Spotted python
Antaresia maculosa
Small python with dark brown blotches on a pale background.
Habitat and distribution
Rocky country and sheds in eastern Queensland and northern NSW.
Safety
Rarely longer than a metre and a half.
Quick facts
- Venom
- Non-venomous. It kills prey by constriction.
- Size
- Usually about 1 m, occasionally up to 1.4 m.
- Active
- Mostly at night. Often shelters in rock crevices, caves, roofs and wall cavities.
- Diet
- Lizards, frogs, birds, small mammals and bats.
Often confused with
- Carpet python (Morelia spilota)
Common questions
Is the spotted python venomous?
No. The spotted python is a small, non-venomous python. It can bite if handled, so leave it to a licensed catcher if it needs moving.
Where are spotted pythons found?
Through eastern Queensland from Cape York to north-east New South Wales, often in rocky country and around buildings.
Where it is found
Approximate range based on AROD, adapted to our dot grid. Approximate historical reference range; not a habitat or absence assessment. Listed for 3,858 towns and suburbs. Ranges are approximate and do not confirm occurrence at a particular address.
- Coffs Harbour - Grafton, NSW
- New England and North West, NSW
- Other NSW localities, NSW
- Richmond - Tweed, NSW
- Brisbane - East, QLD
- Brisbane - North, QLD
- Brisbane - South, QLD
- Brisbane - West, QLD
- Brisbane Inner City, QLD
- Cairns, QLD
- Central Queensland, QLD
- Darling Downs - Maranoa, QLD
- Gold Coast, QLD
- Ipswich, QLD
- Logan - Beaudesert, QLD
- Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday, QLD
- Moreton Bay - North, QLD
- Moreton Bay - South, QLD
- Other QLD localities, QLD
- Queensland - Outback, QLD
- Sunshine Coast, QLD
- Toowoomba, QLD
- Townsville, QLD
- Wide Bay, QLD
Call 1800 4 SNAKE (1800 476 253)
If someone has been bitten, call 000. Never approach or handle a snake to identify it.