Rough scale python
| Rough scale python | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rough scale python |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Morelia carinata | ||||||||||||
| ( LA Smith , 1981) |
The rough python ( Morelia carinata ) is a type of diamond python from the family of the pythons (Pythonidae). It is one of the rarest species of snake in the world.
features
The rough scale python is the only type of python whose body scales have a keel, which is also indicated by the scientific name ( Latin carina - the keel ) and the common name . The triangular head of the snake is clearly separated from the body and has noticeably elongated front teeth. The color is dark brown with irregular, lighter spots which become larger towards the end of the tail. The maximum length is probably around 2 meters.
Distribution and way of life
The species is endemic to some locations in the northwest of the Kimberley in Western Australia . Only about 10 specimens have been caught in the wild and it is believed that the rough scale python is slowly becoming extinct for natural reasons.
The species colonizes monsoon forests , is nocturnal and often lives on trees. Almost nothing is known about nutrition and reproduction in the wild, but it is believed that birds and small mammals serve as prey. The females lay eggs.
swell
- Ludwig Trutnau : Non-poisonous snakes, part 1 . 4th edition. Eugen Ulmer GmbH & Co., Stuttgart 2002, ISBN 3-8001-3223-0 .
- Description of the species at the Australian Reptile Park
Web links
- Report in GEO magazine
- Morelia carinata in The Reptile Database