Black-headed python spotted at Wooleen Station, 400km away from usual habitat
Frances Pollock says the black-headed python was fat and healthy. (Supplied: Frances Pollock)
The sighting of a black-headed python at Wooleen Station has meant a change in locality data for the species in Western Australia.
Key points:
- Black-headed pythons are usually found across Australia's north, making this the furthest south the species has been spotted in the wild
- A snake experts says the sighting does not mean the python is new to the area
- The owners of Wooleen Station hope to spot more black-headed pythons
The python was spotted by Wooleen Station owners Frances and David Pollock during a tour of their land on Wajarri Yamatji Country, around 300km north-east of Geraldton in WA's Murchison region.
The couple had noticed some unusual tracks at the mouth of a cave a few days earlier.
This week the couple finally saw what was making the markings.
They were from a creature the couple had never seen on the station property before — a black-headed python.
"I was blown away because the only other python we know of that exists on the property is a pygmy python and they are tiny ... this guy was at least 2 metres long, and [had] very distinct markings like the black head and the stripes," Ms Pollock said.
Frances and Dave Pollock conduct tours twice a day but have never seen a black-headed python on their land before. (Supplied: Frances Pollock)
According to experts, black-headed pythons are usually found across Australia's north, making this latest find the furthest south the snake has been formally sighted in the wild.
Ms Pollock said there were several theories as to how the snake could have wandered hundreds of kilometres outside of its usual range.
"A theory that is being thrown around is that it got tangled up in someone's engine bay, but the location is actually not a place accessible to the public ... unless they're accompanied by Dave and I," she said.
Experts weigh in
Brian Bush has worked as a herpetology consultant for the past 35 years, and put the snake almost 400 kilometres south of its last known sighting.
"It's terrific to know [black-headed pythons] occur that far down south," he said.
Mr Bush said although this was the first sighting of the snake in the area, it did not necessarily mean the snake was new to the area.
Dave Pollock inspects the black-headed python at Wooleen Station. (Supplied: Frances Pollock)
"Our knowledge of the distribution of these animals is based on formally recorded individuals ... a lot of people will see something briefly but you couldn't confirm it as a record," he said.
"We've had them in Perth, but we know they're escapees, but the country's so vast [around the Murchison area] you just don't know what occurs.
"They're active at night in the warm weather ... in the cooler months, they're active in the daytime, so they're often seen around this time of the year."
The herpetology expert said people should not panic if they came across a snake on a bush trail.
"The smart thing is to leave them alone ... most of our snakes are venomous and this time of the year they will be ramping up on their activity as these spring days progress."
As for the Pollocks, they hope to spot more black-headed pythons on Wooleen Station.
"I guess with all things, where there's one, there's more," Ms Pollock said.