At more than 5m long and weighing 22kg, Kyabram Fauna Park’s newest resident is a site to behold.
Ravi the reticulated python has plenty of room to stretch out in his new purpose-built home within Kyabram Fauna Park’s reptile habitat.
Kyabram Fauna Park life sciences co-ordinator Ellice Duncan said the 22-year-old python, whose name means ‘sun’ in Hindi, is busy exploring, swimming in his own pond and basking under heat lamps.
“It’s fascinating to watch this beautiful python slither around in the heated waterfall and pond, or bask in a coil shape that shows off his yellow-and-black pattern,” Ms Duncan said.
“His new home in the reptile habitat is temperature controlled to create the humidity and warmth he needs.”
As the longest and third heaviest snake in the world, reticulated pythons are powerful, non-venomous, ambush predators who strike their prey with rapid speed and devour them using body constriction.
Normally pythons feed fortnightly on mammals which can be up to 10 times the size of their head.
“To enable his hunting behaviours, keepers create a scent trail using his food,” Ms Duncan said.
“Feeding him using scent trails not only encourages reticulated pythons’ natural ambush behaviours, but also provides mental stimulation which is important for all of our reptiles.”
Reticulated pythons are native to south and south-east Asia and are abundant in Indonesia, India and China.
They are found in moist rainforests and wetlands and prefer temperatures about 30°C.
The longest recorded reticulated python measured an astounding 10m.
“Our new reticulated python is worth travelling to see as it’s one of the most magnificent species of snake in the world with so many fascinating behaviours to see,” Ms Duncan said.
Kyabram Fauna Park’s reptile habitat is also home to the world’s most venomous snake, the inland taipan, as well as 15 other reptile species.
The park is open from 10am to 5pm every day of the week.