Apodora

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Apodora
Apodora papuana 2 (cropped).JPG
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Pythonidae
Genus: Apodora
Kluge, 1993
Species:
A. papuana
Binomial name
Apodora papuana
(Peters and Doria, 1878)
Synonyms [2]
  • Liasis papuanusPeters & Doria, 1878
  • Liasis papuanusBoulenger, 1893
  • Liasis papuanusBoulenger, 1895
  • Liasis tornieriWerner, 1897
  • Liasis olivaceus papuanusStull, 1935
  • Liasis maximusWerner, 1936
  • Liasis papuanoWerner, 1936
  • Liasis papuanusMcDowell, 1975
  • Lisalia papuanaWells & Wellington, 1985
  • Morelia papuanaUnderwood & Stimson, 1990
  • Apodora papuanaKluge, 1993

Apodora papuana is a species of python, commonly known as the Papuan python, Irian python or Papuan olive python. It is found in New Guinea. [3] It is the only species in the genus Apodora. [4] No subspecies are currently recognized. [3] [5]

Contents

Description

The Papuan python is a large snake, with adults growing to an average length of 4 meters (13 ft) [6] and some specimens growing to lengths of over 5 meters (16 ft).[ citation needed ] However, they are not nearly as heavy-bodied as most other pythons, typically weighing only about 22.5 kilograms (50 lb). [6] The available information about the species size is limited. [7] They are noted for having the ability to change color, though the exact mechanism and reasons for it are not completely understood. The color is reputed to change when the snake is agitated. They can vary from black to a mustard yellow, but are normally an olive green in appearance when young and dark olive when older, with the sides and underside distinctly lighter.

Distribution and habitat

Papuan pythons are found in most of New Guinea, from Misool to Fergusson Island. The type locality given is "Ramoi Nova Guinea austro-occidentiali" (Ramoi, near Sorong, Irian Jaya, Indonesia). [2]

Behavior

The Papuan python is largely terrestrial and mostly nocturnal. Despite their size and impressive strength, they are relatively inoffensive animals and are not prone to bite even if handled.

Feeding

Their diet consists primarily of smaller mammals, but they are also known to be partly ophiophagous. [6]

Captivity

The Papuan python is not commonly available in the exotic pet trade, and when they are available they command high prices. They are a relatively hardy species that adapts well to captivity, readily feeding in commercially available rats. Captive breeding has been done.

Related Research Articles

<i>Antaresia</i> Genus of snakes

Antaresia is a genus of pythons, nonvenomous snakes in the family Pythonidae. The genus is native to Australasia. The genus is known by the common name Children's pythons, the name of the type species, Antaresia childreni. Gray named A. childreni in honour of his mentor, John George Children, who was a curator of the zoological collection at the British Museum around that time. It contains the smallest members of the Pythonidae. Four species and two subspecies are recognized, although they were all considered part of the same species until recently. A newly described form called the pygmy banded python may be a distinct species, but analysis has not yet been performed on this animal. The largest recorded examples of Antaresia species have all been males, suggesting males of the known species in this genus may compete for females. This behavior has never been witnessed in the wild, and has only been witnessed in captive specimens.

<i>Loxocemus</i> Genus of snakes

Loxocemus bicolor, the sole member of the monotypic family Loxocemidae and commonly known as the Mexican python, Mexican burrowing python and Mexican burrowing snake, is a species of python-like snake found in Mexico and Central America. No subspecies are currently recognized. Analyses of DNA show that Loxocemus is most closely related to the true pythons and the sunbeam snakes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green tree python</span> Species of snake

The Green tree Python, is a species of snake in the family Pythonidae. The species is native to New Guinea, some islands in Indonesia, and the Cape York Peninsula in Australia. First described by Hermann Schlegel in 1872, it was known for many years as Chondropython viridis. As its common name suggests, it is a bright green snake that can reach a total length of 2 m (6.6 ft) and a weight of 1.6 kg (3.5 lb), with females slightly larger and heavier than males. Living generally in trees, the green tree python mainly hunts and eats small reptiles and mammals. It is a popular pet, and numbers in the wild have suffered with large-scale smuggling of wild-caught green tree pythons in Indonesia. Despite this, the green tree python is rated as least concern on the IUCN Red List of endangered species.

