Reptiles
Water Python
Liasis fuscus · also called brown water python
On a Top End floodplain after dark, a water python glides along the edge of a billabong, its brown scales shimmering in the torchlight as it hunts for rats.
Overview
The water python, Liasis fuscus, is a Least Concern constrictor of floodplains, billabongs, creeks, and grassland across tropical northern Australia and southern New Guinea. Its shining scales, night hunting, and love of water make it one of the most familiar pythons of the Australian north.
A python of the floodplains
During the wet season, the water python follows the rising water into the grassy plains, where rats are plentiful and the snakes are easy to find.
Status
Least Concern, widespread across northern Australia.
Water Python: common questions
Is the water python venomous?
No, it is a non-venomous constrictor that kills its prey by wrapping coils around it and squeezing.
What does the water python eat?
It eats rats, birds, and reptiles, hunting mainly after dark near waterways.
How big is the water python?
It grows to around 3 metres long, smaller than the olive python.
Where is the water python found?
It lives in floodplains, billabongs, creeks, and grassland across tropical northern Australia and southern New Guinea.