CHILDREN'S PYTHON Antaresia childreni (Gray, 1842)
Found throughout tropical Australia, west of Cape York, this snake is highly variable in colour. Specimens may be patterned or unpatterned. Body form and temperament of specimens varies widely between and within localities. Specimens rarely exceed 1.5 metres.
The scalation is smooth with 35-47 mid-body rows, 251-300 ventrals, single anal and 38-57 mainly divided subcaudals.
The Children's Python is one of the most common snakes in areas where it occurs. It is found during the day sheltering in rock crevices in rocky areas, where it is most common, and in hollow logs and other ground cover elsewhere. This ground-dwelling python only rarely climbs trees. At night specimens are commonly seen crossing roads. This species feeds on small vertebrates, excluding frogs and fish.
It lays about twelve eggs around December. These hatch some two to four months later. Hatchlings measure about 25 cm.
Python Taxonomy (as of 2000).
The above was from the book Australian Reptiles and Frogs by Raymond Hoser and now available on a fantastic CD-Rom along with a vast amount of other information, papers and the like on reptiles, frogs and other wildlife.