The 2026 Melbourne field guide

So, you want a pet snake.

A practical path from licence to first feed—for responsible keepers in Victoria.

Start with the licence See beginner species

WILDLIFE BASIC LICENCE · FROM AGE 10 · ALLOW ~6 WEEKS

Illustration of a Stimson's python coiled on a mossy branch in a night-time Melbourne conservatory
$144.60/yrfull licence
3 small speciesbest first snakes
30–32°Cwarm end
Never wild-caughtno exceptions

01 · Legal first

Your licence comes before your snake.

Every pet snake in Victoria sits on a Wildlife Basic Licence, issued by the Conservation Regulator at DEECA under the Wildlife Regulations 2024. Apply first, wait for the licence and record book to arrive in the post, and only then talk to a seller.

  1. 1

    Get a record book

    It arrives with your licence. Keep it with the enclosure.

  2. 2

    Record every transaction the same day

    Buying, selling, breeding, deaths — same-day entries.

  3. 3

    Submit your annual return by 14 April

    A short yearly summary back to the Conservation Regulator.

Never take a snake from the wild. Never release a pet snake.

Both are prohibited. Buy only from a licensed seller.

02 · Choose well

Small pythons, big personalities.

Basic licence · Victoria

Children's python resting on pale bark

Children’s python

Antaresia childreni · ~1 m

Beginner 1/3

Compact, steady and commonly recommended for a first setup.

Stimson's python coiled on red stone

Stimson’s python

Antaresia stimsoni · ~1 m

Beginner 2/3

A small Australian python with warm, broken patterning.

Spotted python among moss and narrow leaves

Spotted python

Antaresia maculosa · ~1 m

Beginner 3/3

Small-bodied, alert and legal on the Basic licence.

Murray Darling carpet python draped over a river red gum branch

Murray Darling carpet python

Morelia spilota metcalfei · 1.6–2.2 m

Next step

Larger and more demanding: a step up after the Antaresia trio.

Advanced licence only

  • Green python
  • All venomous species

Illegal in Victoria

  • Corn snakes
  • Ball pythons
  • Boas
Cutaway illustration of a wooden python enclosure with a guarded ceramic heat emitter at the warm end, two hides, a water bowl and a climbing branch

03 · Melbourne is the variable

Build for July. Plan for January.

Melbourne’s cold winters are the husbandry difference. Unheated rooms sit in the low teens from May to September, so a wooden or PVC enclosure — not glass — with thermostat-controlled heat is the baseline.

The gradient your snake needs
Warm end 30–32°C
Cool end 24–27°C
One enclosure, two zones — the snake chooses.
  1. 01Wooden or PVC enclosure
  2. 02Ceramic heat emitter
  3. 03Pulse thermostat · 24/7

Summer heatwaves: plan for temperature overshoot. Position the enclosure away from direct sun and monitor both ends.

What year one really costs.

Plan the full first year, not just the animal. The enclosure, heating and thermostat outlast several snakes — buy them once, properly.

$850–$1,550 first-year estimate for a small python
Enclosure
$370–$490
Ceramic heat + pulse thermostat
$135–$270
Snake + licence + essentials
balance of estimate
Frozen mice
~$8–$15/month
Winter electricity
~$15–$35/month

Indicative Melbourne retail pricing, August 2026. Animals, enclosure size and energy use vary.

Melbourne directory

Buy local, vet local.

Every seller must hold a Wildlife Dealer Licence, and every new snake deserves a baseline vet visit.

Where to buy

CHECK THE SELLER HOLDS A WILDLIFE DEALER LICENCE.

Reptile vets

04 · Do it in this order

Your first snake path.

  1. 1

    Get the Basic Licence

    Apply online before buying; allow about six weeks.

  2. 2

    Choose a legal species

    Start with an Antaresia python unless you are ready for the larger Murray Darling.

  3. 3

    Build and test the enclosure

    Run heat and thermostat for seven days; verify both temperature zones.

  4. 4

    Find a licensed seller and a reptile vet

    Confirm paperwork, feeding history and your nearest after-hours plan.

  5. 5

    Bring the snake home—and keep records

    Log the transaction the same day and maintain the annual return.

Two questions to know before you go.

There’s a wild snake in my yard—what do I do?

Keep people and pets away. Do not approach, trap or relocate it yourself; call a licensed snake catcher.

Can I buy a snake from interstate?

Yes, only with the required Victorian import and interstate export permits. Allow 3–5 business days and do not arrange transport until approvals are in place.

Licence and legal guidance: Conservation Regulator / DEECA, Wildlife Regulations 2024. Local listings and pricing checked August 2026.