Two black-headed pythons with glossy black heads and banded bodies. — Photo: Dawson, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

Black-headed Python

Aspidites melanocephalus

A northern Australian python with a glossy black head that warms itself by poking just its head out of a burrow.

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About the Black-headed Python

Black-headed pythons average 5 to 6 feet long, sometimes up to 8 feet, and can weigh about 35 pounds. Their heads are black, and their bodies are tan, yellow or reddish with dark stripes. They live in northern Australia in dry savanna and scrub. They eat mostly reptiles such as skinks, geckos and bearded dragons, plus some small mammals, birds and snakes.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Aspidites melanocephalus^[1]
Size: Usually 5 to 6 feet; up to 8 feet.^[1]
Weight: About 35 pounds.^[1]
Lifespan: 20 to 30 years.^[1]
Diet: Carnivore. Mostly lizards and other reptiles, plus small mammals and birds.^[1]
Habitat: Dry savanna, scrub, forests and farmland.^[1]
Where it lives: Northern Australia.^[1]
Group life: Mostly nocturnal.^[1]
Babies: 8 to 18 eggs, guarded by the mother for about two months.^[1]
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2017).^[2]

Fun facts

In Australia it's nicknamed the 'tar pot.'^[1]
It warms up by poking only its black head out of a burrow.^[1]
Mothers shiver to warm their eggs.^[1]

Vocabulary

constrictor: A snake that kills prey by wrapping around it and squeezing.
burrow: A hole or tunnel an animal digs to live in.
nocturnal: Active mainly at night.
cold-blooded: Having a body temperature that changes with the surroundings; also called ectothermic.
least concern: A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

Smithsonian's National ZooWashington, D.C. · Reptile Discovery CenterSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Black-headed python.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/black-headed-python (accessed 2026-10-08)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Aspidites melanocephalus (Black-headed Python).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/13300710/13300718 (accessed 2026-10-08)

Facts last checked 2026-10-08.

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