Guardian Nature School Team Contact Blog Project Noah Facebook Project Noah Twitter

A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife

Join Project Noah!
nature school apple icon

Project Noah Nature School visit nature school

Bredl's Python

Morelia bredli

Description:

This is a truly magnificent creature - Bredl's Python, also known as Centralian Carpet Python. It's found in central Australia in typically desert regions, hence its reddish-brown colouration, and the scales have a beautiful golden sheen in sunlight (see photo nbr 2). A semi-arboreal species, as youngsters they enjoy climbing trees but are typically a terrestrial species due to environmental constraints. Average length 1.8m but can reach 3m. It's a heavy-bodied snake with a highly distinct neck and powerfully jawed head. Graeme Gow (reptile expert) described this python as a new species in 1981. In his paper, he noted that they have more dorsal body and head scales than regular carpet pythons.

Habitat:

This specimen is a captive animal, but as a species they prefer very arid desert areas, particularly along dry watercourses, and also inhabit rocky areas, making use of rock ledges and crevices. They are native to the southern regions of the Northern Territory.

Notes:

Just happy to be out in the sun on a warm winters day. This specimen was about 2 mtrs long. Very docile and well-mannered, but very aware of the birds as they squawked and swooped. I would be too if they were swooping me. I love her shiney scales. They were golden and gorgeous, and the sunlight really brought out her earthy colours.

Species ID Suggestions



Sign in to suggest organism ID

7 Comments

Neil Ross
Neil Ross 10 years ago

She's a very handsome creature. Thanks, Ingrid.

Ingrid3
Ingrid3 10 years ago

Superb profile! The tongue in action is pretty neat too!

Neil Ross
Neil Ross 10 years ago

Until you mentioned it, I didn't realise there was a mission for captive animals. Have since joined and have added this and the other snake spottings. Regarding the pets category, I thought about that, but I can honestly say this and the other snakes aren't pets, any more than zoo animals are considered pets. There are very strict guidelines in this country about keeping snakes, and particularly about displaying them in public. The handlers are licensed and this one in particular has been shown in schools, etc. for educational purposes. It is still a very rare breed although becoming more popular amongst snake enthusiasts.

Caleb Steindel
Caleb Steindel 10 years ago

hey, neil, if this belongs to a friend why not add it to the captive animals mission and switch to "pets category

Caleb Steindel
Caleb Steindel 10 years ago

this is truly magnificent!

Neil Ross
Neil Ross 10 years ago

No, Josh, this beauty belongs to a friend. This python is a very localised species, so very few people would actually see one in the wild unless they're in certain southern regions of the Northern Territory in Australia. This one is used for educational purposes, and believe me, I've learned heaps about pythons since meeting her. I first met a spotted python (which was adorable), and then I met this one. I felt so intimidated because her facial features are so strong and she looks so aggressive, but in reality she's just a big sook. I'm starting to really like snakes, but I'm still a bit wary of them.

Josh Asel
Josh Asel 10 years ago

Wow is this wild?

Neil Ross
Spotted by
Neil Ross

Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Spotted on Jul 21, 2013
Submitted on Jul 23, 2013

Related Spottings

Carpet Python Coastal Carpet Python Diamond Python Carpet Python

Nearby Spottings

Spotted Python Olive Python Bush Tick (female) Pale-headed Rosella
Noah Guardians
Noah Sponsors
join Project Noah Team

Join the Project Noah Team