Python reticulatus

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Python reticulatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Family: Pythonidae Genus: Python Species: P. reticulatus
Binomial name
Python reticulatus (Schneider, 1801)
Synonyms
Boa Reticulata - Schneider, 1801 Boa rhombeata - Schneider, 1801 Boa phrygia - Shaw, 1802 Coluber Javanicus - Shaw, 1802 Python Schneideri - Merrem, 1820 Python reticulatus - Gray, 1842 Python reticulatus - Boulenger, 1893 Morelia reticulatus - Welch, 1988 Python reticulatus - Kluge, 1993[1]

Common names: reticulated python,^[2] Asiatic reticulated python, regal python.

Python reticulatus is a non-venomous python species found in Southeast Asia. This is the longest snake in the Old World and competes for the title of the world's longest snake with the South American green anaconda, Eunectes murinus. The specific name, reticulatus, is a Latin word that means net-like, or reticulated, and is a reference to the markings on the body.^[3] No subspecies are currently recognized.^[2]

Contents 1 Description 2 Geographic range 3 Habitat 4 Feeding 5 Reproduction 6 Danger to humans 7 Captivity 8 Farming 9 Taxonomy 10 Color variations 11 See also 12 References 13 Further reading 14 External links

[edit] Description

With a maximum recorded length of 32' 9",^[4] the largest specimen was somewhat longer than the longest anaconda (Eunectes murinus) reliably recorded. P. reticulatus can grow 32 feet (9.8 m) long^[5] and weigh up to 136 kg (300 lbs).^[6] It should be noted, however, that it is relatively slender, and therefore not the largest existing snake species: E. murinus can be roughly twice as heavy at the same length. More commonly, P. reticulatus reaches some 6-7 meters in length when fully adult, although a population on Jampea island is said to attain only about half that size.^[7]

A supposedly 14.85-meter (c.49 ft) long specimen was captured in Jambi province, Sumatra, in 2002.^[8][9] However, the snake—eventually nicknamed "Fragrant Flower" and winding up at a zoo in Curug Sewu (Kendal Regency, Java)—was later shown to be only half as long as claimed.^[10]

The color pattern is a complex geometric pattern that incorporates numerous different colors. The back typically has a series of irregular diamond shapes which are flanked by smaller markings with light centers. In this species' wide range, much variation of size, color, and markings commonly occurs.

[edit] Geographic range

Found in Southeast Asia from the Nicobar Islands, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia, east through Indonesia and the Indo-Australian Archipelago (Sumatra, the Mentawai Islands, the Natuna Islands, Borneo, Sulawesi, Java, Lombok, Sumbawa, Sumba, Flores, Timor, Maluku, Tanimbar Islands) and the Philippines (Basilan, Bohol, Cebu, Leyte, Luzon, Mindanao, Mindoro, Negros, Palawan, Panay, Polillo, Samar, Tawi-Tawi). The original description does not include a type locality. Restricted to "Java" by Brongersma (1972).^[1]

[edit] Habitat

Occurs in rain forests, woodland and nearby grassland. They are also associated with rivers and are found in areas with nearby streams and lakes.^[11]

[edit] Feeding

Their natural diet includes mammals and occasionally birds. Small specimens—up to 3–4 meters (10–14 ft) long—eat mainly rodents such as rats, whereas larger individuals switch to prey such as Viverridae (e.g. civets and binturongs), and even primates and pigs. Near human habitation, they are known to snatch stray chicken, cats and dogs on occasion. Among the largest prey items that are actually fully documented to have been taken were a half-starved old female Sun Bear of 23 kilograms that was eaten by a 6.95 m (23 ft) specimen, which took some 10 weeks to digest, as well as pigs of more than 60 kg (132 lb). As a rule of thumb, these snakes seem able to swallow prey up to ¼ their own length, and up to their own weight.^[12] As with all pythons, they are ambush hunters, waiting until prey wanders within strike range before seizing it in their coils and killing via constriction.

Contrary to popular belief, giant constrictors, including P. reticulatus, do not crush their prey to death, which is not even noticeably deformed before it is swallowed. The speed with which the coils are applied is impressive and the force they exert may be significant, but death is caused by suffocation, with the victim not being able to move its ribs in order to breathe while it is being constricted. .^[11][13][14]

[edit] Reproduction

These pythons are oviparous, with females laying between 60 and 100 eggs per clutch; at an optimum incubation temperature of 31–32°C (88–90 °F), the eggs take an average of 88 days to hatch.^[7]

[edit] Danger to humans

Attacks on humans are rare, but this species has been responsible for several human fatalities, in both the wild and captivity. They are among the few snakes that have been fairly reliably reported to eat people, although only 1–3 cases of the snake actually eating rather than just killing a human seem to have been verified:

