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Simalia tracyae (HARVEY, BARKER, AMMERMAN & CHIPPINDALE, 2000)

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Higher TaxaPythonidae, Henophidia, Pythonoidea, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Halmahera Python
G: Halmahera-Python 
SynonymMorelia tracyae HARVEY, BARKER, AMMERMAN & CHIPPINDALE 2000
Australiasis tracyae — HOSER 2004
Morelia tracyae — ISKANDAR & ERDELEN 2006
Morelia tracyae — DE LANG 2013
Simalia tracyae — REYNOLDS et al. 2014
Morelia tracyae — WALLACH et al. 2014: 453
Simalia tracyae — BARKER et al. 2015: 13 
DistributionIndonesia (Halmahera Island).

Type locality: Halmahera Island, Maluku, Indonesia  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: UTA 44473 
DiagnosisDiagnosis. A large species of Morelia distinguished from all its congeners by the following characteristics: (1) two to three pairs of enlarged symmetrical parietals in contact medially; (2) dorsal pattern consisting of about 48 broad dark brown to black bands occupying about 15 rows of dorsal scales at midbody; (3) patternless specimens unknown; (4) neck bars and postocular stripes present; (5) adults heavy-bodied and reaching at least 4 m; (6) snout rounded; (7) postocular stripe present; (8) one to two neck bars present; (9) juvenile pattern same as adults. Morelia tracyae is the only scrub python with a red iris and broad bands (about 10 dorsals long) throughout the length of its body. In other closely related species, the iris is brown to gold, and patterned individuals of the other species have narrow bands (about five dorsal long). In addition, M. tracyae lacks suboculars and the other unusual scale characteristics of M. clastolepis. Unlike M. clastolepis, it also has prominent neck bars and postocular stripes. Unlike M. nauta, M. tracyae is a large, robust species with a banded pattern (versus white spots on flanks), darkly margined head plates (versus head plates not darkly margined), and a rounded snout (versus acuminate). 
CommentThis species is closely related to M. amethistina.

Habitat: partly arboreal (Harrington et al. 2018). 
EtymologyNamed after Tracy M. Baker, a python breeder. Apparently based on the evolutionary species concept. 
References
  • Barker, D. G., Barker, T. M., Davis, M. A. and Schuett, G. W. 2015. A review of the systematics and taxonomy of Pythonidae: an ancient serpent lineage. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 175 (1): 1-19; doi: 10.1111/zoj.12267 - get paper here
  • Beolens, Bo; Michael Watkins, and Michael Grayson 2011. The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, USA - get paper here
  • Harrington, Sean M; Jordyn M de Haan, Lindsey Shapiro, Sara Ruane 2018. Habits and characteristics of arboreal snakes worldwide: arboreality constrains body size but does not affect lineage diversification. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 125 (1): 61–71 - get paper here
  • Harvey, Michael B., David B. Barker, Loren K. Ammerman and Paul T. Chippindale 2000. Systematics of pythons of the Morelia amethistina complex (Serpentes: Boidae) with the description of three new species. Herpetological Monographs 14: 139-185 - get paper here
  • Hoser, R. 2004. A reclassification of the pythoninae including the descriptions of two new genera, two new species and nine new subspecies. Part II. Crocodilian 4 (4) (June 2004): 21-40 - get paper here
  • Iskandar, Djoko T. and Walter R. Erdelen 2006. Conservation of amphibians and reptiles in Indonesia: issues and problems. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation 4 (1): 60-87 - get paper here
  • Lang, Ruud de 2013. The snakes of the Moluccas (Maluku), Indonesia. Edition Chimaira, 417 pp. - get paper here
  • Reynolds, R. Graham; 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. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 71: 201–213 [published online in 2013] - get paper here
  • Setiadi, M. I. & A. Hamidy, 2006. Jenis-Jenis Herpetofauna di Pulau Halmahera. Kerjasama antara Pusat Studi Biodiversitas dan Konservasi Universitas Indonesia dan Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Puslit Biologi Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia. - get paper here
  • Wallach, Van; Kenneth L. Williams , Jeff Boundy 2014. Snakes of the World: A Catalogue of Living and Extinct Species. [type catalogue] Taylor and Francis, CRC Press, 1237 pp.
 
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