Black Head Python (Aspidites Melanocephalus)

Western Black-Headed Python

Rare in collections. These beauties have black and white bands and solid black head and neck. They are smaller than the Eastern Black-Head.

Eastern Black-Headed Python

Solid black head and neck. The body has burgundy, brown and yellow bands. Grows to 8-9 feet.

The black-headed python is in the genus Aspidites, meaning "shield bearer" because the head scales are enlarged symmetrical plates. The other member of the species is the Woma (Aspidites ramsayi). Both species lack the heat sensing pits on the upper lip that are typical of pythons. The specific epithet "melanocephalus" translates to "black-headed" for obvious reasons.

The head is narrow, and barely distinguishable from the neck. Their small black eyes are difficult to see against the head coloration. The nose is rounded and used for digging the burrows in which the animals often live.

I give them a plastic hide box loosely filled with a 50/50 mixture of sand and bed-a-beast. I get great sheds this way. They are very curious animals. Mine love to be handled and crawl around on the grass.