Timor water python

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Timor water python
Timor water python (subspecies Liasis mackloti savuensis)

Timor water python
(subspecies Liasis mackloti savuensis )

Systematics
without rank: Toxicofera
Subordination : Snakes (serpentes)
Superfamily : Python-like (Pythonoidea)
Family : Pythons (Pythonidae)
Genre : Water pythons ( liasis )
Type : Timor water python
Scientific name
Liasis mackloti
Duméril & Bibron , 1844

The Timor water python ( Liasis mackloti ), also Macklot's python or New Guinea python , is a species of snake from the python family . The specific epithet honors the German zoologist Heinrich Christian Macklot . The Timor water python is found only on a few islands of the Malay Archipelago , almost nothing is known about the biology of the species.

features

This python is medium in size and relatively slim. The animals reach a maximum length of 3–4 m, with the tail accounting for about 15% of the total length. The head is narrow, the muzzle is slightly angular. The rostral is barely visible from above. The nasals are separated from one another by rectangular internals . Next to the anterior prefrontalia there is a pair of small posterior prefrontalia. The frontal itself is large and oval to angular. The supraocularia are large and undivided. There are usually two pairs of parietals , separated from each other by a few small scales.

In the side view, there is usually one, rarely two angular loreals between the nasals and the large, individual pre- oculars . There are two postocularia . The number of large supralabials can range from 10 to 12, the first two showing shallow labial pits . Two supralabials touch the eye. The lower jaw shows 14-19 infralabials .

The number of abdominal scales ( ventral shields ) varies between 270 and 304, that of the subcaudalia between 86 and 96 and the number of dorsal rows of scales in the middle of the body between 49 and 65.

The animals are generally quite monochrome gray-brown to medium brown. On this basic color they show a more or less pronounced pale gray or reddish, irregular markings.

distribution and habitat

The Timor water python has a very small distribution area and occurs only on the Lesser Sunda Islands Timor , Semau , Roti , Sawu , Wetar and Alor . The climate on these islands is tropical, humid and hot, more details about the habitat of the species are not yet available.

Systematics

Three subspecies are currently recognized, which differ in color, in certain aspects of behavior and in terms of the size ratio of the sexes:

  • Liasis mackloti mackloti ; the nominate form occurs in Timor, Semau and Roti. The average python is 160 cm long. Females are usually larger than males.
  • L. m. dunni ; the subspecies only colonizes Wetar. Females are usually smaller than males. Overall, this is the largest subspecies. Fighting between males for females has only been observed in this subspecies.
  • L. m. savuensis ; this form only occurs on Sawu, here too females are usually larger than males. L. m. savuensis is the smallest subspecies.

For all three subspecies, the survey of independent species is being discussed on the basis of molecular genetic and behavioral studies. A close relative of the Timor water python is the brown water python ( L. fuscus ).

Way of life and reproduction

In its habitat, the python is believed to be the top of the food chain. The strangler snake can catch small and medium-sized mammals and waterfowl. Some scientists also count bird eggs, reptiles, frogs and fish to the diet of the python, but more detailed studies are lacking. Like all pythons, the Timorese water python lays eggs. There is little data available from captivity on reproduction. The clutches comprise 8-14 eggs, which hatch after about 60 days with artificial incubation. Notwithstanding this, for the subspecies L. m. savuensis clutch with 4–6 eggs and hatching after 60–70 days was found. Newly hatched snakes of this subspecies were about 320 mm long.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ JG Walls: The Living Pythons. TFH Publications, 1998: pp. 82 ff, 91 ff.
  2. ↑ a b J. G. Walls: The Living Pythons. TFH Publications, 1998: pp. 83 and 92
  3. ^ A b C. K. Carmichael, BR Kreiser, DG Barker, TJ Barker, and JC Gillingham: Geographic variation in Pheromone trailing behaviors of the Indonesian water python (Liasis mackloti) of Indonesia's Lesser Sunda Archipelago. In: RW Henderson and R. Powell (Eds.): Biology of the Boas and Pythons. Eagle Mountain Publishing Company, Eagle Mountain, 2007: p. 228
  4. Jump up ↑ CK Carmichael, BR Kreiser, DG Barker, TJ Barker, and JC Gillingham: Geographic variation in Pheromone trailing behaviors of the Indonesian water python (Liasis mackloti) of Indonesia's Lesser Sunda Archipelago. In: RW Henderson and R. Powell (Eds.): Biology of the Boas and Pythons. Eagle Mountain Publishing Company, Eagle Mountain, 2007: p. 238
  5. ^ A b c d e Mark O'Shea et al .: Herpetological Diversity of Timor-Leste Updates and a Review of species distributions. In: Asian Herpetological Research. 2015, 6 (2): pp. 73-131, accessed on July 17, 2015.
  6. ↑ JG Walls: The Living Pythons. TFH Publications, 1998: p. 85
  7. ↑ JG Walls: The Living Pythons. TFH Publications, 1998: p. 95

literature

  • CK Carmichael, BR Kreiser, DG Barker, TJ Barker, and JC Gillingham: Geographic variation in Pheromone trailing behaviors of the Indonesian water python (Liasis mackloti) of Indonesia's Lesser Sunda Archipelago. In: RW Henderson and R. Powell (Eds.): Biology of the Boas and Pythons. Eagle Mountain Publishing Company, Eagle Mountain, 2007, ISBN 978-0-9720154-3-1 , pp. 227-240.
  • JG Walls 1998: The Living Pythons. TFH Publications, 1998, pp. 82-85, 91-95.

Web links

Commons : Liasis mackloti  - collection of images, videos and audio files