Morelia spilota (LACÉPÈDE, 1804)
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Morelia spilota
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| Higher Taxa | Pythonidae, Henophidia, Pythonoidea, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | Morelia spilota cheynei WELLS & WELLINGTON 1984 Morelia spilota harrisoni HOSER 2000 Morelia spilota mcdowelli WELLS & WELLINGTON 1984 Morelia spilota metcalfei WELLS & WELLINGTON 1985 Morelia spilota spilota (LACÉPÈDE 1804) Morelia spilota variegata GRAY 1842 |
| Common Names | E: Carpet python, Diamond Python cheynei: Jungle Carpet Python; G: Dschungel-Teppichpython mcdowelli: Coastal Carpet Python, McDowell's Carpet Python spilota: Diamond Python variegata: North-western Carpet Python, Torresian Carpet Python, Darwin Carpet Python metcalfei: Inland Carpet Python, Riverine Carpet Python, Murray-Darling Carpet Python G: Rautenpython, Teppichpython, Diamantpython |
| Synonym | Coluber spilotus LACÉPÈDE 1804: 209 Python punctatus MERREM 1820: 90 Python peronii WAGLER 1828 Morelia variegata GRAY 1842 Morelia argus — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1844: 385 Morelia argus fasciolata JAN 1864 Python spilotes — BOULENGER 1893: 82 Morelia spilota macrospila WERNER 1910 (fide LOVERIDGE 1934: 270) Python spilotus — DE ROOIJ 1917: 26 Python spilotus — MCDOWELL 1975: 63 Python bredli GOW 1981 (fide KLUGE 1993) Python spilotus imbricatus SMITH 1981 Morelia metcalfei WELLS & WELLINGTON 1985 Montypythonoides riversleighensis SMITH & PLANE 1985 (fide KLUGE 1993) Morelia spilota — KLUGE 1993 Morelia spilota — MCDIARMID, CAMPBELL & TOURÉ 1999: 173 Morelia spilota — COGGER 2000: 614 Morelia mippughae HOSER 2003 Morelia spilota — MENSE 2006 Morelia metcalfei — GREER 2006 (online) Morelia wellsi HOSER 2012 Morelia argus — PHILIPPEN 2012 Morelia spilota — REYNOLDS et al. 2014 Morelia spilota — WALLACH et al. 2014: 453 Morelia spilota spilota (LACÉPÈDE 1804) Coluber spilotus LACÉPÈDE 1804 Morelia spilotes spilotes — WORRELL 1961 Morelia argus argus — STIMSON 1969 Python spilotus spilotus — SMITH 1981: 222 Morelia spilota spilota — MENSE 2006 Morelia spilota cheynei WELLS & WELLINGTON 1984 Morelia cheynei WELLS & WELLINGTON 1984 Morelia spilota cheynei — FRANZ 2003 Morelia spilota cheynei — MENSE 2006 Morelia spilota cheynei — MATTISON 2007: 210 Morelia cheynei — GREER 2006 (online) Morelia spilota cheynei — ALCINI 2009 Morelia spilota cheynei — MENSE 2010 Morelia spilota cheynei — MENSE 2016 Morelia spilota cheynei — MENDYK 2020 Morelia spilota harrisoni HOSER 2000 Morelia harrisoni HOSER 2000 Morelia spilotus variegatus — SMITH 1981: 224 Morelia spilota harrisoni — MENSE 2006 Morelia spilota harrisoni — MENSE 2016 Morelia spilota harrisoni — KUNZ 2017 Morelia spilota mcdowelli WELLS & WELLINGTON 1984 Morelia mcdowelli WELLS & WELLINGTON 1984 Morelia spilota mcdowelli — FRANZ 2003 Morelia spilota mcdowelli — MENSE 2006 Morelia mcdowelli — GREER 2006 (online) Morelia spilota mcdowelli — MENSE 2016 Morelia spilota metcalfei WELLS & WELLINGTON 1985 Morelia metcalfei WELLS & WELLINGTON 1985: 41 Morelia spilotes metcalfei — MICHAEL et al. 2011 Morelia spilota metcalfei — MENSE 2016 Morelia spilota metcalfei — MURPHY 2016 Morelia spilota variegata GRAY Morelia variegata GRAY 1842: 43 Morelia variegata — MACLEAY 1877: 34 Morelia variegata — MCCOY 1878: 13 Morelia argus variegata — MITCHELL 1951: 545 Morelia spilotes variegata — MITCHELL 1955 Morelia argus variegata — STIMSON 1969 Python spilotus variegatus — SMITH 1981: 224 Morelia variegata — RICHMAN et al. 1988 Python spilotes variegatus — WOLFF 1989 Morelia spilota variegata — FRANZ 2003 Morelia spilota variegata — MENSE 2006 Morelia variegata — GREER 2006 (online) Morelia spilota variegata — MENSE 2016 Morelia spilota variegata — ESQUERRÉ et al. 2020 |
