Australian Scrub Python
Simalia amethistina
Australia's longest snake, a large iridescent python of the tropical rainforests of northeastern Queensland and Cape York.
- Venomous?
- Non-venomous
- Adult length
- 3.5-6 m (11.5-20 ft), exceptionally longer
- Range
- Cape York Peninsula and northeastern Queensland, Australia
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Overview
The Australian scrub python, a population of the amethystine python complex (Simalia amethistina), is Australia's longest native snake species, with large individuals capable of exceeding 6 m in length. It inhabits the tropical rainforests of Cape York Peninsula and northeastern Queensland.
Despite its imposing size, it is a shy, non-venomous constrictor that relies on camouflage and stealth to ambush prey within dense rainforest and rocky habitats.
How to identify it
- Base color is olive-brown, yellowish-brown, or dark brown with a faint iridescent sheen, especially visible in bright light
- Irregular darker blotches or a subtle mottled pattern along the body
- Very large, elongated triangular head with heat-sensing labial pits
- Vertically elliptical pupils
- Extremely long, slender body relative to other Australian pythons
- Distinguished from carpet pythons by much greater maximum length and duller, more uniform pattern
Habitat & range
Inhabits tropical rainforest, vine thickets, rocky gorges, and cave entrances across Cape York Peninsula and the Wet Tropics of northeastern Queensland. Often associated with rocky outcrops and boulder-strewn terrain within rainforest.
Behavior, diet & reproduction
Primarily nocturnal, sheltering by day in caves, rock crevices, tree hollows, or dense vegetation. An ambush predator that also actively forages, taking birds, mammals (including flying foxes at cave roosts), and reptiles as prey, subduing them by constriction. Oviparous, laying and guarding egg clutches.
Frequently asked questions
Is this Australia's largest snake?
Yes, the scrub python is the longest snake species native to Australia.
Is it venomous?
No, it is a non-venomous constrictor.
Why does it sometimes appear near cave entrances?
It is known to ambush bats, including flying foxes, at cave roosts and rock crevices.
How does it differ from a carpet python?
It grows much longer and has a duller, more uniformly mottled, iridescent-sheened pattern compared to the bolder blotching of carpet pythons.
Australian Scrub Python guides
In-depth guides for identifying and understanding Australian Scrub Python.
