Description:
Scientific name: Antaresia childreni
Life span: 15 – 20 years
Depending on the location and polymorphic variation, A. childreni adults can reach a total length (including the tail) of about 1-1.5 m (3-5 feet). The scales on the top of the head are larger than those on the upper surface of the body, which is smoother and has smaller scales with a rainbow sheen that may be seen when in bright sunlight. In the typical variety, the snake’s upper surface is brown with five or six longitudinal lines of darker dots. On either side of the skull, a dark line crosses the eye. The lips are golden with brown splotches. The snake’s lower surface is consistently yellow. The snake’s head can be distinguished from its neck.
A sizable, semi-divided nasal scale pierces the superolateral nostril. The pupil is upright and the eye is of average size. There is a minor lateral compression of the body. Short is the tail. The Stimson’s python, a polymorphic variation, has significantly brighter and more varied colors. It frequently has reddish-brown chocolate blotches against lighter tan.
Native Region/Habitat
They reside in coastal woodlands, dry central forests, outcrops, and escarpments. They can be found on various islands in the Torres Strait as well as in Western Australia’s far north, the Northern Territory, and northeastern Queensland. Youngsters’ python.
Behavior:
Children’s Pythons can live alone or in groups, however feeding them together will encourage more aggressive and competitive behavior.
The children’s python is a nocturnal snake that prefers to hunt small mammals, birds, and reptiles while lying on the ground. They also eat microbats, which they catch by hanging from cave stalactites and grabbing them as they fly by. With the use of heat-sensitive pits along its mouth, it locates warm-blooded prey.
Care As a pet/In captivity:
A relatively simple species to take care of is the children’s python. They are a fairly resilient snake once their fundamental needs are satisfied. They frequently don’t bite and have a fairly placid disposition. Instead of being a defensive or aggressive strike, the majority of bites are a feeding reflex. You will still need to be committed to meeting its food needs and regular maintenance requirements.
- Your adult Children’s python will be comfortable in a tank that is roughly 3 by 2 by 2 feet as far as enclosure size is concerned. Although this size is adequate, you can get larger if you prefer. A ten-gallon tank is a reasonable size to start with if you’re getting a hatchling.
- Choose a side to be the basking side, and put a heating pad under the tank there as well as your basking bulb. The temperature in this region must always be between 85 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature on the cooler side should remain between 78 and 80 degrees.
- These snakes require a humidity of roughly 50%.
- A children’s python will consume mice or rats when kept in captivity. Whether the prey should be alive or already slaughtered and frozen is a topic of some discussion. Because live prey can really attack and harm your snake, many people choose frozen meals.
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