| Distribution | New Guinea, Australia (New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria except South, N and S Western Australia; not in the arid center of Australia) cheynei: NE Queensland harrisoni: southern coast of Papua New Guinea to the Indonesian part of West Papua (formerly Irian Jaya), in West Papua up to Merauke. mcdowelli: from N Cape York through Queensland to N New South Wales metcalfei: from S Queensland, New South Wales and N Victoria to South Australia. macburniei: Australia (South Australia: St. Francis Island); Type locality: St. Francis Island, South Australia. mippughae: Australia (South Australia, North Flinders Ranges); Type locality: Moolooloo, North Flinders Ranges, South Australia, Lat: 30°59’ Long: 138°35’. spilota: coastal New South Wales. imbricata: S Western Australia. variegata: N Australia. Type locality: "Nouvelle-Hollande" [= Australia] |
| Reproduction | oviparous. KIVIT & WISEMAN (2005) report a hybrid between M. viridis and M. spilota cheynei. BANKS & SCHWANER (1984) describe a hybrid between Morelia spilota and Liasis mackloti as well as hybrids between Morelia spilota and Morelia amethistina. |
| Types | Holotype: MNHN-RA 3272, reported to be lost, according to Stimson (1969:28) but present on March 2019 (checked by I. Ineich) Holotype: "RIB General No. 4414 (Type No. 2496)." MR HN 2496, listed as syntype by Lang, 1990 [macrospila] Holotype: South Australian Museum (SAM), Adelaide, SA, Specimen number: R1665 [mippughae] Holotype: SAMA R13994 [macburniei] Holotype: AMS R111989 (field no. 28562) [cheynei] Holotype: AMS R116989 (field no. 28458) [mcdowelli] Holotype: AMS R116988 (field no. 16782) [metcalfei] Holotype: BMNH iv.1.2a [variegata] Holotype: AMNH 82433, female [harrisoni] |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis (genus): This is a genus of pythonid snakes of large size, with adult lengths of > 2 m to 5.5 m. This genus is shown to be a monophyletic clade separated from all other python clades on the basis of molecular characters as illustrated in Figure 6 (in Barker et al. 2015, Pyron et al., 2013). Likewise, the morphological analysis illustrated in Figure 1 (Kluge, 1993) shows the split as internal to Morelia. Simalia shares a common ancestor with the clade of pythons comprised of Morelia, Apodora, Liasis, Aspidites, Antaresia, Leiopython, and Bothrochilus. Simalia can be separated from Apodora, Aspidites, Antaresia, and Liasis by the presence and condition of the thermoreceptive pits on the supralabials and rostral. Species in Simalia have two large, deep thermoreceptive pits on the rostral scale and well developed thermoreceptive pits on 2–5 anterior supralabials; Aspidites and Bothrochilus have no thermoreceptive pits on the rostral and supralabials; Antaresia and Liasis typically have no pits in the rostral. Apodora has shallow pits on the rostral and anterior 2–3 supralabials. Leiopython varies in the condition of labial pits; most have a pitted rostral and the first 2–3 supralabials may have pits. Simalia have subloreal scales, while Kluge (1993) did not observe subloreal scales in Bothrochilus or Leiopython; species in Simalia have > 4 loreal scales while Bothrochilus and Leiopython have 1–2. Simalia has a strongly prehensile tail, while the tail of Aspidites, Antaresia, Leiopython, and Liasis is weakly prehensile (McDowell, 1975). Simalia can be distinguished from Morelia by the condition of the head scalation. Species in Simalia have large plate-like head scales