Olive Python
Liasis olivaceus
One of Australia's largest snakes, a plain olive-brown python found around rocky gorges and river systems in the continent's arid and tropical north.
- Venomous?
- Non-venomous
- Adult length
- 3-4 m (9.8-13 ft), occasionally larger
- Range
- Northern and Western Australia
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Overview
The olive python is among the largest snake species native to Australia, rivaled only by the scrub python in maximum length. Its uniform olive to reddish-brown coloration, lacking strong pattern, distinguishes it from the more boldly marked carpet pythons sharing its range.
It is closely associated with rocky gorges, riverine corridors, and permanent waterholes across northern and central-western Australia, often overlapping with the range of the endangered pygmy variant known as the Pilbara olive python.
How to identify it
- Uniform olive-brown to reddish-brown coloration, largely unpatterned
- Paler cream to yellowish underside
- Large, robust body with a broad head distinct from neck
- Heat-sensing labial pits present
- Round pupils
- Lack of a bold blotched pattern helps distinguish it from carpet pythons in the same region
Habitat & range
Found across northern Australia including the Kimberley, Pilbara, and parts of the Northern Territory and Queensland. Strongly associated with rocky gorges, escarpments, and permanent waterholes and rivers.
Behavior, diet & reproduction
Active by day and night depending on temperature, often basking near water. A powerful ambush predator of mammals, birds, and reptiles, capable of taking prey as large as wallabies. Oviparous, with females coiling around eggs to protect and incubate them.
Frequently asked questions
Is the olive python venomous?
No, it is a non-venomous constrictor.
How big can it get?
Typically 3-4 m, making it one of Australia's largest snake species.
Where is it typically found?
Rocky gorges, escarpments, and permanent waterholes across northern Australia.
How can it be told apart from carpet pythons?
It lacks the bold blotched or banded pattern typical of carpet pythons, instead showing a fairly uniform olive-brown color.
Olive Python guides
In-depth guides for identifying and understanding Olive Python.
