A wildlife ecologist in South Australia’s Gawler Ranges National Park recently documented a rare encounter with a massive carpet python that slithered across the open landscape.
Tali Moyle’s sighting was featured via Instagram by National Parks and Wildlife SA, with a photo and video, and an assurance that the reptile was not harmed:
“We recommend always maintaining a respectful distance when observing animals in their natural habitat. This footage was captured by a local ecologist with specialist expertise in wildlife care.”
Gawler Ranges National Park, famous for its spectacular rock formations, is on the northern portion of the Eyre Peninsula.
Southwestern carpet pythons generally prefer coastal, woodland, or grassland habitats. Encounters in Gawler Ranges National Park are rare and Moyle’s footage impressed social-media followers. (Click here to view Moyle’s footage.)
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The top Instagram comment: “It’s beautiful, but I fear my soul would leave my body if I saw it.”
Carpet pythons are nonvenomous and can measure to about 10 feet. They prey mostly on small reptiles, birds, and mammals, including wallabies and other marsupials.