• Two incidents, apparently in early 20th century Indonesia: On Salibabu, a 14-year-old boy was killed and supposedly eaten by a specimen 5.17 m (c.17 ft) in length. Another incident involved an adult woman reputedly eaten by a "large reticulated python", but few details are known.^[15]
• Franz Werner reports ^[16] a case from Burma (or Myanmar) either occurring in the early 1910s or in 1927. A jeweller named Maung Chit Chine, who went hunting with his friends, was apparently eaten by a 6 m (20 ft) specimen after he sought shelter from a rainstorm on or under a tree. Supposedly, he was swallowed feet first, contrary to normal snake behavior but the easiest way for a snake to actually swallow a human.^[17]
• In 1932, Frank Buck wrote about a teenage boy who was eaten by a pet 25 ft reticulated python in the Philippines. According to Buck, the python had escaped and when it was found they could recognize a human child shape inside the snake, which was later turned out to be the son of the snake's owner. ^[16]
• In Burma, an 8-year-old child was supposedly eaten by a 6 meters (20 ft) specimen in 1972.^[17]
• Basanti Tripura, a 38-year-old Bangladeshi woman from Rangamati District was killed on November 18, 2003, by a "10-foot-long python". The animal was killed during its attempt to eat the woman; if the size is correct, it is almost certain that it would not have succeeded. Though the identity of the snake was not reported, it was either P. reticulatus or P. molurus (Indian python) based on location and size.^[18]
• Ee Heng Chuan, a 29 year-old rubber tapper, was found dead with his head in a python's mouth. Apparently his shoulders were too large for the snake to swallow and the man was stuck in the snake's mouth.^[19]

Considering the known maximum prey size, it is technically possible for a full-grown specimen to open its jaws wide enough to swallow a human child, teenager, or even a small adult, although the flaring shoulders of Homo sapiens would pose a major problem. The victim would almost certainly be dead by the time the snake started swallowing. At least in the 1998 and 2003 incidents, the victims were gathering food or wood in the forest when they happened upon the snakes. While there are no eyewitnesses for the 1998 case, Tripura apparently startled the snake so that the initial attack might have been defensive rather than motivated by hunger, as seems likely in the death of Chine (if the latter did actually happen). In any case, it is unlikely that any but the largest specimens are able to kill, let alone eat, an adult human, except if the victim is caught unaware as in the 2003 incident.^[12]

[edit] Captivity

Increased popularity in the pet trade is due largely to increased efforts in captive breeding and selectively bred mutations such as the "albino" and "tiger" strains.

They can make good captives, but keepers should have previous experience with such large constrictors to ensure safety to both animal and keeper. Although their interactivity and beauty draws much attention, some feel they are unpredictable.^{[citation needed]} They do not attack humans by nature, but will bite and possibly constrict if they feel threatened, or mistake a hand for food. While not venomous, large pythons can inflict serious injuries, sometimes requiring stitches. Those who work with these snakes often cite an unusual level of intelligence and awareness compared to other snakes.

[edit] Farming

Over the past 20 years, farming of this species has grown considerably in many Asian countries, including Indonesia. It is rumored that European settlers introduced them to the region in 1558. Current estimates state that there are roughly 5,400 such farms throughout Southeast Asia. In countries such as Indonesia, these snakes are said to outnumber humans 15 to 1.^{[citation needed]} Native peoples first gained interest in farming them when they realized the skin could easily be sold for profit in the snake skin industry. The skins are popular sources for purses and boots, such as the typical snake skin cowboy boot. Prada has also used the skins on some of their purses. The meat is also considered a delicacy amongst local peoples and sells for as much at 50 USD per kilogram^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Taxonomy

Three subspecies may be encountered, including two new ones:

• P. r. reticulatus, Schneider (1801) - Called "retics" in herpetoculture.
• P. r. jampeanus, Auliya et al. (2002) - Kayaudi dwarf reticulated pythons or Jampea retics. Found on Tanahjampea in the Selayar Archipelago south of Sulawesi.
• P. r. saputrai, Auliya et al. (2002) - Selayer reticulated pythons or Selayer retics. Found on Selayar Island in the Selayar Archipelago and also adjacent Sulawesi.

The latter two are dwarf subspecies. Apparently, the population of the Sangir Islands north of Sulawesi represents another such subspecies, but it is not yet formally described.^[20]

The proposed subspecies dalegibbonsi, euanedwardsi, haydnmacphiei, neilsonnemani, patrickcouperi and stuartbigmorei, as well as the idea of moving the species to the monotypic genus Broghammerus,^[21][22] are rejected by most professional and amateur herpetologists. Most, if not all, of these taxa are generally considered nomina dubia.^[23]

[edit] Color variations

Several variations are currently being bred in captivity, including the "tiger", "super tiger", "albino" (white, lavender, dark lavender, and purple phase, depending on whether they are truly amelanic or have varying amounts of dilute eumelanin), "albino tiger", "albino super tiger", "genetic stripe", "sunfire", "golden child" (this morph may be soon renamed), "calico", "ivory/white flame", and many others.

Detail of wild-type pattern

3-meter-long "tiger" morph

A juvenile "tiger" morph specimen

Amelanic- lacking pigment similar to albino. A true albino would also lack Xanthin and be entirely white, though these are not bred

[edit] See also

• List of pythonid species and subspecies.
• Pythonidae by common name.
• Pythonidae by taxonomic synonyms.

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

[edit] External links

• Python reticulatus at the TIGR Reptile Database. Accessed 12 September 2007.
• Python reticulatus at Exotic-pets.eu. Accessed 12 September 2007.
• Reticulated python at Answers.com. Accessed 12 September 2007.
• Reticulated python forum at Kingsnake.com. Accessed 12 September 2007.