Head to head
Olive Python vs Carpet Python
Olive Python
VS Carpet Python
The olive python and carpet python are two Australian pythons that kill their prey by constriction, but one lives in the rocky tropical north and the other across most of the continent.
| Olive Python | Carpet Python | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Liasis olivaceus | Morelia spilota |
| Appearance | An olive to brown back with a rainbow-like sheen in sunlight, and a paler belly, growing to around 4 metres | Several subspecies that look strikingly different, from the black-and-cream diamond python to the bright golden jungle carpet python |
| Hunting | Kills by constriction, ambushing prey | Has no venom and kills by constriction, taking prey by ambush |
| Diet | Mammals such as wallabies and rats, as well as birds and reptiles | Mainly rats, mice, possums, bandicoots, birds, and bats, with larger ones taking rabbits and small wallabies |
| Habitat | Rocky ranges, woodland, and watercourses, sheltering in crevices, caves, and hollow logs near waterholes | Rainforest, forest, woodland, heath, rocky outcrops, riverbanks, farmland, and the edges of towns |
| Behaviour | Generally calm and non-aggressive, though a large one can give a painful bite if provoked | Climbs well throughout its life, lives in barn lofts and roof cavities, and the female coils around her eggs and shivers to warm them |
| Range | Tropical northern Australia | Most of mainland Australia except the driest deserts and the far south, plus southern New Guinea |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Olive Python vs Carpet Python: common questions
Which python lives in roofs and sheds?
The carpet python, which commonly lives in barn lofts, chicken sheds, and house roof cavities, where it controls rats and mice.
How big is the olive python?
It grows to around 4 metres long, making it one of Australia's largest snakes.
Are either venomous?
No, both the olive python and the carpet python are non-venomous and kill their prey by constriction.