Snakes soaking up the sunshine

Warming up, and the snakes are soaking up the heat. Came upon small (under 3m) Amethystine Python beside Broadwater Forest Park track yesterday in vulnerable state of semi-blindness before slough swaps old for new lens covers.

Good news for unwary rat (ID?) feeding nearby on same track; python probably not interested in pursuing prey, even rats taking odd daytime risks.

Theme continued in Tyto today. Pythons above thinking seriously about mating. Very possibly same pair (3m+ and 4m+) that mated for about a week last year in pandanus just 200 metres from today's location. Meanwhile a Bandicoot snuffled safely through underbrush nearby.

It had little to fear from Brown Snake sunning close by, but even a one-metre Brown commands my respect. No closeups here!
Click pix to enlarge