While Australia is well-known for their venomous snakes, the area is also home to some of the most amazing non-venomous snakes in the world. In this article, we will look at some of the best non-venomous snakes of Australia.
Carpet Python (Morelia spilota)
The carpet python is a member of the python family and a great snake that can get very large. It can be found across Australia and other locations in the area. They are found in lots of different habitats, with the snake being found in rainforests and woodlands, to arid, treeless islands. They can also be found in grasslands. The one place that they’re not found is in deserts.
They are fond of human habitation, as we are often attracting their main prey item: rodents.
This species of snake is semiarboreal, though they are not completely reliant on living in trees. They often are active at night, when they will climb trees and cross open spaces. Though it is not uncommon to see this Australian non venomous snake basking in the sun during the day.
Green Tree Python (Morelia viridis)
The green tree python is a member of the python family. It is native to some Indonesian islands, but it can also be found on the Cape York Peninsula. It is a bright green snake that can reach a total length of two metres. The natural diet of this species is reptiles and mammals.
The green tree python is arboreal, and they lead a solitary life. Most of their time is spent on a tree branch, coiled around it. They tend to stay in this position throughout the day, and only hunt at night. They hunt by holding onto a branch using the prehensile tail and striking out from the branch.
They have also been known to wrap around a trunk of a tree, facing toward the ground waiting to ambush passing mammals.
Scrub Python (Simalia amethistina)
The Scrub python is a species from the python family. They are mainly found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, however, they can also be found in Northern Australia. They are highly popular among snake hobbyists because of their colour and size.
Generally speaking, these snakes live in bushland and suburban locations. Though it is not unknown for them to live in rainforests too, especially in northern Queensland.
They are a solitary nocturnal species. The young snakes spend most of their time in the trees, however, when adults they spend more time on the ground. They’re particularly good swimming snakes as well.
Woma Python (Aspidites ramsayi)
The woma python is an endemic snake to Australia. It was once very common in the country, but it is now critically endangered in many regions. They are found in deserts, shrublands, woodlands, savannas, and grasslands. They prefer to live in environments with sandy soil.
Woma pythons are terrestrial snakes. They tend to lead a secretive life. During the day they will rest in a home that could be a hollow log, burrow, or under some leaf debris. Though it is not unknown for them to bask in the sun during the day.
They hunt at night, by chasing prey down into burrows. Instead of coiling around their prey, they tend to pin their prey against the side of the burrow.
Common Tree Snake (Dendrelaphis punctulatus)
This is an agile colubridae snake. The snake can vary in colour from golden yellow to bright green. They can sometimes even showcase some blue. They are often found in the northern tropics and eastern Australia. They live in a wide variety of habitats, including riverbanks, creeks, streams, rainforests, and more locations.
They are a very fast-moving species. They’re diurnal snakes and like to rest at night. They can often be found hiding in trees.
Black-Headed Python (Aspidites melanocephalus)
The Black-headed python is a highly popular species because of its striking look. It has a highly striking appearance with a black head. They are often found in the northern half of Australia, but not in very arid regions. They like to live in humid tropical forests, and sometimes in seasonally dry woodlands and other grassy areas. They can sometimes be found in peripheral desert regions.
They are ground-dwelling snakes, found among rocks and loose debris. They signal a warning when disturbed, which is a loud hiss.
Olive Python (Liasis olivaceus)
The olive python is a species of python. They are endemic to Australia, and there are two subspecies of these snakes. They are found in Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and Queensland. They live in rocky areas, gorges, and near sources of water.
Olive pythons prefer to live on their own, moving around the ground. They are active during the night, and shelter in caves and rock crevices. The Olive Python is a very strong swimmer.
Children's Python (Antaresia childreni)
The Children’s python is a species of nonvenomous snake from the python family. The species is nocturnal and occurs in northern Australia. It will tend to spend time on the ground, however, it does climb trees. The snake grows to about three feet in length.
They prefer to live in forests, savanna, shrubland, and grassland.
Their favourite prey item is microbats. They catch these by dangling from a structure in a cave, catching the bat in the air as they fly past.
There are numerous subspecies of the children’s python.
Morelia bredli (Morelia bredli)
Another python family member, this species is endemic to Australia, it also has a very small area, found in the mountains of southern Northern Territory.
Spotted python (Antaresia maculosa)
The spotted python is also known as the Easter Children’s Python. It is often found in northern Australia. It is a popular pet among reptile keepers in Australia. They like to live near caves as their favourite food is bats, which they catch by hanging off the top of the cave.
Oenpelli python (Nawaran oenpelliensis)
The large snake from the python family is completely endemic to the sandstone massif area of Western Australia. They can grow to 4 metres long and one captive individual grew to 5 metres.
Pygmy python (Antaresia perthensis)
The pygmy python is also known as the anthill python. It is found in Western Australia. Their common name refers to the fact that they are the smallest member of the python family. They tend to weigh about 25 grams when they are just a year long.
Liasis fuscus (Liasis fuscus)
The water python is a non venomous snake in Australia. They are usually nocturnal and not often found near water, despite their name.
Final Word: Non-Venomous Snakes in Australia
There are numerous non-venomous snakes in Australia. Above is a list of the ones that you are likely to find. Some of these are rare and many are kept in the pet trade.
