OK, so the first of my visitors isn't necessarily a visitor and probably lives here, much to the horror of some of my friends on facebook, it seems. I was walking down the hallway from our bedroom yesterday afternoon and happened to spot the python crawling along the roof. This shot was actually taken this morning (Sunday) when we saw it again, this time taking full advantage of the sunny warm morning. I was hoping that one of the pair of wedgetailed eagles, in whose territory we live, wasn't going to be flying overhead this morning, otherwise it might have made a rather nice raptorial breakfast. Very unusual, though, to see a large python out and about on a mid-winter's day. The ideal house that I had dreamed of when we decided to move up here was going to be a classic Queenslander with a resident carpet python in the roof. Well we didn't buy a classic Queenslander, but we do have that carpet python on, if not, in the roof!
So, the sighting of the carpet python put me in a very good mood as I prepared for Glen and Vaughan, who were going to be doing a sleep-over on Saturday night. (This was Vaughan's first visit). The boys arrived around 4.30 and after showing Vaughan around the place we settled into the hot tub to enjoy a few glasses of bubbly while the sun set. Dinner and a movie followed (though I fell asleep during the movie) and this morning we enjoyed breakfast after we had been for a walk around the property. The boys left around 11 and I had a lazy day in the sun, reading out on the day bed, before doing some last minute tidying up before Steve arrived back home from his 4 days in Newcastle.
2 comments:
It is de rigeur to have a carpet python in the roof up here. We have one too, and it keeps the rats and mice away. And probably the antechinuses, too, unfortunately, as I certainly haven't heard scrabbling in the walls since ours moved in.
Maybe you will be lucky enough to see what we did - "our" python shedding its skin by hooking it onto something on the edge of the roof and peeling it off as it slid down the side of the house. We were in the loungeroom at the time watching - the new skin was so fresh and glistening, a beautiful sight. I've still got the old skin and it measures 3 metres. You can tell the sex, too, as the old skin has the male 'claspers' near the vent. Better than trying to find out which sex on a live one!
We have seen a number around the property but this was the first I've seen actually on the roof, so yes it was pretty special. Our antechinus population has been remarkably low....we've only ever seen two in the house, but not as lucky with the house mice and brown rats, unfortunately.
Fantastic sighting of the carpet shedding! I'm a bit of a herp-fanatic so always happy to see a reptilian form around the house
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