Description:

The Australian bush megapython (Megapython australis) is a python species endemic to Australia. Megapythons evolved in Australia, with their ancestor being the carpet python (Morelia spilota). These snakes spread all across the continent and to nearby islands. The main characteristics of this clade are their massive size, longer teeth, and different muscle structures in the mouth. These adaptations allow them to hunt animals that live in their habitats. The Australian species is a basal member of the megapython subfamily, being that it does not have modifications to certain body parts like other members have. They are about 5 to 8 meters long from head to tail and can weigh up to 60 kilograms. They are generally dark brown with spots that run along its back. They also have cream scales on the underside of its belly. Their teeth are also incredibly sharp, designed for piercing the skin and holding prey.

Distribution:

These snakes prefer to live in the open woodland, subtropical forests, and savanna habitats. Large adult individuals tend to live on the ground, while smaller juveniles inhabit the canopy and understory.

Diet:

As newly hatched babies, these snakes eat small insects, baby mammals, small lizards, and other small animals. As they grow older, the size of their prey increases. Juvenile snakes feed on rodents, bats, small marsupials, lizards, young crocodiles, other snakes, birds, and other small to medium-sized animals. Adult megapythons eat much larger prey, including small ungulates, marsupials, rodents, cats, canines, large lizards, crocodiles, turtles, and most birds.

Hunting Behavior:

Like all megapythons, these animals are ambush predators. Their hunting method, however, depends on their position when hunting. Tree-dwelling megapythons will wait for some animal to approach their strike range. The snake will slowly move towards their prey if the animal is not in its range. Once in position, the python will strike and bite down on the prey. Unlike their ancestors, they can hold onto their prey for extended periods, which allows them to let the prey tire before constricting it. Their increased bite force is one of the reasons they can get so massive since they can hold onto sizable prey. Ground-dwelling individuals have a similar hunting strategy, but unlike the tree-dwellers, they tend to go straight into constricting their prey rather than holding onto it.

Reproduction:

Megapythons will tend to reproduce at the end of the dry season or the beginning of the wet season. Males and females will pair up during time and mate. They usually find each other by pheromones produced by a gland near their cloaca. Once a male and female mate. The female will find a tree hole, burrow, or other enclosed space to lay her eggs. She will lay a clutch of up to 70 eggs. The female will protect these until they hatch and won't eat. Once the eggs hatch, the babies exit the burrow and disperse over their nearby area.