Spotted Python

Common Name: Spotted Python
Scientific Name: Antaresia maculosa
Source: CB25

Adult Size: 60–140 cm
Native Range: Eastern Queensland to northern New South Wales; also Torres Strait islands and southern Papua New Guinea

Enclosure: Secure vivarium; from 90 × 45 × 45 cm for smaller animals, scaling up to 120 × 45 × 45 cm+ for larger adults (bigger preferred)
Heating: Basking 32-35 °C; cool end 25-27 °C; night drop not below 20 °C

Humidity: 40-60% with good ventilation; provide a humid hide/area as needed for sheds

UVB: Low-level UVB recommended; aim for UVI 2–3 in the basking zone on a 12-hour day cycle

Diet: Appropriately sized thawed rodents (can vary with occasional poultry); hatchlings every 5-7 days, juveniles every 7-10 days, adults every 14-21 days

Water: Fresh water bowl available at all times; large enough for occasional soaking

ABOUT THIS SPECIES

The Spotted Python is a compact Australian python with a light brown base colour broken up by dark, irregular blotches. In the wild it’s largely nocturnal, spending daylight hours tucked into rock crevices, hollow logs and other tight shelters, then emerging to hunt along edges and outcrops. Like other pythons it has heat-sensing pits, helping it locate warm prey in low light; in some areas it’s known for opportunistic feeding around bat roosts.

They suit keepers who want a smaller species but still enjoy a “proper python” look and behaviour: alert after dark, keen to explore, and very happy when given plenty of cover and a strong warm-to-cool gradient.