A wildlife ecologist in South Australia's Gawler Ranges National Park recently documented a rare encounter with a giant carpet python gliding across the open landscape.
The sighting of Tali Moyle was announced by National Parks and Wildlife SA on Instagram with a photo and video and assurances that no harm was caused to the reptile:
“We recommend always maintaining a respectful distance when observing animals in their natural habitat. This footage was captured by a local ecologist with expertise in animal care.”
Carpet python in the Gawler Ranges National Park.
The Gawler Ranges National Park, famous for its spectacular rock formations, lies in the northern part of the Eyre Peninsula.
Southwestern carpet pythons generally prefer coastal, forest, or grassland habitats. Encounters in the Gawler Ranges National Park are rare and Moyle's shots impressed followers on social media. (Click here to watch Moyle's footage.)
RELATED: Giant snake emerges from dinosaur-like tree near its home in Australia
The top comment on Instagram: “It's beautiful, but I'm afraid my soul would leave my body if I saw it.”
Carpet pythons are non-venomous and can grow up to 3 meters long. They hunt primarily small reptiles, birds and mammals, including wallabies and other marsupials.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Giant python takes center stage in rare encounter in Australian park