads
and striped bodies look very imposing and to the average, snake-uneducated
member of the general public they are a very scary looking animal. But as the
saying goes, you can’t judge a snake by its cover. BHPs are nowhere near as
ornery as their appearance would indicate. Once they are in the hands of their
keeper and know they are safe, or that there is no food on offer, then they are
generally pussycats.
However, the trick with BHPs is getting them into your hands without mistakes. One of their quirks is that they love to sleep on their basking site.When
they are touched in this state, they almost jump out of their skin and can go immediately into a full defensive threat
display. Once picked up they will usually calm down straight away. Alternatively, sometimes when they are touched, they
assume food is on offering - and a hungry snapping BHP is a site to behold. One day I opened the cage of a very large
female BHP and upon being woken from a sound sleep she decided that I was food and, rushing out of her cage at head
height, she proceeded to try and grab me. She succeeded in forcing me back into to the cages behind where upon she
nailed my hand (which was protecting my face) and then set about hauling me back into her cage for digestive purposes
and without me having a say in the matter. “Diane, #$%@# ….. Help me, %$#@!”
Research has shown that in the wild BHP prey consists of a high proportion of reptiles. Probably for this reason,
frequently they can be nightmares to start feeding as babies. Like the Stimson pythons, my strong advice when buying
a BHP is to make sure it has been feeding well and consistently for some time. We won’t sell ours until they have been
feeding well for at least two months and have shed a couple of times.
Handling
Summing up BHPs, while they are beautiful snakes and will handle well, they
are not for the faint hearted and not to be taken lightly when approaching
them in their cages. Once feeding well on rodents, they are easy to maintain in
captivity, although they are one of the harder snakes to breed consistently.Also,
being natural reptile feeders, they are not a snake you should keep with others
of their kind if you wish to avoid accidents.
Feeding
Temperament
Hardiness
Breeding
Cost
Woma z
The final species in this short guide to snake selection is the Woma Aspidites ramsayi. My partner, Diane, adores
womas.We have ended up with so many types and forms
now that by number they are the most numerous type
of snake we keep after carpet pythons.
Womas are found all over central Australia and the
coastal region of the Pilbara in WA. They are wonderful captive snakes for many reasons; they are a stocky
and compact terrestrial python with very simple cage
needs; feeding problems are rare; they are not difficult to
breed; they are inquisitive animals and put on great feeding displays with frantic caudal luring and head bobbing
behaviours and; they redefine the concept of being laid
back. Once they are more than six months old, womas
become completely relaxed about captive life.They are a
joy to handle and as long as they know there is no food
on offer, they are safe in the hands of the whole family.
Diane loves them as babies because “they are so feisty with great threatening displays but don’t bite and only head butt
you to say stay away”. Since Di does 90% of the husbandry care these days, she also likes them because they are amongst
the most trouble free of captives.
An ordinary run-of-the-mill woma used to cost about $2,000, but recently they have dropped in price to some-
where between a half and two thirds of this price.This trend is opening up the
species for more people to enjoy. The majority of State Authorities (not SA)
classify them as specialist animals and place all sorts of restrictions on keeping
them. This is understandable given that there were very few in captivity until
eight or so years ago and their needs were poorly understood. However, today with 3rd and 4th generation captives readily available, they are one of the
easiest and most enjoyable pythons
to keep and are less of a specialist
Handling
animal than BHPs, certainly less than
Feeding
many of the Children’s group, and
Temperament
less than some of the Morelia species
Hardiness
too. Hopefully, the authorities will catch up with advances in the hobby soon
Breeding
and let them take their rightful place in Australian herp society.
Cost
The Won’t Bite & Cuddly Group
Snakes are predators and obligate carnivores. They don’t live in a complex social structure and have had no need to
develop affectionate behaviour. As babies most things eat them and so being handled by a human 3.2 million times their
weight is not an experience they seek out.With careful attention and patience some pythons can become quite relaxed
with captivity. However, there are no snakes that won’t bite on occasion and certainly there are none that like to cuddle
their keeper. At best, they become indifferent to their handler and enjoy the stimulation of removal from their normal
cage surroundings and exposure to new stimuli.
It is not uncommon for us to receive emails at Southern Cross Reptiles asking which snakes won’t bite and would
make a lovely pet. Recently a person told us that they had to sell their baby maculosus because it was too aggressive and
scared them. They wanted to know if we thought their buying a young olive python was a good idea!!
Hells, bells if you want to buy a snake, but you want it to act like a cat on valium, then be honest with yourself and ask
why do I really want to take on custodial responsibility for this animal. If you want a snake to be a cuddly little pet rather
than enjoy it as the magnificent predator that it has evolved into over the last tens of millions of years, then I recommend
you would be better off keeping earthworms or sticking with the non-biting and cuddly type pot plants.
Summary
Pythons can be fascinating and wonderful creatures to care for and observe in captivity. Each species has its own
quirks and characteristics and each snake its own unique personality. When buying a new snake you should think carefully about your objectives and be honest about your skills and abilities too. I suggest you spend time doing research
about a species or form of interest so that you know what you are getting into. Many folk that contact us are in a blistering hurry to buy “a snake”. Don’t be. Part of the unique attributes of snakes is their slow metabolism and the very
frugal way they approach life. If you want to experience the full benefit of owning them, you too need to slow down
when dealing with them and take the time to enjoy the acquisition and keeping process.
Simon Stone (alias Doc Rock) began keeping reptiles when he was 8 years
old. His nickname originated from Uni when he got his PhD in Biology. Simon
and his wife, Diane, have worked together breeding pythons and goannas for
the last couple of decades.Together, they now run Southern Cross Reptiles
in Adelaide which specializes in breeding “top end” reptiles like the albino
carpet pythons. Doc’s two greatest passions these days are developing
spectacular new python variants and collecting books on reptiles.