Evan Wexler and the Boelen’s Python: Photography by Julian Osorio

New Guinea, the second largest island in the world, houses roughly 4,642 vertebrate species. The island of New Guinea has numerous species of reptiles; this unique species of python is only found on the Island of New Guinea, at an elevation of 6500-8500ft above sea level.

Boelen’s pythons are cloud forest residents and have been sited from the Vogelkop Peninsula (Birds head region) all the way to the east of Papua New Guinea (PNG). These snakes are presumed to follow the mountainous spine of the Maoke Mountains, which is composed of the Sudirman and the Jayawijaya range. The original holotype specimen was found in an area named Dimija, on December 25, 1952.

Interestingly, this species of snake receives as high protection as that of the bird of paradise in PNG. Throughout New Guinea, this snake is highly revered by the indigenous tribes and is referred to by many names such as “Blu Moran” or “Papa Graun Moran” in PNG.

The snake is a uniform jet black color with forward facing yellow bands that start from the face of the animal and work its way towards the mid body. Set in the right lighting, these snakes display a velvety sheen and a breathtaking iridescence.

To the average person these pythons seem rather large; however, on average, this species rarely exceeds 8 feet in length. As neonates, these snakes are typically a rusty red color, and they change to adult colors as they mature.