[1] M. spilota is a large species of python in the genus, reaching between 2 and 4 m (6.6 and 13.1 ft) in length and weighing up to 15 kg (33 lb).

The colouring of M. spilota is highly variable, ranging from olive to black with white or cream and gold markings.

The patterning may be roughly diamond-shaped or have intricate markings made up of light and dark bands on a background of gray or a version of brown.

Afterward, females coil around the eggs to protect them and keep them warm through using muscular contractions to generate heat.

[8] Carpet pythons favor arboreal living conditions, although they can also be found on the ground, and they commonly use open spaces to bask.

[7][8] In the northern Australian city of Darwin, carpet pythons are significantly more likely to be encountered in suburban areas during the dry season months of May–July.

[12] It occurs in a wide variety of habitats, from the rainforests of northeastern Queensland (M. s. cheynei) through the River Red Gum/Riverbox woodlands of the Murray and Darling Rivers (M. s. metcalfei), to the arid, treeless islands of the Nuyts Archipelago off the South Australian west coast (M. s. imbricata).

[15] As medium to large snakes, carpet pythons need a proportionately sized enclosure that allows for climbing as well as crawling around on the ground.

Captive specimens are normally fed live or frozen (defrosted to room temperature) rats or mice, but it is considered best practice to offer a varied diet which includes other types of rodents and birds to create more balanced nutrition.

[13] This is the case with proposed names which are sometimes cited, such as the Papuan Morelia spilota harrisoni (Hoser),[16] despite being unaccepted or invalid.