Wildlife Wednesday - Diamond Python

I have visitors this week, from London, and the day they arrived I had a Diamond Python visiting! I've lived here for 7 years and have never seen a snake here...just when visitors are coming, there's one - typical :)

So here's the diamond python. It was early, and I'm not a good morning person, so I stagger out after Mr E tells me it's there and I identify it (in my thongs and shorts). I grab some shots. Then I start to wonder what's stuck on its head - doe sit need help - should I do something?

Then I worry about my identification - am I 100% sure it's a diamond python/carpet snake and therefore harmless, or is it something else and I'm deluded? And if you read this blog you'll know I'm not THAT good on my id. So I worried.

I went inside and in baggy long pants, thick socks and boots, I came back to have another look, take more photos and decide what to do.

Somehow in that time away from the excitement, my brain started to work. The snake was coming out of the winter hibernation. It was just becoming active. It was a fairly long snake but fairly lean, but that's okay if it's just coming into spring it won't have eaten much. And then, I yell to Mr E, "It's shedding!"

The thing over it's head was the old skin it was sloughing off - and it just hadn't all come off yet. Well, that's what I think it is. What do you reckon?

After I'd taken my shots, I went inside whereby Mr/s Snake took himself/herself off through the garden beds and we went to get our visitors. We haven't seen the snake again and the visitors are making sure I don't look too closely for it!!

Any idea if my id was right and my diagnosis?