identified as supraoculars, frontals, and one or more pairs of parietals. Simalia oenpelliensis varies from this formula, and has small parietals and irregular scalation posterior to large supraoculars that are in full contact with a large frontal. The only large scales that might be considered ‘platelike’ on the dorsal surface of the head of Morelia species are small internasals and anterior prefrontals on the front of the snout. M. carinata is one exception and it typically has a single round frontal centered between the eyes and surrounded by small scales, separated from contact with relatively large anterior supraoculars (Barker et al. 2015: 13). |
| Comment | Type species: Coluber spilotus LACÉPÈDE 1804 is the type species of the genus Morelia GRAY 1842: 43. Cogger 1983: 205 erroneously designated M. variegata as type species. Synonymy partly after KLUGE 1993. Quite variable species (brown/red, green, yellow, and blue forms are known!). The name Python spilotes macropsila was proposed for this population by Werner (1909), type locality of "Australia", but unfortunately the holotype was lost. This subspecies was recognized by Hoser (1989). If the holotype eventually is found, M. s. macropsila may replace M. s. mcdowelli as the subspecific name for the Eastern Carpet Python [KEND 2000]. Morelia antiqua (SMITH & PLANE 1985) is a synonym of the extinct species Morelia riversleighensis (SMITH & PLANE 1985). Kaiser et al. 2013 rejected the (sub-) generic names Jackypython Hoser 2009, Lenhoserus Hoser 2000 invalid and rejected their use instead of Morelia. Subspecies: Morelia spilota imbricata SMITH 1981 has been elevated to full species status. Distribution: Morelia mippughae sp. nov. is restricted to the Flinders and Middleback Ranges areas of South Australia. No other Morelia occurs here. Numbers of this species have declined sharply since European settlement, (Ian Renton and Ted Mertens personal communications). This author hereby calls for specimens of Morelia mippughae sp. nov. to be taken into captivity and bred in numbers in order to secure the survival of this taxa [from HOSER 2003]. Type species: Morelia variegata GRAY 1842 is the type species of the genus Morelia GRAY 1842 (designated by MCDOWELL 1975). Note that there is also an African plant genus called Morelia. Morelia mippughae is a nomen dubium fide SCHLEIP & O’SHEA 2010. NCBI taxon ID: available for most subspecies. Habitat: partly arboreal (Harrington et al. 2018). Etymology: Morelia mippughae was named “in honour of Mrs Mip Pugh of Breakwater, Victoria for her long term contributions to herpetology. She is part of the husband and wife team, the other half being Mick Pugh (whom this species is not named in honour). Mip has over the last few decades given free of charge many hundreds of hours of useful advice and guidance to reptile keepers in Victoria, especially in relation to her favorite reptiles, which are lizard species such as Bearded Dragons (Pogona spp.) and other commonly kept species. Her house has often been a defacto hotel suite for countless other herpetologists who have enjoyed her hospitality.” [from HOSER 2003] |
| Etymology | Named after Greek spilotos (= stained, tattooed), alluding to the blotched pattern. The origin of the genus name was not explained by Gray (1842a: 43). However, Meagher 2012 thinks it very likely honours French zoologist Pierre Marie Arthur Morelet (1809–1892), whose name was abbreviated to ‘Morel.’ in zoological works. M. spilota metcalfei was named after Dean Metcalfe, an amateur zoologist from Sydney (Wells and Wellington 1985: 41). |
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