Papuan python
| Papuan python | ||||||||||||
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Papuan python ( Liasis papuana ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Liasis papuana | ||||||||||||
| Peters & Doria , 1878 |
The apodora ( Liasis papuana , Syn. : Apodora papuana ) and Papua New liasis olivaceus is a snakes art from the family of pythons .
description
The Papuan python is a stocky snake with a short head, only slightly detached from the neck. With an average length of 1.6 to 3.6 meters and a maximum length of 4.27 meters, it is the second largest snake in the Notogean region . The head is light gray with black-edged head shields , lips and throat are lightly powdered dark. The body is yellowish to brown, darker towards the back and lighter towards the belly.
Two pairs of prefrontalia border the large frontal shield . On each side of the head there is a large supraocular shield , a parietal , three interparietal and a single Loreal shield . The mouth is surrounded by ten or eleven supralabial shields and 16 to 20 infralabial shields . The trunk has 63 to 72 rows of smooth scales in the middle , and a total of 358 to 374 ventral shields and 82 to 88 divided sub-caudal shields .
Distribution area and way of life
The distribution area is limited to New Guinea and its offshore, smaller islands. It mainly inhabits the low-lying savannas and the monsoon forest. The species is predominantly nocturnal. Hunting prey is mainly mammals but also other snakes, whereby they do not shy away from their own species. Also Keratophagie , the rather unusual for snakes eating the stripped skin was observed. Little is known about the reproduction of the species, the females lay eggs like all pythons .
swell
- Ludwig Trutnau : Non-poisonous snakes, part 1 . 4th edition. Eugen Ulmer GmbH & Co., Stuttgart 2002, ISBN 3-8001-3223-0 .
Web links
- Liasis papuana in The Reptile Database
- Papuan python at www.ecologyasia.com