The carpet python is a common, almost ubiquitous, snake in Australia which also ranges into New Guinea. They can be found in just about any habitat, from lush jungle to arid scrub. Carpet pythons are agile climbers, spending much of their time up in the branches. They are quite variably patterned, typically having dark diamond markings over a lighter background color. Carpet pythons are slender and quite long for their size.
Carpet pythons eat birds, small mammals, and lizards; commonly possums, cockatoos, bats, small goannas, rats, rabbits, agamas, skinks, geckos, budgies, and cockatiels. They lunge from overhead, or snag flying prey from the air. They are a pest when they raid chicken runs, but are often welcomed by farmers for their help with rodent control.
Carpet pythons rarely exceed Medium size, but a few get Large.