Morelia amethistina (SCHNEIDER, 1801)

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Higher Taxa	Pythonidae, Henophidia, Pythonoidea, Serpentes (snakes)
Subspecies
Common Names	E: Amethystine or scrub python G: Amethystpython
Synonym	Boa Amethistina SCHNEIDER 1801: 254 Python amethystinus — DAUDIN 1803: 230 Constrictor amethystin [us] — WAGLER 1830: 168 Liasis amethystinus — GRAY 1842: 44 Liasis Amethystinus — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1844: 433 Aspidopython Jakati MEYER 1874: 135 Liasis amethystinus — GÜNTHER 1879: 85 Liasis duceboracensis GÜNTHER 1879: 86 Hypaspistes dipsadides OGILBY 1891: 192 Python amethystinus — BOULENGER 1893: 83 Liasis clarki BARBOUR 1914: 202 Python amethystinus — DE ROOIJ 1917: 24 Liasis amethistinus — STIMSON 1969 Python amethistinus — MCDOWELL 1975: 52 Australiasis amethystinus — WELLS & WELLINGTON 1984: 106 Morelia amethistina — KLUGE 1993 Morelia amethistina — MCDIARMID, CAMPBELL & TOURÉ 1999: 170 Morelia amethistina — COGGER 2000: 611 Australiasis amethystina clarki [sic] — HOSER 2001 Liasis amethistinus — SWITAK 2006 Morelia amethistina — SCHLEIP & O’SHEA 2010 Australiasis funki — HOSER 2012 (preliminary)
Distribution	Indonesia (Halmahera, Batjan = Bacan, Ceram = Seram, Ambon, Saparua, Haraku, Timorlaut, Banda, Kai Island, Aru Island, Misool, Salawati, Irian Jaya), Molucca Islands, S Philippine Islands ?, Papua New Guinea (Bismarck Archipelago, Trobriand I), Louisiade Archipelago, New Ireland, New Britain, Ferguson Island, Australia (NE Queensland), several Islands of Torres Strait Type locality: unknown (fide STIMSON 1969 and KLUGE 1993) Map legend: - Region according to the TDWG standard, not a precise distribution map. NOTE: TDWG regions are generated automatically from the text in the distribution field and this does not always work properly. We are working on it.
Types	Holotype: ZMB 1485 (presumed lost) Holotype: Australian Museum (Sydney) [Hypaspistes dipsadides] Holotype: MCZ 9600 [Liasis clarki]
Comment	Synonymy after KLUGE 1993. Liasis amethistinus kinghorni STULL 1933 hs been elevated to full species status by HARVEY et al. 2000. BANKS & SCHWANER (1984) describe a hybrid between Morelia spilota and Liasis mackloti as well as hybrids between Morelia spilota and Morelia amethistina. Reproduction: oviparous.
References	Akeret, B. 2008. Gefahrenpotenzial Riesenschlangen. Reptilia (Münster) 13 (72): 4-12 - get paper here Banks, C., Schwaner, T.D., 1984. Two cases of interspecific hybridization among captive Australian boid snakes [Python spilotes, Python amethistinus, Liasis mackloti.] Zoo Biology 3: 221-227 Bär, R. 2005. Neuere Erkenntnisse zur Nomenklatur des Amethystpythons (Morelia amethistina (SCHNEIDER 1801)) und des Seram-Pythons (Morelia clastolepis (HARVEY et al. 2000)) sowie erstmalige Vorstellung einer weiteren Inselpopulation innerhalb des Morelia-amethist Elaphe 13 (2): 49-51 Barbour, T., 1914. On some Australasian reptiles. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 27: 201—206. - get paper here Boulenger, G.A. 1893. Catalogue of the snakes in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) I. London (Taylor & Francis), 448 pp. - get paper here Charles, N.; R. Field, R. Shine 1985. Notes on the Reproductive Biology of Australian Pythons, Genera Aspidites, Liasis and Morelia. Herp Review 16 (2): 45-48 Cogger,H.G. 2000. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, 6th ed. Ralph Curtis Publishing, Sanibel Island, 808 pp. Daudin 1802. Histoire Naturelle, Générale et Particulière des Reptiles, Vol. 4. F. Dufart, Paris. Duméril, A. M. C. and G. Bibron. 