Olive Snake
Morelia mackloti • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Pythonidae, Genus: Morelia, Species: Morelia mackloti
Found in northern Australia, Indonesia, and New Guinea, inhabiting coastal regions, river valleys, and adjacent woodlands.
Look up Olive Snake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Pythonidae, Genus: Morelia, Species: Morelia mackloti
Conservation
Least Concern according to the IUCN Red List, though facing local pressures from habitat fragmentation and vehicle mortality.
Physical Description
The visible portion shows an olive-green to brownish dorsal coloration with a uniform appearance and finely scaled texture. The head is relatively distinct from the neck with small, dark eyes.
Size & Dimensions
The visible portion is a segment of an adult; typical total length for the species ranges from 2.5 to 3 meters, with some individuals exceeding 4 meters.
Habitat
Typically found in tropical and subtropical moist forests, open woodlands, rocky outcrops, and near permanent water sources, ranging from sea level to moderate elevations.
Diet & Feeding
Primarily feeds on mammals, birds, and occasionally reptiles, utilizing an ambush hunting strategy and constriction to subdue prey.
Reproduction
Oviparous species that lays clutches of eggs, with females brooding and coiling around the eggs to provide incubation warmth until hatching.
Conservation Status
Least Concern according to the IUCN Red List, though facing local pressures from habitat fragmentation and vehicle mortality.
Cultural Significance
Holds a significant place in Indigenous Australian cultures and dreaming stories, and plays an important ecological role as an apex predator regulating rodent populations.
Notable Features
Possesses heat-sensing labial pits along the jawline used to detect endothermic prey in low-light conditions.