Rough-scaled Python

Elusive in the wild and considered one of the rarest Australian snakes to encounter, this species is a striking deep brown with pale brown blotches. Its scales each have a raised ridge, or keel, giving them a rough, sandpaper-like texture. The snake is recognisable by its skinny neck and triangular head, as well as its unusually long teeth—disproportionately large for its body size—which are perfectly adapted for gripping onto fluffy rats. Found only in small patches of rainforest in the far north-western Kimberley region of Western Australia, this medium-sized snake typically grows to under two metres in length, though its maximum size remains uncertain.

Habitat 

They are restricted to small patches of rainforest in the far north-western Kimberly region of WA.

Diet 

The Rough Scaled Python is a carnivorous predator that preys on small vertebrates in the wild. This python uses its massive fangs to hang-on to struggling prey until it can coil fully around it. Like other pythons, this non-venomous snake kills its prey by constriction.

Breeding

The Rough-scaled Python is oviparous, meaning it reproduces by laying eggs during the breeding season. In captivity, successful breeding depends on meeting their particular environmental needs. Mating generally takes place in the cooler months, with females producing clutches of 6 to 15 eggs. The eggs require an incubation period of around 55 to 65 days, maintained at a steady temperature between 30°C and 31°C.