Morelia viridis (SCHLEGEL, 1872)
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Morelia viridis?
Morelia viridis
Find more photos by Google images search: 
| Higher Taxa | Pythonidae, Henophidia, Pythonoidea, Serpentes (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Green tree python G: Grüner Baumpython |
| Synonym | Python viridis SCHLEGEL 1872: 54 Chondropython azureus MEYER 1874: 134 Chondropython pulcher SAUVAGE 1878: 37 Chondropython viridis — BOULENGER 1893: 90 Chondropython viridis — DE ROOIJ 1917: 29 Chondropython viridis — STIMSON 1969 Morelia viridis — KLUGE 1993 Morelia viridis — MCDIARMID, CAMPBELL & TOURÉ 1999: 175 Chondropython viridis — COGGER 2000: 603 Morelia viridis — KIVIT & WISEMAN 2000 Chondropython viridis shireenae HOSER 2003 Chondropython viridis adelynhoserae HOSER 2009 Morelia viridis — SCHLEIP & O’SHEA 2010 |
| Distribution | Indonesia (Aru I, Irian Jaya), Papua New Guinea, Island of Gag, Australia (NE Cape York Peninsula of Queensland) Type locality: Aru (as Aroe) Islands, Indonesia. Synonyms: azureus: Type locality: Biak Island adelynhoserae: Type locality: Normanby Island, d’Entrecasteaux Archipelago, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. Holotype: AM R129716. shireenae: Type locality: Cape York, Queensland, Australia.Holotype: NMV D51862. 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 | Syntypes: RMNH 4672 (2 specimens) |
| Comment | KIVIT & WISEMAN (2005) report a hybrid between M. viridis and M. spilota cheynei. See Switak (2006) for a collection of photos of color variants. Hoser (2003) diagnoses Chondropython viridis shireenae ssp. nov. as “the only Green Pythons (C. viridis) found on mainland Australia and can be separated from all other C. viridis on this basis. In the absence of good locality data, the subspecies is best separated from other C. viridis by comparative DNA analysis [missing in Hoser’s paper], which has already been successfully used to separate this subspecies. Australian C. viridis have as adults, white or other markings along the vertebra and few other markings, whereas those from elsewhere do not always have this trait. Hence this is a diagnostic character for Australian specimens of C. viridis.” Based on Hoser’s 2003 paper, the status of this subspecies remains uncertain. M. azureus was resurrected from the synonymy of M. viridis by Hoser (2009). Rawlings and Donnellan (2003) also revealed the existence of two species, one from north of the central cordillera, the other from the south, including the Aru Island and Australian populations. However, further studies are required to establish the validity of these clades. Reproduction: oviparous. |
| References |
|
| External links |
|