Scientific Name: Aspidites melanocephalus
Conservation Status: Not Evaluated
Body Length: Up to 3 m
Weight: 3–7 kg
Incubation: 65 days
Number of Eggs: Up to 10
Distribution: Northern Australia from the north-west coast of Western Australia to Queensland
Habitat: Dry coastal forests, rocky hills and peripheral desert regions.
Description: This python is one of the most distinctive in appearance with its shiny black head and yellow to beige coloured body, striped with orange to brown bands.
Diet: The Black-headed Python is a carnivore and feeds on small mammals and reptiles.
In the wild: Instead of basking in the sun to warm its body and exposing itself to predators, the Black-headed Python only protrudes its head out of its burrow. Its black head acts as a solar panel and heats its entire body. Like other pythons, this nocturnal snake kills its prey by coiling around and suffocating it.
Threats: Black-headed Pythons sometimes lay on the road to absorb the heat from the surface and are often killed by unaware drivers.
At Perth Zoo: You can find the Black-headed Python in the Reptile Encounter.
Did you know? While this python is often mistaken for a venomous snake, it actually feeds on large venomous snakes like the King Brown. In fact, it often prefers to eat other reptiles.