Voices From The North
Hear the latest from the team at Faraway Bay where guests experience the remarkable beauty, isolation, history, and natural and cultural significance of this remote slice of outback Australia.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Olive Comes to Visit
An exciting visitor who's decided to visit Eagle Lodge is a rather large Olive Python. He gave Lucy, one of our guests, a hurry along at sunset nibbles as she came down the stairs. After making sure it was indeed a python and not the often mistaken King Brown, all guests enjoyed holding the friendly fella, which made for some great photos.
There are two sub species of Olive Pythons in Australia. The Pilbara Python can reach up to 6.5m in length and our resident Olive measures up to 4.5m. Dentists would love these guys as they have approximately 120 teeth. This beautiful creature only eats a few times a year. The lip area around their mouth has infra red heat pits which detect warm-blooded prey. After massive feasts they have the potential problem of poisoning themselves if the temperature is not sufficiently warm enough for digestion. If the prey is consumed when it’s too cold the animal will decompose too slowly causing poisoning of the blood.
Anyway, we're pleased he came to visit and that he provided everyone with another Kimberley wilderness nature lesson!
Simone
There are two sub species of Olive Pythons in Australia. The Pilbara Python can reach up to 6.5m in length and our resident Olive measures up to 4.5m. Dentists would love these guys as they have approximately 120 teeth. This beautiful creature only eats a few times a year. The lip area around their mouth has infra red heat pits which detect warm-blooded prey. After massive feasts they have the potential problem of poisoning themselves if the temperature is not sufficiently warm enough for digestion. If the prey is consumed when it’s too cold the animal will decompose too slowly causing poisoning of the blood.
Anyway, we're pleased he came to visit and that he provided everyone with another Kimberley wilderness nature lesson!
Simone
Labels: Faraway Bay; Kimberley; outback; snakes; olive python; king brown snake