<i>Morelia spilota</i> Species of snake

Morelia spilota, commonly known as the carpet python, is a large snake of the family Pythonidae found in Australia, New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago, and the northern Solomon Islands. Many subspecies are recognised; ITIS lists six, the Reptile Database six, and the IUCN eight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sumatran short-tailed python</span> Species of snake

The Sumatran short-tailed python is a species of the family Pythonidae, a nonvenomous snake native to Sumatra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spotted python</span> Species of reptile

The spotted python, eastern small-blotched python, or eastern Children's python is a python species found in northern Australia and New Guinea. It is a popular pet among Australian reptile enthusiasts and other reptile enthusiasts abroad due to its small size and even temperament. No subspecies were originally recognized. However, two subspecies were recognized as of 2020; A. m. maculosa and A. m. peninsularis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woma python</span> Species of snake

The woma python, also known commonly as Ramsay's python, the sand python, and simply the woma, is a species of snake in the family Pythonidae, endemic to Australia. Once common throughout Western Australia, it has become critically endangered in some regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-headed python</span> Species of snake

The black-headed python is a species of snake in the family Pythonidae. The species is endemic to Australia. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bismarck ringed python</span> Species of snake

The Bismarck ringed python is a species of snake in the genus Bothrochilus found on the islands of the Bismarck Archipelago. No subspecies are recognized.

<i>Simalia boeleni</i> Species of snake

Simalia boeleni is a species of python, a nonvenomous snake in the family Pythonidae. The species is endemic to the mountains of New Guinea. No subspecies are recognized. Its common names include Boelen's python and the black python.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amethystine python</span> Species of snake

The amethystine python, also known as the scrub python or sanca permata in Indonesian, is a species of non-venomous snake in the family Pythonidae. The species is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Popular among reptile enthusiasts, and noted for its coloration and size, it is one of the largest snakes in the world, as measured either by length or weight, and is the largest native snake in Papua New Guinea. Until 2000, the larger S. kinghorni was generally considered a subspecies of S. amethistina, and this change of classification has still not been universally reflected in literature. Because of this issue, S. amethistina has often been described as the largest snake in Australia, but this is not accurate since under the current classification, this species does not occur in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rough-scaled python</span> Species of snake

The rough-scaled python is a large-scaled python species endemic to Australia. No subspecies are currently recognized.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pygmy python</span> Species of snake

The pygmy python, also known as the anthill python, is a species of snake found in Western Australia. Their common names are due to their being the smallest member of the family Pythonidae and often being found in termite mounds. The specific epithet is derived from the state capital, Perth, although Perth is not within the range of the species. No subspecies are recognized.

<i>Crotalus stejnegeri</i> Species of snake

Crotalus stejnegeri, commonly known as the Sinaloan long-tailed rattlesnake or just long-tailed rattlesnake, is a venomous pit viper species in the family Viperidae. The species is native to western Mexico. There are no recognized subspecies.

<i>Morelia spilota variegata</i> Subspecies of snake

Morelia spilota variegata, commonly known as Torresian carpet python, Darwin carpet python or northwestern carpet python, is a subspecies of python found in New Guinea and Australia, smaller than the nominate subspecies Morelia spilota spilota and has a more restricted geographic range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olive python</span> Species of snake

The olive python is a species of snake in the family Pythonidae. The species is endemic to Australia. Two subspecies are recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

<i>Morelia spilota mcdowelli</i> Subspecies of snake

Morelia spilota mcdowelli is a subspecies of Morelia spilota, commonly known as the carpet python, and is informally named the eastern, coastal, or McDowell's carpet python. The original description and name were published by Wells and Wellington in 1984. It occurs along the northeastern coast of Australia and in New Guinea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Water python</span> Species of snake

The water python is a python species found in Australia and Papua New Guinea. No subspecies are currently recognized. Like all other pythons, it is not venomous.

<i>Liasis mackloti</i> Species of snake

Liasis mackloti, commonly known as Macklot's python or the freckled python, is a species of python, a non-venomous snake in the family Pythonidae. The species is endemic to Indonesia, East Timor, Papua New Guinea, and coastal northern Australia. Three subspecies are recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D'Albertis python</span> Species of snake

D'Albertis' python, also known commonly as D'Albert's water python or the northern white-lipped python, is a species of python, a non-venomous snake in the family Pythonidae. The species is endemic to New Guinea. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.

References

  1. Tallowin, O.; O'Shea, M.; Parker, F. (2018). "Apodora papuana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2018: e.T13300623A13300631. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T13300623A13300631.en . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN   1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN   1-893777-01-4 (volume).
  3. 1 2 Apodora papuana at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 11 November 2021.
  4. Apodora at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database . Accessed 11 November 2021.
  5. "Apodora". Integrated Taxonomic Information System . Retrieved 9 September 2007.
  6. 1 2 3 de Groot, Michael (2015). "Apodora Papuana: Papuan Olive Python". Pythonidae. Archived from the original on 2018-05-14. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
  7. Murphy, J. C.; Henderson, R. W. (1997). Tales of Giant Snakes: A Historical Natural History of Anacondas and Pythons. Krieger Pub. Co. pp.  2, 19, 37, 42, 55–56. ISBN   0-89464-995-7.