Notes on the natural history of the carpet python (Morelia spilota) at the northern tip of Australia
As part of a broader study, we gathered data on the natural history of carpet pythons (Morelia spilota) from the Lockerbie Scrub in Cape York. Between 2013 and 2016, we detected 37 carpet pythons during nocturnal road surveys across 28.8 km of woodland and rainforest. All specimens were in woodland, unlike rainforest-dwelling carpet pythons in the Atherton Tablelands. Our sample was dominated by small individuals. The only prey recorded were two rodents, and sizes at maturation and maximum body sizes (larger in males than females, especially for body mass) were similar to those of New Guinea populations of this species.
Authors
- Richard Shine (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7529-5657)
- Jessica Ann Lyons (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7579-447X)
- Daniel J. D. Natusch (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3275-518X)
Institutions
- Macquarie University (AU)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Australian Journal of Zoology
- Published
- 2026-10-08
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1071/zo26034
- Primary Topic
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00