diff --git a/tests/testthat/_snaps/py_require.md b/tests/testthat/_snaps/py_require.md
index 4157edbf1..086eb3c2e 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/_snaps/py_require.md
+++ b/tests/testthat/_snaps/py_require.md
@@ -13,12 +13,11 @@
       > py_require("numpy<2")
       > py_require("numpy>=2")
       > import("numpy")
-        × No solution found when resolving tool dependencies:
-        ╰─▶ Because you require numpy<2 and numpy>=2, we can conclude that your
-            requirements are unsatisfiable.
+      error: No solution found when resolving tool dependencies
+        cause: Because you require numpy<2 and numpy>=2, we can conclude that your requirements are unsatisfiable.
       uv error code: 1
       -- Current requirements -------------------------------------------------
-       Python:   3.12.xx (reticulate default)
+       Python:   <version> (reticulate default)
        Packages: numpy, numpy<2, numpy>=2
       -------------------------------------------------------------------------
       Error in uv_get_or_create_env() : 
@@ -166,12 +165,11 @@
     Output
       > py_require(c("pandas", "numpy", "notexists"))
       > uv_get_or_create_env()
-        × No solution found when resolving tool dependencies:
-        ╰─▶ Because notexists was not found in the package registry and you require
-            notexists, we can conclude that your requirements are unsatisfiable.
+      error: No solution found when resolving tool dependencies
+        cause: Because notexists was not found in the package registry and you require notexists, we can conclude that your requirements are unsatisfiable.
       uv error code: 1
       -- Current requirements -------------------------------------------------
-       Python:   3.12.xx (reticulate default)
+       Python:   <version> (reticulate default)
        Packages: numpy, pandas, notexists
       -------------------------------------------------------------------------
       Error in uv_get_or_create_env() : 
@@ -218,7 +216,7 @@
       > py_require()
       ══════════════════════════ Python requirements ══════════════════════════
       ── Current requirements ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
-       Python:   [No Python version specified. Will default to '3.12.xx']
+       Python:   [No Python version specified. Will default to '<version>']
        Packages: numpy, pandas, numpy==2
       ── Python requirement requests (in order) ───────────────────────────────
         1. R package reticulate:
@@ -245,7 +243,7 @@
       > py_require()
       ══════════════════════════ Python requirements ══════════════════════════
       ── Current requirements ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
-       Python:   [No Python version specified. Will default to '3.12.xx']
+       Python:   [No Python version specified. Will default to '<version>']
        Packages: numpy, pandas
       ── Python requirement requests (in order) ───────────────────────────────
         1. R package reticulate:
@@ -274,7 +272,7 @@
       > py_require()
       ══════════════════════════ Python requirements ══════════════════════════
       ── Current requirements ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
-       Python:   [No Python version specified. Will default to '3.12.xx']
+       Python:   [No Python version specified. Will default to '<version>']
        Packages: numpy, pandas
        Exclude:  Anything newer than 1990-01-01
       ── Python requirement requests (in order) ───────────────────────────────
@@ -379,12 +377,11 @@
       > library(reticulate)
       > py_require("os")
       > os <- import("os")
-        × No solution found when resolving tool dependencies:
-        ╰─▶ Because os was not found in the package registry and you require os, we
-            can conclude that your requirements are unsatisfiable.
+      error: No solution found when resolving tool dependencies
+        cause: Because os was not found in the package registry and you require os, we can conclude that your requirements are unsatisfiable.
       uv error code: 1
       -- Current requirements -------------------------------------------------
-       Python:   3.12.xx (reticulate default)
+       Python:   <version> (reticulate default)
        Packages: numpy, os
       -------------------------------------------------------------------------
       Hint: `py_require()` expects Python package names rather than Python module names.
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-py_require.R b/tests/testthat/test-py_require.R
index 2e0cb03fd..5f4560fb8 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-py_require.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-py_require.R
@@ -1,11 +1,22 @@
-transform_scrub_python_patch <- function(x) {
+transform_scrub_python_version <- function(x) {
   x <- sub("3\\.([0-9]{1,2})\\.[0-9]{1,2}", "3.\\1.xx", x)
+  # The default Python version moves with each new Python release.
+  x <- sub(
+    "3\\.[0-9]{1,2}\\.xx \\(reticulate default\\)",
+    "<version> (reticulate default)",
+    x
+  )
+  x <- sub(
+    "Will default to '3\\.[0-9]{1,2}\\.xx'",
+    "Will default to '<version>'",
+    x
+  )
   # uv may report install timing depending on cache state; keep snapshots stable.
   x <- x[!grepl("^\\s*Installed [0-9]+ package(s)? in [0-9]+ms\\s*$", x)]
   x
 }
 
-expect_snapshot2 <- function(..., transform = transform_scrub_python_patch) {
+expect_snapshot2 <- function(..., transform = transform_scrub_python_version) {
   expect_snapshot(..., transform = transform)
 }
 
@@ -281,7 +292,7 @@ test_that("py_require() warns missing packages in a virtual env", {
   expect_snapshot2(
     do.call(r_session, list(force_managed_python = FALSE, exprs = expr)),
     transform = function(x) {
-      x <- transform_scrub_python_patch(x)
+      x <- transform_scrub_python_version(x)
       # scrub paths
       gsub("[A-Za-z]:[\\\\/][^\"' ]+|/[A-Za-z0-9._/\\\\-]+", "***", x)
     }