He's looking to trade for a nice Gibson

[Dave W]

Any takers?

[Pilgrim]

Huh.  And all along, I thought a ball python was a kinky sex toy....

[uwe]

But I like reptiles AND Gibsons!!!

[Dave W]

If I had a snake I'd name it Henry J.

[veebass]

I think I'll keep my Gibsons, I don't need any more snakes.
This one lives not far from my back door.
This is just the first metre or so (Photo from a few evenings ago)......taken just on dusk as the snake is laying in wait for a small mammal (we have Bandicoots, Native Bush Rats,Possums, Gliders and a couple of predatory marsupials on the property, as well as Wallabies and Kangaroos- but they would be too big for the python, I think)) beside a path in our garden. The "S" shape of the neck is in preparation for striking at prey. I checked several times that night and just before dawn and the snake had not moved from that position all night, until just on dawn when it retired under a tangle of bushes, where it spends the day.



Here's the shed skin I found in February. Over 3.5 metres but incomplete. The deck in the picture is 4.5 m long. I estimate the python to be over 4 metres, which is big for this type of python.



Apart from the python we have several other non venomous types on the property, as well as at least half a dozen potentially deadly ones in the area- I have seen three potentially deadly species on our property. Luckily, you don't see them very often and they are usually pretty shy unless cornered. The Kookaburras and other birds as well as the Goannas do a good job keeping snake numbers down by eating the smaller ones. We definitely don't leave any doors or screens open. Learned that the hard way. Internal access from garages is a bad idea too.

[uwe]

The pythons are escaped pets like in Florida - or are they an indigenous species?

Très cool any which way. And keeps the rodents at bay. (Rhyme unintended!)

[gearHed289]

the Goannas do a good job keeping snake numbers down by eating the smaller ones.

I remember them. (Getting sidetracked in traditional LBO fashion...)

[uwe]

Never heard of Goanna, liked what I heard and bought CD!

[veebass]

The pythons are escaped pets like in Florida - or are they an indigenous species?

Très cool any which way. And keeps the rodents at bay. (Rhyme unintended!)

The pythons are indigenous This species are called Carpet Pythons and occur over much of Australia and into New Guinea and the Solomon Islands in various colour forms. They are quite common where I live in Southern Queensland.
Nice rhyme!

[veebass]

I remember them. (Getting sidetracked in traditional LBO fashion...)

Yes, I saw them play a number of times in the early 80s. I liked them. They were essentially a protest band that got popular, when Australia seemed to care about those things. Shane Howard continues to play often in association with Indigenous Australians.
We still sometimes cover Living On The Razor's Edge because we like it.

[uwe]

The pythons are indigenous This species are called Carpet Pythons and occur over much of Australia and into New Guinea and the Solomon Islands in various colour forms. They are quite common where I live in Southern Queensland.
Nice rhyme!

And they die too if they have too many cane toads or can they take it unlike the monitors?

[veebass]

And they die too if they have too many cane toads or can they take it unlike the monitors?

I am not sure. It seems the verdict is out on whether these pythons eat Cane Toads. But here's an interesting story.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2866201/Python-goes-murderous-cane-toad-rampage-leaves-uneaten-bloated-bodies-victims-casino-car-park.html



There are certainly plenty of toads here and pythons and monitors and I have found no dead pythons or monitors, for that matter, laying around, so maybe they learn.
I have encountered Red Bellied Black Snakes sharing shelter with Toads and showing no interest in eating the Toads, despite the fact that Frogs make up a large proportion of the normal prey of Red Bellied Blacks.

Interesting you should raise that question now. I took this photo this morning. Crows often take toads from our pool first thing in the morning. This is what a Crow did with one this morning. I had read of this and had found the remnants occasionally. I actually witnessed it this morning. The Crows pins the toad to the ground on it's back, pulls it open and eats the internal organs. No attempt to eat the rest of the toad. Very clever things Crows.

[veebass]

Seeing as you like reptiles, here are a few of our nicer ones, photographed at my property
Pink Tongued Skink. A tree climbing relative of the common Blue Tongued Lizard. This one is a little unusual being almost devoud of the heavily banded pattern seen on most. That's why I photographed him.


Immature Angle Headed Dragon- playing dead as they often do. This one had got himself caught inside an empty beer carton in the garage. I rectified his situation and mine.


Velvet Geckos are very common here, we have a population of at least 20 living on the house- this is a pic from the internet- I don't have a good one of ours. The immatures are spectacular- black velvet with bright blue spots- must get a shot, there are some babies around at the moment.

[66Atlas]

My band rehearsal space has a small pond near it where we sometimes take "fishing breaks"- this was spotted Monday by one of the neighbors.

[Blackbird]

I had a Burmese Python for a couple of years...she was 10-11 feet at the time.  She was a real sweetie.