Seram python
| Seram python | ||||||||||||
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Simalia clastolepis , xanthic |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Simalia clastolepis | ||||||||||||
| ( Harvey , Barker , Ammerman & Chippindale , 2000) |
The Seram python ( Simalia clastolepis , syn .: Morelia clastolepis ), also golden python , belongs to the family of pythons (Pythonidae) and is there in the genus of diamond pythons ( Morelia ). The species was only separated from the amethyst python in 2000 . Almost nothing is known about the biology of this snake, which is native to Ambon and Seram .
description
Physique and length
The Seram python is a slender, but still quite sturdy python. The long tail makes up to 27% of the total length. The head is clearly set off from the neck and, in adult females, is clearly broadened. The eyes rest on the sides of the head and are directed slightly forward. The rounded, semi-oval snout seen from above is longer in males than in females. The round nostrils sit at an angle between the top of the head and the side of the head. This python is a large representative of the amethyst pythons. Since the species has only been able to be examined on the basis of a few individuals so far, no data are yet available on the average length of adults. The largest animal examined so far had a total length of 3.8 meters and a weight of 8.5 kilograms.
Scaling
Of all amethyst pythons, the seram python has the highest number of shields, which is where the scientific name comes from. The rostral (snout shield), which is only moderately visible from above, has, like most other pythons, two deep labial pits . The nostrils are each positioned in the upper rear part of the large nasal (nasal shield). A clearly recognizable seam runs from the nostril to the rear edge of the shield. Towards the middle of the head, the nasals are separated by a large pair of triangular internasals (intermediate nasal shields ). From the tip of the snout along the midline of the top of the head, the internalsals are followed by a large front pair of prefrontalia (forehead shields). The rear pair of prefrontalia characteristically has no contact with one another, but is separated by the anterior prefrontalia or one or more additional shields in between. Behind it is a simple large frontal (frontal shield). The adjoining shields of the apex and occiput region are much more variable in this species, usually more asymmetrical and more numerous than in other amethyst pythons. Often there are two to three pairs of larger parietals ( parietal shields ) behind the front , which are in contact with each other in the middle or are separated by up to 10 irregular, asymmetrical interparietals (intermediate parietal shields ). This is followed by irregular occipitalia (occipital shields) of varying numbers , which are slightly larger than the adjacent nuchealia (neck shields). There is a large triangular, sometimes partially fragmented supraocular above both eyes (over-eye shield). Preocularia (forehead shields) exist two to four, with the top one often enlarged. Postocularia (posterior eye shields) are four to six present. In contrast to all other amethyst pythons, the species can have between one to three subocularia (under-eye shields). On the side of the head, between the eye and the nostril, there are lorealia (rein shields), arranged in two to three rows . Of the 12 to 13 supralabials (shields of the upper lip), the foremost three have long, deep labial pits on their rear edge and two further small, superficial labial pits behind them. If under-eye shields are missing, one to three supralabials touch the lower edge of the eye. Infralabialia (lower lip shields ) there are 20 to 23, of which the foremost two weakly recognizable and, starting from numbers 9 to 11, have 6 to 9 deep labial pits. The chin pit consists of shieldless skin; but can accommodate up to 10 shields.
The number of ventralia (abdominal shields) varies between 301 and 309, the number of dorsal scales in the middle of the body between 45 and 52. From the cloaca to the tip of the tail, 93 to 99 are only partially paired subcaudalia (underside shields of the tail). The anal (anal shield) is undivided.
coloring
The Seram Python comes in two different color morphs , one with a high proportion of yellow ( xanthic ) and one without yellow (axanthic):
- Xanthic adults have a brown basic color and a slightly lightened yellowish pattern.
- Adult, axanthic representatives have a gray base color and are patterned in a slightly lightened gray-white.
The basic color becomes increasingly darker on the rear half of the body towards the tip of the tail. The back is darker in color than the flanks; in females, however, this area can darken to the color level of the back with age. On the front half of the body of subadult and young adult animals, a row of small, indistinct light spots with 2 to 3 shields in diameter runs on both sides of the spine. The spots in each row are 3 to 5 shields apart, are separated across the back by 2 to 3 shields, can be arranged parallel or offset along the spine and sometimes fuse with one another across the spine. Less often these dorsal spots also merge to form a light center line 2 to 3 shields wide, which is accompanied on both sides by a 1 to 2 shields wide dark line. On the back half of the body towards the tip of the tail, the light spots on the back on both sides of the spine become increasingly clearer, longer and finally form bands that run from the back to the lower edge of the flanks. This results in alternating light and dark bands on the tail. With increasing age, the spots on the back of the body become more indistinct and can disappear completely in adult animals. On the back half of the body, however, the pattern remains mostly indistinct. From the uniformly white-gray colored belly side, the color flows at relatively regular intervals up to the lower flank shields. At its upper edge, especially towards the tail, it is accompanied by an often interrupted, thin dark line.
The top and side of the head are unpatterned and correspond to the basic body color. Most of the shields on the top of the head are surrounded by a fine dark line. Lip and chin shields as well as the throat are white to white-gray in both color forms. In contrast to several other amethyst pythons, the lip shields of this species are not outlined in dark circles. In young animals, a dark band runs behind the eye above the upper edge of the upper lip shields to the corner of the mouth. This band disappears completely in the course of development, which sets the Seram python apart from all other amethyst pythons. They also lack the neck straps that are otherwise typical of amethyst pythons. The iris is dark gray to black in axanthic animals, golden, copper-colored to orange-brown in xanthic members and has a lightened edge around the pupil. The tips of the dark blue to blue-gray tongue are lightened pink in xanthic animals and gray or white in axanthic representatives.
