(Morelia amethistina)
Family: Pythons (Pythonidae)
Order: Scaly Reptiles or Squamates (Squamata)
| |
Amethystine Python
(Morelia amethistina) Family: Pythons (Pythonidae) Order: Scaly Reptiles or Squamates (Squamata) |
|
|
Other names: New Guinea Scrub Python. Size: Usually 2.5-4.0 m, exceptionally up to 6.0 m. The record for an Australian Scrub Python (M. kinghorni) is 8.6 m, but it is not certain if this species can reach such a large size. Distribution: New Guinea and nearby islands (Bismarck Islands, Trobriand Islands, d'Entrecasteaux Islands, Louisiade Islands, Aru Islands, Kai Islands). Also see under Variation. Habitat: Found in a wide variety of habitats, from coastal scrub to savanna, open dry forest and dense rainforest, at altitudes from sea level to 1600 m. Also occurs in suburban areas. Often seen near rivers, where they ambush animals that come to drink, near buildings, where they search for rodents, or when crossing roads. Younger snakes are mainly arboreal, while large adults spend more time on the ground. Food: Mammals (rats, wallabies, pigs, fruit bats, possums), birds, monitor lizards, and other large lizards, such as skinks. Pythons kill their prey by constriction. Warm-blooded prey is detected by using heat-sensitive organs in the lips and the snout. Reproduction: Male amethystine pythons are aggressive towards one another during the mating season and at such times will engage in combat. Lays 5-21, usually about 12 eggs per clutch, which measure about 80 X 50 cm. The female broods the eggs, often vibrating its body to produce a higher brooding temperature than the surroundings. Incubation takes 70-100 days, and the youngs measure 65-70 cm at the hatching. Activity and behaviour: Mostly secretive during daytime and comes out to hunt at night. Has an irritable nature and will bite, if provoked. Enemies and defense: Larger pythons have few enemies. Variation: There is still uncertainty regarding the variation within this species, particularly about the populations from the Indonesian Aru Islands, and the northern and southern parts of New Guinea. Future research may prove these populations to be separate subspecies, or even species. Populations from the Indonesian islands Halmahera, Tanimbar Islands, Ambon, Seram have recently been described as separate species (Morelia nauta, M. tracyae, M. clastolepis). The Scrub Python from Australia was previously regarded as a subspecies of the Amethystine Python, but it is now regarded as a separate species (Morelia kinghorni). Status: Uncommon to rare over much of the range. Protected by law in Papua New Guinea. All populations are involved in the commercial live reptile trade, but it is unknown whether this impact has caused a decline in the geographically restricted populations, however, trade in this species in general is not considered as a major threat at this time. Controlled by international trade restrictions (CITES Appendix II). Least Concern (IUCN Red List Category). Notes: In spite of its size and temper, the snake is not considered a threat to humans. The common name is an allusion to the iridescent sheen of the scales, which gives it an amethyst-like colour when the light falls right. References: Allison, A. 2007. Herpetofauna of Papua. pp. 564-616. In: Marshall, A.J. & Beehler, B.M. (eds.). The ecology of Papua. Part 1. Periplus Editions, Singapore. pp. 1-749. Allison, A.; Kraus, F. 2006. Checklist of the Amphibians and Reptiles of the Papuan region. www.bishopmuseum.org/research/pbs/papuanherps/taxa.html. Auliya, M. 2009. Morelia amethistina. In: IUCN 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.4. (www.iucnredlist.org). Downloaded on 22 April 2011. Bär, R. 2005. Neuere Erkenntnisse zur Nomenklatur des Amethystpythons (Morelia amethistina (Schneider, 1801)) und des Seram-Pythons (Morelia clastolepis (Harvey et al. 2000)) sowie erstmalige Vorstellung einer weiteren Inselpopulation innerhalb des Morelia amethistina-Komplexes von der Aru-Inselgruppe. Elaphe 13(2): 49-51. Barnett, B. 1993. The amethystine python (Morelia amethistina). Captive keeping, reproduction and growth. Litteratura Serpentium (English Edition) 13(6): 184-195. Bickford, D. 2004. Morelia amethistina (Amethystine python). Diet. Herpetological Review 35(2): 178-179. Fearn, S. 2002. Morelia amethistina (scrub python). Diet. Herpetological Review 33(1): 58-59. Fearn, S. 2002. Notes on a maximal sized scrub python Morelia amethistina (Serpentes: Pythonidae) from Kuranda, north east Queensland. Herpetofauna (Sydney) 32(1): 2-3. Harvey, M.B.; Barker, D.G.; Ammerman, L.K.; Chippindale, P.T. 2000. Systematics of pythons of the Morelia amethistina complex (Serpentes: Boidae) with the description of three new species. Herpetological Monographs 14: 139-185. Korzhov, A.V.; Kudryavtsev, S.V.; Latyshev, V.A.; Vassiliev, D.B. 1995. Keeping and breeding in captivity the Indonesian scrub python Liasis a. amethistinus (Schneider 1901) at the Moscow Zoo. Russian Journal of Herpetology 2(1): 68-70. O'Shea, M. 1996. A guide to the snakes of Papua New Guinea. Independent Publishing, Port Moresby. 239 pp. O'Shea, M. 2007. Boas and pythons of the world. New Holland, London, Cape Town, etc. 160 pp. Shaw, C. 1992. A breeding of the New Guinea amethystine python, Morelia amethystina, in captivity. Herptile 17(4): 149-153. Schleip, W.D.; O'Shea, M. 2010. Annotated checklist of the recent and extinct pythons (Serpentes, Pythonidae), with notes on nomenclature, taxonomy, and distribution. ZooKeys 66: 29-80. Stock, R. 2004. Pflege und Zucht des gelben Amethystpythons Morelia amethistina amethistina (Schneider, 1801). Elaphe 12(4): 34-38. Walls, J.G. 1998. The living pythons: a complete guide to the pythons of the world. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City. 256 pp. Wikipedia. Morelia amethistina. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morelia_amethistina). (set 20. april 2010). Text & layout: Rune Midtgaard |
|
