Boelen's python

Physical features

• Boelen’s pythons are large black snakes growing anywhere from 8 to 14 feet in length. They have yellow bands across their faces and along their backs. They have an iridescent sheen to their bodies which can cause them to look blue and purple in natural lighting. Due to their coloration, Boelen’s Pythons are sometimes also called black pythons.

• Juveniles are reddish-brown and begin to develop the characteristic black adult coloration after nearly two years.

• Boelen’s pythons have large broad heads, which are easily distinguished from the rest of their bodies, and large infrared heat pits on their lips. These pits are connected to the snake's optic nerve and allow it so see the infrared spectrum.

Diet: Carnivore

• Wild – Hatchlings eat mostly frogs and lizards. Juveniles eat bats, birds and rodents. Adults eat birds, cuscus and rodents.

• Zoo – Rats, rabbits, quail

Reproduction

• A male Boelen’s python will court a female by rubbing his head along her body. Courtship and mating between Boelen’s pythons can last anywhere from several hours to several days.

• There have only been three recorded instances of successful reproduction of captive Boelen’s pythons so there is little data on the species’ reproduction.

• Females may lay up to 20 eggs per clutch which they will wrap around and brood until they hatch.

• Wild females often lay their eggs in cavities under cover of plants and leaf litter.

Interpretive Information

• The only documented predators of wild Boelen’s Pythons are humans and birds of prey.

• The Boelen’s python is featured in the folklore of multiple indigenous tribes in New Guinea.

• These snakes live in cool, mountainous areas and it is theorized that their black coloration helps them retain heat more efficiently.

• Like nearly all other pythons, Boelen's pythons have tiny remnants of legs, called spurs, that are found near the base of the tail and resemble a small claw. The spurs of males are larger and are often used to "tickle" females during courtship.

• The complete genome of this species was sequenced and published in 2022.

Updated April 2024