Color change
Xanthic animals go through a remarkable ontogenetic color change. The initially brick-red young animals go through a red, a brown, an orange, a dull yellow and then a bright yellow phase. After about two years this yellow color changes increasingly to brown. The flanks of xanthic males remain dull yellow or golden throughout life, while this area becomes completely brown in females. Pregnant and brooding females even become almost completely brown-black on the upper side. Axanthic animals undergo only a slight ontogenetic color change; they just get darker with age.
distribution
The Seram python inhabits the islands of Ambon and Seram in the Moluccas. It is believed that the species also inhabited the neighboring islands of Haruku and Saparua. These are less than 200 meters away from Ambon and Seram and during the Ice Ages were always connected to each other via land bridges.
Way of life
The way of life of the Seram python is still largely unexplored. On Seram in the Manusela National Park , she lives in lowland rainforest and the lowland forest adjacent to the water. In this area it can also be found during the day and can be found both in the branches and on the ground. The food spectrum is also still unknown. So far, only one couscous has been found in a large individual .
Systematics
The amethyst python was first described by Schneider in 1801 under the scientific name Morelia amethistina . In 1933, Stull assigned subspecies status to the Australian population as Morelia amethistina kinghorni . In 2000, Harvey et al. taking into account morphological, biogeographical and molecular genetic aspects, five distinct species: Morelia amethistina , Morelia kinghorni , Morelia nauta , Morelia clastolepis and Morelia tracyae . All of the amethyst pythons described so far inhabit spatially separated habitats ( allopatry ). It is assumed, however, that further species can be differentiated among the species described so far, some of which even inhabit the same areas ( sympatry ). This is particularly suspected in New Guinea and New Ireland .
It is believed that an ancient form of the amethyst python once lived on the emerging New Guinea. Millions of years ago, in a first phase, the islands of Halmahera and New Ireland separated from New Guinea by deep straits, which completely isolated the amethyst python populations there. During later ice ages , land bridges formed between New Guinea and neighboring islands as well as the Australian mainland due to the low sea level. In a second phase, amethyst pythons colonized the D'Entrecasteaux Islands , the Louisiade archipelago and Aru . Seram , Ambon , Yapen , the coastal islands of the Torres Strait and Northern Australia. In a third phase, these pythons were able to use driftwood to get from Aru to the neighboring island of Kai , and those from Yapen to the neighboring island of Biak . The Tanimbar Islands also never had contact with other land masses, which means that precursors of this population must also have colonized the islands by water. Since New Guinea also changed significantly geotectonically, the original form of the amethyst python could still differentiate itself locally.
These pythons are most closely related to the Boelen python ( Morelia boeleni ). The characteristic commonality of amethyst and Boelen pythons is the presence of at least two pairs of large apex shields. In 1984, Wells & Wellington proposed separating amethyst pythons from diamond pythons ( Morelia ) as an independent genus called Australiasis .
The genus name Australiasis is invalid, however, because the genus was described in a journal that does not carry out a peer review process. At the beginning of 2014, the generic name Simalia (Gray, 1849) was therefore introduced for a new genus composed of the Boelen python and the amethyst pythons.
According to Harvey et al. (2000) and Reynolds et al. (2014) as follows:
| Simalia |
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Simalia clastolepis got its scientific name because of its numerous and highly fragmented shields. The Greek adjective klastos means "broken into pieces" and the Greek noun Lepis means "shield".
swell
Individual evidence
- ^ PW Edgar, RPH Lilley: Herpetofauna survey of Manusela National Park . In ID Edwards, AA MacDonald, J. Proctor (eds.): Natural History of Seram Maluku, Indonesia . Intercept Ltd 1993, pp. 131-141. Quoted in MB Harvey, DG Barker, LK Ammerman, PT Chippindale: Systematics of Pythons of the Morelia amethistina Complex (Serpentes: Boidae) with the Description of three new Species . Herpetological Monographs 14, 2000, p. 161.
- ↑ F. Kopstein: Reptiles from the Moluccas and the neighboring islands . Zoologische Mededelingen 9, 1926, pp. 71-112. Quoted in: MB Harvey, DG Barker, LK Ammerman, PT Chippindale: Systematics of Pythons of the Morelia amethistina Complex (Serpentes: Boidae) with the Description of three new Species . Herpetological Monographs 14, 2000, p. 161.
- ^ RW Wells, CR Wellington: A classification of the Amphibia and Reptilia of Australia . Australian Journal of Herpetology, Supplementary Series, Issue 1, 1984 pp. 1–61, full text ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Hinrich Kaiser, Brian I. Crother, Christopher MR Kelly, Luca Luiselli, Mark O´Shea, Hidetoshi Ota, Paulo Passos, Wulf D. Schleip, Wolfgang Wüster: Best Practices: In the 21st Century, Taxonomic Decisions in Herpetology are Acceptable Only When Supported by a Body of Evidence and Published via Peer Review. In: Herpetological Review, 2013, 44 (1), 8–23 .. 44, 2013, pp. 8–23.
- ^ R. Graham Reynolds, Matthew L. Niemiller, Liam J. Revell: Toward a Tree-of-Life for the boas and pythons: Multilocus species-level phylogeny with unprecedented taxon sampling. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Volume 71, February 2014, Pages 201-213, doi: 10.1016 / j.ympev.2013.11.011
literature
- MB Harvey, DG Barker, LK Ammerman, PT Chippindale: Systematics of Pythons of the Morelia amethistina Complex (Serpentes: Boidae) with the Description of three new Species. Herpetological Monographs 14, 2000, pp. 139-185.