D'Albertis python | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Serpentes |
Family: | Pythonidae |
Genus: | Leiopython |
Species: | L. albertisii |
Binomial name | |
Leiopython albertisii | |
Synonyms | |
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D'Albertis' python (Leiopython albertisii), 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. [4]
L. albertisii is found in most of New Guinea below 1,200 m (3,900 ft), including the islands of Salawati and Biak, Normanby, Mussau and Emirau, [5] as well as a few islands in the Torres Strait.
The type locality given is "Kapaor in Nova Guinea boreali occidentali ... et prope Andai ". The authors also stated localities for two additional specimens: "... un esemplare a Kapaor fra i Papua Onin..." and "... un secondo esemplare ad Andai presso Dorei..." (= Kapoar, Onin Peninsula and Andai, near Dorei, Irian Jaya, Indonesia). [2]
Some doubt can be cast on its occurrence on Normanby, as McDowell (1975) [6] had erroneously assigned Bara Bara to this island, rather than to the mainland of Papua New Guinea [5] in Milne Bay Province as stated by Boulenger (1898) [7] and Koopman (1982). [8]
The specific name, albertisii, is in honor of Italian explorer Luigi D'Albertis. [9] [10]
Female adults of L. albertisii grow to an average of about 213 cm (6–7 ft) in total length (including tail). Both sexes are patternless, except for some light markings on the postoculars. The dorsum of the head is shiny black, and the upper and lower labial scales are white with black markings on the anterior edge of the scales. Body color is either brownish-violet fading to yellowish ventrally or blackish-blue fading to gray.
Although mostly terrestrial, L. albertisii can and is known to occasionally climb. [11] White-lipped pythons are reportedly aggressive, though this is reduced in those born and raised in captivity. [12] L. albertisii also has been observed to regularly regurgitate fur balls from its prey. [13]
The diet of L. albertisii includes a range of small-sized to medium-sized birds and mammals. [14] Neonates and juveniles often feed on lizards. Heat sensitive pits in the upper and lower jaws are used to help locate prey during nocturnal hunting. [11]
L. albertisii is oviparous. A sexually mature female may lay a clutch of about a dozen eggs. The eggs stick together in a compact pile, and the female coils around them. The hatchlings emerge after about two months of incubation and are about 38 cm (15 in) in length. [14]
Leonardo Fea was an Italian explorer, zoologist, painter, and naturalist.
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.
Leiopython is a genus of snakes in the family Pythonidae.
Luigi Maria D'Albertis was an Italian naturalist and explorer who, in 1875, became the first Italian to chart the Fly River in what is now called Papua New Guinea. He undertook three voyages up this river from 1875 to 1877. The first was conducted in the steamer SS Ellengowan and the other two in a smaller ship named the "Neva" which was chartered from the Government of New South Wales. Throughout the three voyages, D'Albertis was consistently involved in skirmishes with the various indigenous people living along the river, using rifle-fire, rockets and dynamite to intimidate and, on occasions, kill these local people. He also frequently employed destructive dynamite fishing as a technique of obtaining aquatic specimens for his collection. His expedition stole many ancestral remains, tools and weapons from the houses of the locals. He also collected specimens of birds, plants, insects and the heads of recently killed native people. Contemporary explorers and colonial administrators of d'Albertis were almost universally critical of the methods employed by D'Albertis in his expeditions up the Fly and more modern accounts, such as Goode's "Rape of the Fly" are equally condemnatory.
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.
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.
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. It is the only species in the genus Apodora. No subspecies are currently recognized.
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.
The Fly River grassbird is a species of Old World warbler in the family Locustellidae. It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitats are freshwater marshes and lakes. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Papuan mountain pigeon is a species of bird in the pigeon family, Columbidae. It is found in the Bacan Islands, New Guinea, the D'Entrecasteaux Islands, and the Bismarck Archipelago, where it inhabits primary forest, montane forest, and lowlands. It is a medium-sized species of pigeon, being 33–36 cm (13–14 in) long and weighing 259 g (9.1 oz) on average. Adult males have slate-grey upperparts, chestnut-maroon throats and bellies, whitish breasts, and a pale grey terminal tail band. The lores and orbital region are bright red. Females are similar, but have grayish breasts and grey edges to the throat feathers.
The Timor python is a python species found in Southeast Asia. A dwarf species, no subspecies are recognized as being valid. Like all pythons, it is a nonvenomous constrictor; unlike larger species such as the reticulated python, it is not considered dangerous to humans.
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.
Rhinotyphlops ataeniatus is a species of snake in the family Typhlopidae. The species is endemic to the Horn of Africa.
The St. Thomas beaked snake is a species of snake in the family Typhlopidae. The species is native to the Gulf of Guinea off the western coast of Central Africa.
Tropidonophis doriae, commonly known as the barred keelback, is a species of snake belonging to the family Colubridae. The species is native to New Guinea and some nearby islands.
Leiopython fredparkeri, also known commonly as the Karimui Basin whitelip python, the Karimui Basin white-lipped python, and the southern white-lipped python, is a species of snake in the family Pythonidae. The species is endemic to New Guinea. It was first described by German herpetologist Wulf D. Schleip in 2008.
Boulenger's bow-fingered gecko is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Papua New Guinea.
Leiopython biakensis, the Biak white-lipped python, is a species of snake in the family Pythonidae. It is endemic to the island of Biak, which lies north of New Guinea.
Toxicocalamus loriae, also known commonly as the Loria forest snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to New Guinea and occurs in both Western New Guinea (Indonesia) and Papua New Guinea.