1844. Erpetologie Générale ou Histoire Naturelle Complete des Reptiles. Vol.6. Libr. Encyclopédique Roret, Paris, 609 pp. - get paper here Fearn, S. L. 2002. Notes on a maximal sized Scrub Python Morelia amethistina (Serpentes: Pythonidae) from Kuranda, North East Queensland. Herpetofauna (Sydney) 32: 2–3 - get paper here Fearn, S. L.; J. Sambono 2000. Some ambush predation postures of the Scrub Python Morelia amethistina (Serpentes: Pythonidae) in north east Queensland. Herpetofauna (Sydney) 30: 39-44 - get paper here Fearn, S. L.; J. Sambono 2000. A reliable size record for the Scrub Python Morelia amethistina (Serpentes: Pythonidae) in north east Queensland. Herpetofauna (Sydney) 30: 2–6 - get paper here Fearn, Simon 1998. A range extension for the scrub python Morelia amethistina (Serpentes: Boidae): a record from Magnetic Island, North Queensland. Herpetofauna (Sydney) 28 (2): 39-40 Franz, V. 2003. Pythons of the World. Reptilia (GB) (27): 16-23 - get paper here Gray, J. E. 1842. Synopsis of the species of prehensile-tailed snakes, or family Boidae. Zool. Misc. 2: 41-46 Greenbaum, E. 2000. Herpetofaunal observations in disparate habitats in south Sustralia, New South Wales, and queensland, Australia. Herpetological Bulletin (72): 6-16 Günther, A. 1879. Notice of a collection of reptiles from islands of Torres Straits. Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (5) 3: 84—87. - 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. 2012. An updated review of the pythons including resolution of issues of taxonomy and nomenclature. Australasian Journal of Herpetology 10: 2-32 - get paper here Hoser, Raymond 2000. A Revision of the Australasian pythons. Ophidia Review 1: 7-27 Jan, G. 1865. Iconographie générale des ophidiens. 9. Livraison. J.B. Bailière et Fils, Paris [1864] - get paper here Macleay, W. 1877. The ophidians of the Chevert Expedition. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, 2: 33-41. Martin, R. W. 1995. Field Observation of Predation on Bennett's Treekangaroo (Dendrolagus bennettianus) by an Amethystine Python (Morelia amethistina). Herpetological Review 26 (2): 74-76 McDiarmid,R.W.; Campbell,J.A. & Touré,T.A. 1999. Snake species of the world. Vol. 1. Herpetologists’ League, 511 pp. McDowell, S.B. 1975. A catalogue of the snakes of New Guinea and the Solomons, with special reference to those in the Bernice P. Bishop Museum. Part lI. Aniloidea and Pythoninae. Journal of Herpetology 9 (1): 1-79 - get paper here Meyer,A.B. 1874. [Eine Mittheilung von Hrn. Dr. Adolf Meyer] über die von ihm auf Neu-Guinea und den Inseln Jobi, Mysore und Mafoor im Jahre 1873 gesammelten Amphibien. Monatsber. K. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin 1874: 128-140 - get paper here Ogilby, J.D. 1891. Descriptions of three new Papuan snakes. Records of the Australian Museum 1: 192—194. Schleip, Wulf D & O’Shea, M. 2010. Annotated checklist of the recent and extinct pythons (Serpentes, Pythonidae), with notes on nomenclature, taxonomy, and distribution. ZooKeys 66 (2010) : 29-79 - get paper here Schneider, JOHANN GOTTLOB 1801. Historiae Amphibiorum naturalis et literariae. Fasciculus secundus continens Crocodilos, Scincos, Chamaesauras, Boas. Pseudoboas, Elapes, Angues. Amphisbaenas et Caecilias. Frommani, Jena. 374 pp. Stock, R. 2004. Pflege und Zucht des gelben Amethystpythons Morelia amethistina amethistina (SCHNEIDER 1801). Elaphe 12 (4): 34-38 Stull, O.G. 1933. Two new subspecies of the family Boidae. Occasional Papers Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan (267): 1-4. Sues, L.; R. Shine 1999. Morelia amethistina (Australian Scrub Python). Male-Male Combat. Herpetological Review 30 (2):102 Switak, Karl H. 2006. Adventures in Green Python Country. Natur und Tier Verlag (Münster), 364 pp. - get paper here Wells R W; Wellington C R 1984. A synopsis of the class Reptilia in Australia. Australian Journal of Herpetology 1 (3-4): 73-129 [1983] Werner, F. 1899. Ueber Reptilien und Batrachier aus Togoland, Kamerun und Deutsch-Neu-Guinea grösstentheils aus dem k. Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin. Verhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien 49: 132-157
External links	IUCN Red List - Morelia amethistina - Least Concern, LC http://www.biol.lu.se/zooekologi/jon/herpbild/herpbild.htm http://www.kingsnake.com/oz/snakes/pythons/pythons.htm http://www.amonline.net.au/herpetology/research/pdf/pythonidae.pdf Google images Profile of Morelia amethistina on Reptarium

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