Leiopython

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Leiopython

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Pythonidae
Genus: Leiopython
Hubrecht, 1879
Species: L. albertisii
Binomial name
Leiopython albertisii
(Peters & Doria, 1878)
Synonyms
  • Leiopython - Hubrecht, 1879
  • Liasis Albertisii - Peters & Doria, 1878
  • Leiopython gracilis - Hubrecht, 1879
  • Liasis albertisii - Boulenger, 1893
  • Liasis fuscus albertisii - Stull, 1935
  • Liasis fuscus albertisi - Capocaccia, 1961
  • Liasis fuscus albertisii - Stimson, 1969
  • Liasis albertisi - Switak, 1973
  • Liasis albertisii - McDowell, 1975
  • Bothrochilus albertisii - Cogger, Cameron & Cogger, 1983
  • Lisalia albertisi - Wells & Wellington, 1984
  • Morelia albertisii - Underwood & Stimson, 1990
  • L[eiopython]. albertisii - Kluge, 1993
  • Leiopython albertisi - O'Shea, 1996
  • Leiopython albertisii - O'Shea, 1996 [1]
Common names: D'Albert's water python,[2] white-lipped python, D'Albertis' python.

Leiopython is a monotypic genus created for the non-venomous python species, L. albertisii, found in New Guinea. No subspecies are currently recognized.[3] It was first described as an intermediate genus between Liasis and Nardoa.[4] The species was named in honor of Luigi D'Albertis[5]

Contents

[edit] Description

Adults grow to an average of 213 cm in length (7 ft). They are patternless, except for some light markings on their labial scales.[2] The snout is triangular snout and the head is distinct from the neck. The dorsum of the head is shiny black, the upper and lower labial scales are white with black markings on the anterior edge of the scales. Body color is either brownish-violet fading to yellowish ventrally or blackish-blue fading to gray.

[edit] Geographic range

Found in most of New Guinea (below 1200 m), including the islands of Salawati and Biak, Normanby, Mussau, as well as a few islands in the Torres Strait. The type locality given is "Kapaor in Nova Guinea boreali occidentali ... et prope Andai..." also stated "... un esemplare a Kapaor fra i Papua Onin..." and "... un secondo esamplare ad Andai presso Dorei..." (Kapoar, Onin Peninsula and Andai, near Dorei, Irian Jaya, Indonesia).[1]

Some doubt can be cast on its occurrence on Normanby, as McDowell (1975) [6] had erroneously assigned Bara Bara to this Island, rather than to the mainland of Papua New Guinea in Milne Bay Province as stated by Boulenger (1898) [7] and Koopman (1982). [8]

[edit] Habitat

Associated with rain forests, cutover clearings and swamps. Usually found near water, into which they quickly retreat if disturbed.[2]

[edit] Feeding

The diet includes a range of birds and mammals that are small to medium in size.[2] Neonates and young semi-adults often feed on lizards.

[edit] Reproduction

Oviparous, with females laying about a dozen eggs. The eggs stick together in a compact pile and the females coils around them. The hatchlings emerge after about two months of incubation and are about 38 cm (15 inches) in length.[2]

[edit] Taxonomy

A new species L. hoserae, and two new subspecies L. albertisii barkeri and L. a. bennetti, are described in Hoser (2000).[9] [10] However, these descriptions are considered vague and questionable.[11][12]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
  2. ^ a b c d e Mehrtens JM. 1987. Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. ISBN 0-8069-6460-X.
  3. ^ Leiopython (TSN 634409). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved on 9 September 2007.
  4. ^ Hubrecht AAW. 1879. Notes III on a new genus and species of Pythonidae from Salawatti. Notes from the Leyden Museum 14-15.
  5. ^ Peters W and G Doria. 1878. Catalogo dei retilli e dei batraci raccolti da O. Beccari, L. M. D'Alberts e A. A. Bruijn. nella sotto-regione Austro-Malese. Annali del Museo Civico de Storia Naturale di Genova. ser. 1(13):401-403, plate III, Fig. 2.
  6. ^ McDowell SB 1975. A catalogue of the snakes of New Guinea and the Solomon’s, with special Reference to Those in the Bernice P. Bishop Museum. Part II (24.02.1975). Journal of Herpetology 9(1):1-79.
  7. ^ Boulenger GA. 1898. An account of the reptiles and batrachians collected by Dr. L. Loria in British New Guinea. Annali del Museo Civico de Storia Naturale di Genova (2) 18:694-710
  8. ^ Koopman KF 1982. Results of the Archibold Expedition No. 109. Bats from Eastern Papua and the East Papua Islands. American Museum Novitatis 2747:1-34
  9. ^ Hoser R. 2000. A Revision of the Australasian pythons. HTML at C-View Media. Accessed 10 September 2007.
  10. ^ Hoser R. 2000. A Revision of the Australasian pythons. HTML at Smuggled.com. Accessed 10 September 2007.
  11. ^ Leiopython albertisii at the TIGR Reptile Database. Accessed 9 September 2007.
  12. ^ Wüster W, Bush B, Keogh JS, O'Shea M, Shine R. 2001. Taxonomic contributions in the "amateur" literature: comments on recent descriptions of new genera and species by Raymond Hoser. Litteratura Serpentium 21:67-91. PDF at Wolfgang Wüster. Accessed 10 September 2007.