Antaresia childreni (GRAY, 1842)
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Antaresia childreni
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| Higher Taxa | Pythonidae, Henophidia, Pythonoidea, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Children's Python G: Gefleckter Python E: Large-blotched Python, Stimsons Python [stimsoni] G: Stimsons Python [stimsoni] |
| Synonym | Liasis Childreni GRAY 1842: 44 Nardoa Gilbertii GRAY 1842: 45 Liasis Childreni — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1844: 438 Liasis maculosus PETERS 1873: 608 (fide STIMSON 1969) Liasis childreni — BOULENGER 1893: 77 Liasis childreni — ROSS 1980 Liasis stimsoni SMITH 1985 Liasis stimsoni orientalis SMITH 1985: 270 Antaresia saxacola WELLS & WELLINGTON 1985 (nom. nud). Antaresia childreni — KLUGE 1993 Liasis childreni — SHINE 1994 Antaresia childreni — MCDIARMID, CAMPBELL & TOURÉ 1999: 162 Antaresia stimsoni — MCDIARMID, CAMPBELL & TOURÉ 1999: 163 Antaresia childreni — COGGER 2000: 606 Antaresia stimsoni — COGGER 2000: 610 Antaresia saxacola campbelli HOSER 2001(rejected name, KAISER et al. 2013) Antaresia stimsoni orientalis — FRANZ 2003 Antaresia stimsoni orientalis — WILSON & SWAN 2008 Antaresia stimsoni — WILSON & SWAN 2010 Antaresia childreni — WILSON & SWAN 2010 Antaresia childreni — WALLACH et al. 2014: 45 Antaresia stimsoni — WALLACH et al. 2014: 45 Antaresia stimsoni orientalis — WACHTEL 2018 Antaresia childreni — ESQUERRÉ et al. 2021 |
| Distribution | Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia) Type locality: unknown stimsoni: Australia (New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia); Type locality: 15 km south-east of Nullagine (21°8’S, 120°12’E), WA, Australia |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: BMNH 1946.1.16.78, (formerly 41.10.13.39), collected J. Gilbert. Holotype: WAM R63108 [stimsoni] Holotype: AM R69087. Type locality: Wilcannia, New South Wales, Australia [campbelli] Holotype: WAM R48646 (erroneously given as R46846 by SMith 1985) [orientalis] |
| Diagnosis | |
| Comment | Type species: Liasis Childreni GRAY 1842: 44 is the type species of the genus Antaresia WELLS & WELLINGTON 1984. NCBI taxonID: 461325 [stimsoni] Habitat: partly arboreal (Harrington et al. 2018). Distribution: see Esquerré et al. 2021 for maps of both morphologically and genetically defined populations. Subspecies: HOSER’s (2001) description of Antaresia saxacola campbelli is rather vague and questionably referers to a new subspecies. For example he diagnoses the new subspecies by the following description: “A. s. campbelli is also distinguished from other A. stimsoni by its softer reddish and less contrasting colour with finer patterning. The head is also a different shape. The snout has a less box-like anterior when compared with other A. stimsoni...”. Synonymy: A. stimsoni and childreni appear to form a genetic gradient across their range and are thus difficult to separate as species, hence Esquerré et al. synonymized stimsoni with childreni. Wells and Wellington did not provide a description for A. saxacola, thus the name was considered a nomen nudum by Underwood and Stimson (1990) and Shea and Sadlier (1999). |
| Etymology | Named after John George Children (1777-1852), a British entomologist who became a Fellow (1807) and then Secretary of the Royal Society. He worked in t11e British Museum (1816-1840). |
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