Oenpelli python: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 15:22, 23 August 2024

Revision as of 03:12, 24 August 2024

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==Taxonomy and etymology==

The Oenpelli python was assigned to a taxonomy in 1977 by [[Graeme Gow's Reptile World|Graeme Gow]], who placed it in the genus ''[[Python (genus)|Python]]''.<ref name=Gow>Gow, G. F. (1977). "A New Species of ''Python'' from Arnhem Land". ''Australian Zoologist'' '''19''': 133-139. (''Python oenpelliensis'', new species)</ref> It was then categorised by [[Harold Cogger|Cogger]] and Cameron as a species of ''Morelia''.<ref name="Cogger" /> In 1984, [[Wells and Wellington affair|Wells and Wellington]] placed it into a new genus ''Nyctophilopython'' and in 2014, a work by Reynolds, Niemiller, and Revell proposed to classify it as ''[[Simalia]]''.<ref name=Reynolds>{{cite journal|url=http://faculty.umb.edu/liam.revell/pdfs/Reynolds_etal_2014.MPE.pdf|first1=R. G.|last1=Reynolds|first2=M. L.|last2=Niemiller|first3=L. J.|last3=Revell|year=2014|title=Toward a Tree-of-Life for the boas and pythons: Multilocus species-level phylogeny with unprecedented taxon sampling|journal=[[Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution]]|volume=71|pages=201–213|doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2013.11.011|pmid=24315866|bibcode=2014MolPE..71..201G }}</ref>

The [[Specific name (zoology)|specific name]], ''oenpelliensis'', is derived from the [[Type locality (biology)|type locality]], which is given as "6.5 km S.W. of [[Gunbalanya, Northern Territory|Oenpelli, Northern Territory]], Australia (12°21'S, 133°01'E)".<ref name="McD99"/><ref>Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. {{ISBN|978-1-4214-0135-5}}. (''Morelia oenpelliensis'', p. 193).</ref> In 2020, the name ''Nawaran'' was erected for the genus,<ref name=Esquerre>{{cite journal |last1=Esquerré |first1=Damien |last2=Donnellan |first2=Stephen |last3=Brennan |first3=Ian G. |last4=Lemmon |first4=Alan R. |last5=Moriarty Lemmon |first5=Emily |last6=Zaher |first6=Hussam |last7=Grazziotin |first7=Felipe G. |last8=Keogh |first8=J Scott |title=Phylogenomics, Biogeography, and Morphometrics Reveal Rapid Phenotypic Evolution in Pythons After Crossing Wallace's Line |journal=Systematic Biology |year=2020 |volume=69 |issue=6 |pages=1039–1051 |doi=10.1093/sysbio/syaa024|pmid=32208482 |doi-access=free }}</ref> overlooking the available name ''Nyctophilopython'' for the species which was immediately [[Synonym (taxonomy)|synonymised]] with the resurrected ''Nyctophilopython''.<ref name=Kaiser2020>{{cite journal |last1=Kaiser |first1=Hinrich |last2=Thomson |first2=Scott A. |last3=Shea |first3=Glenn M. |title=''Nawaran'' Esquerré, Donnellan, Brennan, Lemmon, Lemmon, Zaher, Grazziotin & Keogh, 2020 is an invalid junior synonym of ''Nyctophilopython'' Wells & Wellington, 1985 (Squamata, Pythonidae): simple priority without ''Zoobank'' pre-registration |journal=Bionomina |date=2020 |volume=20 |issue=1 |pages=47–54 |doi=10.11646/bionomina.20.1.4|s2cid=234402033 }}</ref>

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The total population of ''N. oenpelliensis'' is poorly surveyed, and no study has been made of the rate of its decline. This is partly due to the inaccessibility of the region, a factor that may help the preservation of the species. The conservation status of ''Nyctophilopython oenpelliensis'' is listed by the Northern Territory Government as vulnerable to extinction. This has been evaluated by known threatening factors, such as altered land use and fire regimes, and population inferred from the relative abundance of its prey. This is estimated to be below 10,000, which is inferred from several factors. As a large predator, the species is particularly vulnerable to declines in available prey. These larger mammals are more susceptible to changes in land use and threats such as introduced species. Suitable habitat is also limited in the distribution range of the species. The species is known to be illegally collected for private use, which is likely to impact on some subpopulations. This threat is limited by the inaccessibility of its habitat, the same factor that has restricted study of the species. Variation and decline in subpopulations has not been fully evaluated. It is found within a conservation reserve known as [[Kakadu National Park]].<ref name="NT threatened"/>

An attempt to start a breeding program was begun in 2012<ref name=SydneySmith>{{cite news|first=D.|last=Smith|url=http://www.smh.com.au/environment/animals/snakes-alive--if-only-hed-been-seeing-double-20120619-20m61.html|title=Snakes alive – if only he'd been seeing double|newspaper=[[Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=20 June 2012|access-date=2016-02-09}}</ref> and has had some limited success.<ref name=Got6>{{cite news|url=http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/wildlife/2014/07/oenpelli-python|title=Saving the Oenpelli python|first=D.|last=Hancock|work=[[Australian Geographic]]|date=15 July 2014|access-date=2016-02-29}}</ref> As of July, 2014, the program included six specimens.<ref name=Got6/> In early 2015, the first two captive-bred neonates were born.<ref name=ReptilesAU/> One of the pythons in the program is featured at the [[Crocosaurus Cove]] [[herpetarium]] attraction in [[Darwin, Australia]], which may be the only facility in the world that has a specimen on display for the general public.<ref name=CrocCove>{{cite web | url=https://www.crocosauruscove.com/explore-the-nocturnal-house/ {{Bare| URLtitle=Explore the Nocturnal Reptile House at Crocosaurus Cove inline| date=August21 March 2019 2024}}</ref>

==In Aboriginal language and culture==

In the [[Bininj Kunwok language|Kunwinjku]] language spoken in [[Gunbalanya, Northern Territory|Oenpelli]] itself (now known as Gunbalanya), the python is called ''nawaran''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Garde |first1=Murray |title=nawaran |url=https://www.njamed.com/#nawaran |website=Bininj Kunwok dictionary |publisher=Bininj Kunwok Regional Language Centre |access-date=19 June 2019}}</ref> The Oenpelli python has historically been a totemic creature for the Bininj Aboriginal people and because of its iridescent scales it may also be associated with the [[Rainbow Serpent]].<ref>{{cite web | last1=Hancock |first1=David |title=Saving the Oenpelli python |url=https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/wildlife/2014/07/oenpelli-python/ |website=Australian National Geographic |date=15 July 2014 |publisher=Australian National Geographic |access-date=5 July 2020 }}</ref>

==References==