Morelia spilota metcalfei

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Morelia spilota metcalfei
Murray darling carpet python, head and pattern.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Pythonidae
Genus: Morelia
Species:
Subspecies:
M. s. metcalfei
Trinomial name
Morelia spilota metcalfei
Wells & Wellington, 1984
Murray Darling distribution.svg
Range of M. s. spilota (in red)
Synonyms
  • Morelia metcalfei - Wells & Wellington, 1984
  • Morelia spilota metcalfei - Barker & Barker, 1994 [1]
Common names: Murray-Darling carpet python, MD carpet python, inland carpet python, riverine carpet python, Victorian carpet python.

Morelia spilota metcalfei is a python subspecies [2] found in Australia, commonly known as the Murray-Darling carpet python. The pythons are non-venomous snakes that constrict their prey. They grow up to 2.7m (10 feet), but adults are usually around 2.4m (8 feet). [3] Colour varies depending on locality. Victorian Murray-Darlings are silver with solid black blotches and stripes; in New South Wales the silver becomes a light brown and the patterning has more of a black colour; South Australian MDs appear similar to those in New South Wales, though with patches of maroon.[ citation needed ] These pythons are semi-arboreal, typically inhabiting rocky outcrops, dry woodlands, riverine forests and flood plains. [4] [5] The threats to the snakes are people and other snakes.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Diet

Murray Darling pythons naturally feed on mammals, birds and lizards. [4] In captivity, they are fed mice and rats, and as adults can be fed rabbits, quails and small chickens. [3]

Geographic range

Found in Australia in the Murray-Darling Basin of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. The type locality given is "Warrum bungle Mountains, New South Wales" [Australia]. [1]

In captivity

These pythons are popular as pets due to their mild temperament, although a license and fees are usually required in Australia. As with other carpet python subspecies, both naturally occurring and designer morphs are common in captive specimens, such as albino or reduced pattern varieties. [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>Morelia</i> (snake) Genus of large snakes

Morelia is a genus of large snakes in the family Pythonidae found in Indonesia, New Guinea, and throughout Australia. Currently, up to eight species are recognized.

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

The green tree python, also known as the emerald green 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">Children's python</span> Species of reptile

Children's python is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Pythonidae. The species is named after John George Children. It is a nocturnal species occurring in the northern half of Australia and generally found on the ground, although it often climbs trees. Usually growing to about 1.0 m (3 ft) in length or more depending on the polymorphic variant, it is typically a reddish-brown colour, darker on the upper surface, and with many darker blotches, especially on younger specimens. The Stimson's python variant has much stronger and more variable colours; often being adorned with reddish-brown to chocolate blotches against lighter tan. It feeds mostly on small mammals and birds, and as with other pythons, it constricts its prey before swallowing it whole. It is a popular pet among reptile enthusiasts.

<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. The spotted pythons of New Guinea were proposed to be reclassified in 2021 as their own unique species, A. papuensis or the Papuan spotted python, in the same study that discovered the two mainland subspecies. However, both ITIS and The Reptile Database currently consider the two variants as synonyms.

<i>Corallus hortulana</i> Species of snake

Corallus hortulana, commonly known as the Amazon tree boa, common tree boa, garden tree boa, and macabrel, is a boa species found in South America. No subspecies are currently recognized. Like all boas, it is non-venomous.

Carpet snake may refer to:

<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.

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

Morelia spilota cheynei, or the jungle carpet python, is a python subspecies found in the rainforests of Queensland, Australia.

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

Morelia bredli is a species of non-venomous snake in the family Pythonidae. The species is endemic to Australia. No subspecies are recognized. Its common names include Bredl's python, the Centralian python, the Centralian carpet python, the central Australian carpet python, Bredl's carpet python, the central Australian Bredl's carpet python, and the central Bredl's carpet 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">Oenpelli python</span> Species of snake

The Oenpelli python or Oenpelli rock python is a species of large snake in the family Pythonidae. The species is endemic to the sandstone massif area of the western Arnhem Land region in the Northern Territory of Australia. There are no subspecies that are recognised as being valid. It has been called the rarest python in the world. Two notable characteristics of the species are the unusually large size of its eggs and its ability to change colour.

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

Morelia spilota spilota is a subspecies of carpet python, popularly known as the diamond python. It is a medium to large snake, found in coastal areas and adjacent ranges of south-eastern Australia. It is the most southerly occurring python in the world and is found at higher altitudes than any other species of Australian python.

<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.

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

Morelia imbricata is a large snake found in southern regions of Western Australia and western South Australia. A member of the python family, it is commonly known as the southwestern carpet python.

The Warby-Ovens National Park is a national park located on the lands of the Bangerang clan of the Yorta Yorta Nation in the Hume region of Victoria, Australia near Killawara. The 14,655-hectare (36,210-acre) national park is situated approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) west of Wangaratta and 240 kilometres (150 mi) northeast of Melbourne.

References

  1. 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).
  2. "Morelia spilota metcalfei". Integrated Taxonomic Information System . Retrieved 19 September 2007.
  3. 1 2 DoLittle Farm Inland Carpet Python fact sheet Retrieved on 7 February 2013. Archived 9 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  4. 1 2 Resident Animals - Murray Darling Carpet Python Archived 10 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 7 February 2013.
  5. "Melbourne Museum: Wild - Inland Carpet Python". Melbourne Museum. Archived from the original on 19 January 2011.
  6. Frequently Asked Questions - Aussie Pythons and Snakes Archived 15 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 7 February 2013.