D'Albertis python: Difference between revisions

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*''Bothrochilus albertisii'' <br>{{small|— Reynolds et al., 2014}}<ref name="faculty.umb.edu">[http://faculty.umb.edu/liam.revell/pdfs/Reynolds_etal_2014.MPE.pdf R. Graham Reynolds, Matthew L. Niemiller, Liam J. Revell, 2014, Toward a Tree-of-Life for the boas and pythons: Multilocus species-level phylogeny with unprecedented taxon sampling]</ref>

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'''''Leiopython albertisii''''', commonly known as '''D'Albertis' Python''', '''D'Albert's water python''', the '''white-lipped python''', or the '''northern white-lipped python''', is a [[species]] of [[Python (genus)|python]] in the [[Family (biology)|family]] [[Pythonidae]]. No [[subspecies]] are currently recognized.<ref name="ITIS">{{ITIS |id=634409 |taxon=''Leiopython'' |accessdate=9 September 2007}}</ref> ''Leiopython'' was first described as an intermediate [[genus]] between the [[Genus|genera]] ''[[Liasis]]'' and ''[[Nardoa (snake)|Nardoa]]''.<ref name="Hub79">Hubrecht AAW. 1879. [http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/9630893#26 "Notes III. On a new genus and species of Pythonidae from Salawatti"]. ''Notes from the Leyden Museum'' '''1''': 14-15. ("''Leiopython n. gen.''", p. 14).</ref>

==Geographic Distributionrange and habitat==

These''L. snakesalbertisii'' areis found in most of [[New Guinea]] (below {{convert|1200 |m)|ft|abbr=on}}, including the islands of [[Salawati]] and [[Biak]], [[Normanby Island, Papua New Guinea|Normanby]], [[Mussau Island|Mussau]] and [[Emirau Island|Emirau]],<ref name="Schleip2008">{{cite journal|last1=Schleip|first1=Wulf D|title=Revision of the genus ''Leiopython'' Hubrecht 1879 (Serpentes: Pythonidae) with the redescription of taxa recently described by Hoser (2000) and the description of new species |journal=Journal of Herpetology |date=2008 |volume=42 |issue=4 |pages=645–667 |doi=10.1670/06-182R5.1}}</ref> as well as a few islands in the [[Torres Strait]].

The [[Type locality (biology)|type locality]] given is "''Kapaor in Nova Guinea boreali occidentali ... et prope Andai'' ". The authors also stated localities for two additional specimens: "''...&nbsp;un esemplare a Kapaor fra i Papua Onin...''" and "''...&nbsp;un secondo esemplare ad Andai presso Dorei...''" (= Kapoar, Onin Peninsula and Andai, near Dorei, Irian Jaya, Indonesia).<ref name="McD99">McDiarmid RW, [[Jonathan A. Campbell|Campbell JA]], Touré T. 1999. ''Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1''. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. {{ISBN|1-893777-00-6}} (series). {{ISBN|1-893777-01-4}} (volume).</ref>

Some doubt can be cast on its occurrence on Normanby, as McDowell (1975)<ref name="McDow1975">McDowell SB. 1975. "A catalogue of the snakes of New Guinea and the Solomon’s, with special Reference to Those in the Bernice P. Bishop Museum. Part II". (24.02.1975). ''Journal of Herpetology'' '''9''' (1): 1-79.</ref> had erroneously assigned Bara Bara to this island, rather than to the mainland of [[Papua New Guinea]]<ref name="Schleip2008"/> in [[Milne Bay Province]] as stated by Boulenger (1898)<ref name="Boul1898">[[George Albert Boulenger|Boulenger GA]]. 1898. [http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/7785916#704 "An account of the reptiles and batrachians collected by Dr. L. Loria in British New Guinea"]. ''Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova'', Series 2, '''18''': 694-710.</ref> and Koopman (1982).<ref name="Koopm1982">Koopman KF. 1982. "Results of the Archibold Expedition No. 109. Bats from Eastern Papua and the East Papua Islands". ''American Museum Novitates'' (2747): 1-34.</ref>

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==Description==

Female adults of ''L. albertisii'' grow to an average of about 213&nbsp;cm in length (6–7&nbsp;ft) in total length (including tail). They are patternless, except for some light markings on itsthe [[postoculars]]. The [[Dorsum (anatomy)|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 (''L. albertisii'') or blackish-blue fading to gray.

==Behavior==

Although mostly terrestrial, these''L. snakesalbertisii'' can and areis known to occasionally climb.<ref name="Leiopython Albertisii">{{cite web|title=Leiopython Albertisii|url=http://www.coldbloodcreations.com/collection_pages/wlp.html|accessdate=14 December 2016}}</ref> White-lipped pythons are reportedly aggressive, though this is reduced in those born and raised in captivity.<ref>{{cite web|title=White Lipped Python|url=http://www.snakeestate.com/pythons/white-lipped-python.html|website=Python Snake Database|publisher=Snake Estate|accessdate=14 December 2016}}</ref> These''L. snakes havealbertisii'' also has been observed to regularly regurgitate fur balls from theirits prey.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Schleip|first1=Wulf|title=''Leiopython albertisii'' (Northern White-Lipped Python). Behavior |journal=Herpetological Review |date=June 2009 |volume=40 |issue=2 |page=231 |accessdate=14 December 2016 |url=http://www.leiopython.de/publications/2009,%20Schleip,%20Leiopython_Behavior.pdf}}</ref>

==Feeding==

The diet of ''L. albertisii'' includes a range of small-sized to medium-sized birds and mammals.<ref name="Meh87">Mehrtens JM. 1987. ''Living Snakes of the World in Color''. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. {{ISBN|0-8069-6460-X}}.</ref> 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.<ref name="Leiopython Albertisii"/>

==Reproduction==

The''L. albertisii'' is [[Oviparity|oviparous]]. femalesA sexually mature female may lay a clutch of about a dozen eggs. The eggs stick together in a compact pile, and the femalesfemale coils around them. The hatchlings emerge after about two months of incubation and are about {{convert|38|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length.<ref name="Meh87"/>

==References==