The Pilbara olive python: The secret giant of Australia’s red heart

One Earth’s “Species of the Week” series highlights an iconic species that represents the unique biogeography of each of the 185 bioregions of the Earth.

The Pilbara olive python (Liasis olivaceus barroni) is one of Australia’s largest and most elusive reptiles, a subspecies of the olive python endemic to the arid northwest. 

Revered by local Indigenous communities and vital to the health of desert ecosystems, this non-venomous snake plays a crucial role as a top predator, controlling populations of native mammals, birds, and reptiles. Yet despite its ecological importance, it remains little known and quietly endangered.

Habitat and environment

This python calls home the Pilbara region of Western Australia, a vast, mineral-rich landscape of red gorges, ancient rock formations, and seasonal waterholes. Unlike tropical rainforest pythons, the Pilbara olive python has evolved to survive in arid, rocky environments where shade is scarce and water even scarcer.

They’re often found near permanent water sources—gorges, rivers, and pools where prey comes to drink. These waterholes serve as vital lifelines in a harsh, unforgiving terrain. The species is nocturnal and crepuscular, typically sheltering in rock crevices during the heat of day and emerging at dusk to hunt.

But the Pilbara’s fragile water sources are increasingly threatened by mining activities, habitat fragmentation, and climate change, placing added stress on the species.

Physical traits and behavior

The Pilbara olive python is massive, frequently exceeding 4 meters (13 feet) in length, with a sleek, muscular build and smooth, iridescent scales ranging from golden-brown to dark olive green. Unlike venomous snakes, it kills by constriction, coiling its body around prey and squeezing until the animal can no longer breathe.

Its diet includes rock wallabies, flying foxes, small kangaroos, birds, reptiles, and even feral cats.

Adapted to a rocky habitat, this python is an excellent climber and swimmer, often lying in ambush near water to snatch prey in a lightning-fast strike. Its heat-sensitive pits allow it to detect warm-blooded animals in total darkness.

Reproduction occurs in the late dry season, with females laying up to 40 eggs in secluded rocky shelters. They coil protectively around the clutch, incubating them with body heat until hatching. The hatchlings are independent from birth, already capable hunters.

Ecological significance

As an apex predator, the Pilbara olive python keeps ecosystems in balance by controlling populations of herbivores and invasive species. By preying on rabbits, feral cats, and rodents, it indirectly supports the survival of vulnerable native animals and maintains the integrity of vegetation.

Its presence also has cascading benefits:

• Preventing overgrazing by wallabies and rabbits.
• Reducing the spread of disease by controlling pest populations.
• Creating space for native species to recover from invasive competitors.

A decline in this python could result in trophic imbalances, altering entire food webs across the Pilbara.

Cultural and mythological significance

To the Ngarluma, Yindjibarndi, and other Pilbara Aboriginal groups, this serpent is more than a predator, it is a sacred being. Known as part of the Dreaming stories, it represents the power of water, rock, and transformation. The olive python appears in rock art and oral traditions passed down for generations, guiding seasonal movements and sacred site protections.

One such story speaks of a giant ancestral python that carved the deep gorges of Karijini National Park, creating life-giving waterholes where the modern-day species still dwells. These stories reinforce the deep bond between people, land, and wildlife, and underscore the python’s role in spiritual and ecological continuity.

Conservation status and challenges

The Pilbara olive python is listed as Vulnerable under Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act. Threats include:

• Mining and infrastructure development fragmenting habitat.
• Road mortality from increased traffic near mine sites.
• Climate change, which reduces water availability and alters prey cycles.
• Invasive species and disease.

Though legally protected, enforcement is difficult in such remote regions. Conservation efforts include:

• Radio tracking and habitat modeling to better understand population needs.
• Partnerships with Indigenous ranger groups to monitor and protect known habitats.
• Educational outreach to mining companies and local communities to reduce human-wildlife conflict.

In 2021, new mapping efforts uncovered previously unknown populations, offering hope—but also revealing just how little we truly understand this mysterious giant.

The Pilbara olive python is a creature of myth and muscle, a living link between Australia’s ancient past and its ecological future. Though it may never grace a child’s storybook or headline a nature documentary, to protect it is to protect waterholes, Indigenous knowledge, and the intricate balance of life in one of the world’s oldest landscapes.