Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary biggest captive Australian python?

[Chlidonias]

Python Maximus stretches out to 5.1 metres - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

He is believed to be the largest Australian native snake in captivity and at his latest health check-up, Maximus the scrub python has measured in at a gigantic 5.1 metres.

At his home at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary on the Gold Coast, Maximus has been fed a diet of rabbits over summer to bulk up.

However, despite extending out from 4.8 metres he actually shed weight, tipping the scales at 25 kilograms, down from his previous 27 kilograms when he was last weighed and measured in 2008.

"Scrub pythons are the largest snake species in Australia and they can reach up to eight metres in the wild," senior reptile keeper Natalie Hill said.

Ms Hill say she believes Maximus is the largest scrub python in captivity in Australia.

"He's definitely chunky. In the wild they're usually more lean and skinny, taking to the arboreal niches, climbing trees and eating fruit bats and birds in the canopy," she said.

"But when they get to the size of Maximus they hang around the water's edge, mainly preying on things like bandicoots, musky rat kangaroos and wallabies to put on that large size.

"He's classed as a dangerous animal so we have strict protocols for handling him because scrub pythons are pretty notorious for biting."

The snake was acquired by the sanctuary 15 years ago as a hatchling from a private collection and has been used to breed four clutches of young.

"He's got a girlfriend out the back called Minimus," laughed Ms Hill.

 

[jwer]

Aren't female pythons considerably bigger then males, why is Maximus constantly referred to as "him"? Is he an extraordinary long male?

 

[Chlidonias]

Aren't female pythons considerably bigger then males, why is Maximus constantly referred to as "him"? Is he an extraordinary long male?

I think the last part of the story suggests he is in fact a male ("The snake was acquired by the sanctuary 15 years ago as a hatchling from a private collection and has been used to breed four clutches of young. "He's got a girlfriend out the back called Minimus," laughed Ms Hill. ")

 

[jwer]

I think the last part of the story suggests he is in fact a male ("The snake was acquired by the sanctuary 15 years ago as a hatchling from a private collection and has been used to breed four clutches of young. "He's got a girlfriend out the back called Minimus," laughed Ms Hill. ")

I picked that up, hence my question. How can a male rock python reach such extraordinary lenghts? Or am I just ill-informed how long a male rock python can get...?

 

[Steve Robinson]

I picked that up, hence my question. How can a male rock python reach such extraordinary lenghts? Or am I just ill-informed how long a male rock python can get...?

This is not a Rock Python.

This is a Scrub [or Amethystine] Python - Morelia amethistina.

This snake could grow a bit more yet!