When I learnt that previous owners of our Daintree rainforest property had lost a baby to an Amethystine Python, I was indelibly impressed.
From the night of arrival of each of my three children and for the first two weeks of each of their lives, a six-metre python menaced at the periphery of our dwelling.
In the Daintree, visitor expectations prioritise the observation of unique wildlife in natural habitat. The Amethystine Python has a more profound impact on nightwalkers than almost any other species. Sustainable management of freehold World Heritage estate relies on visitor-willingness to distinguish themselves from the popularity of subsidised public-access facilities.
My paternalistic concern for my newborn children was judiciously moderated by my presentation enthusiasms of such predictable and awe-inspiring sightings. At the same time, our newborn children were never left alone for a moment.
A couple of months ago, a neighbouring twelve-year-old was attacked in his bed by a four-metre python. His screams awoke his household and the snake was hurled out into the night. Undeterred, it attacked the boy again the following night and was summarily executed.
It appears that departing members of the local community had given their cat to the boy, which he shared his bed with. In all probability, the python was attracted to the cat and the boy rolled onto the snake, two nights in succession.
I don’t imagine that there would be many who would begrudge the father for killing the python to protect his son, but it is almost inevitable that some would argue that the family had put themselves at risk by residing in python habitat.
I have spent that last thirteen years, on an almost nightly basis, scouring the nocturnal landscape of the Daintree rainforest for pythons, amongst a multitude of other species. They are unpredictable and over the course of the year I might see one per fortnight.
Quite recently, a three-and-a-half metre female has been behaving in an unexpected and innovative manner. It discretely positions itself amongst the branches of an exotic custard-apple called soursop. Patiently it awaits to ambush the spectacled flying-fox, which finds the fruit irresistible. If the strike is unsuccessful and the fruit falls to the ground, the python repositions in readiness to ambush one of two species of bandicoot, which are similarly attracted to the fruit.
During an animated discussion about the perceived improbability of a python-sighting, a night-walk client promised to send me a copy of a book he’d recently read that would reinforce, in his opinion, my stated belief that pheromones were largely at play. Jacobson’s Organ is one of the most enjoyable and thought-provoking books I’ve read over the past few years.
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD is a critical thinker with expertise in the scientific method.
Hi Neil,
Did the previous owner really ‘lose’ their baby to one of these snakes? Do you know the circumstances? I have a large olive python I use for talks to school groups and they are constantly asking for stories of snakes consuming humans. I was not aware of any such encounter in Australia.
Nice picture of a very impressive animal.
Hi Libby,
I was told that this tragedy occured in the mid-1930’s. The rainforest area north of the Daintree River was offered for 160-acre selections as an economic driver to stimulate recovery from the depression (along the lines of America’s homestead Act).
Selectors entered a pristine landscape by boat with the flawed belief that the luxuriant vegetation was a product of inherently nutrient-rich soils and imagining prosperity through fruit-cropping.
It is my understanding that the tragedy was doubled when the father drowned in Hutchinson Creek, in his desperate attempt to get help. The property was understandably abandoned.
Elsewhere in the area, as fruit-cropping revealed woefully depauperate soils, logging of rainforest cabinetwood timbers became the champion of the day.
There has been a bit of research into the “boy eaten by snake” stories in Africa and all were proved to be untrue and even faked! I have seen pics of a python eating an antelope and another of eating a wallaby.
http://www.snopes.com/horrors/animals/anaconda.htm
Thanks Neil.
Hi Rog,
Somewhere recently there were photos circulating of a python that had ‘exploded’ whilst eating a large antelope. I have no idea of its authenticity, but imagine that on You-tube!
Libby,
See “Python explodes after swallowing 6-foot alligator in Florida Everglades,” mongabay.com
(October 5, 2005),
http://news.mongabay.com/2005/1005-gator.html
And there’s an excellent pic, too!
That would be it Schiller. Although without the antelope.
All interesting stuff – I had no idea we even had 6 metre long pythons in Australia!
Jim,
The largest recorded specimen in Australia was 8.5 metres (28 ft).
I was very pleased to find one last night (3m. male) balanced along the upper edge of a butress-root, which formed a natural barrier that would likely corral ground-dwelling mammals in their nocturnal travels. Under four layers of canopy, without any moonlight, the rainforest is pitch black.
The python has specialised structures on its jaw-line that house infrared receptors. Mammals and other warm-blooded fauna are detected by their heat signature.
The python held its head over the centreline of the root, ready to strike on whichever side provided opportunity.
Six clients; one from Holland, two from Germany, two from England and one from Cairns FNQ, marvelled at the display of such strategic finesse.
What light do you use Neil?
Maglite 2D with 3watt LED technology. Very efficient (10 times more so that Xenon globes).
hey, is the rumor about the 28 foot scrubbie really true? any info would be greatly appreciated!
hey, is the rumor about the 28 foot scrubbie really true? any info would be greatly appreciated!
8.5m does not add up to 28ft
If you want, its actually 27 feet 10.6 inches. I’m not sure 1.4 inces is going to make that much difference. Either way its a jolly big snake.
I’ve just had a amethystine python removed from my home in Cairns. I live in the city where you wouldn’t expect to see snakes, and I’ve been here in this house for 13 years without ever sighting a snake before, but with all this rain around, it seems to be bringing the snakes out into the open this year. He’s a young one, as he was only a couple of metres long, but the guy who caught it said the longest one he has caught is 31 foot.
just wondering if anyone would agree to the possibility of such a large python be found wondering past canecrops thru the gin gin-bundaberg regions in Queensland?When i was younger me and my brother saw two very very large snakes that were 4 to 5 times our size,with patterning,much like a python.We froze and went the long way home that day.as we were younger we were obviously alot smaller,and no body believed the snakes were that big,but i am still curious to see what large snake it may have been,as we had no need to exajurate.i do understand the amethysine python wouldnt usually be found around this region,although peoples input would be appreciated.
Whilst working in North Queensland, in hilly semi-rainforest NW of Giru, SW of Townsville i was removing woody weeds &trees from underneath powerlines, quite a remote area, i entered a small clearing and froze stiff. At my feet was the tail end of a massive Amethystine Python as fat as my body round and at least 5m minimum in length. I silently thanked the stars i was standing at its tail end as it sunned itself in the clearing. It was the biggest snake i ever saw or could imagine seeing, the length staggered me. I was motionless and as i sloooowly walked backwards to put a sane distance between it and me it slowly began to slide off down into and under the undergrowth. I almost messed in my pants i was terrified but yes dont for a second doubt snakes particularly these pythons can grow to amazing sizes, i had my reservations but not after witnessing this gargantuan specimen. Boy it scared the daylights out of me yet i was transfixed by its beauty shimmering green leaf like scale pattern and its proud bearing almost as if to say now leave me be puny human lest i constrict and swallow you for lunch, its gospel, true, they can reach incredible sizes indeed, i was a skeptic, not any more. This reptile was humungous, a real king of the jungle, probably ate anything it fancied i supposed, goats, bats, pademelons, other snakes, even could have quite easily swallowed a child without any problem. Awesome, scary, beautiful, such latent power in its movement left me speechless, and thankful id stumbled across its tail and not the business end. They ARE out there in Australias Northern jungle forests. I swear on a stack of bibles they exist at extreme sizes.