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Antaresia childreni (GRAY, 1842)

IUCN Red List - Antaresia childreni - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaPythonidae, Henophidia, Pythonoidea, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Children's Python
G: Gefleckter Python
E: Large-blotched Python, Stimsons Python [stimsoni]
G: Stimsons Python [stimsoni] 
SynonymLiasis 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 — WALLS 1995
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
Antaresia childreni — EIPPER & EIPPER 2024: 30
Antaresia childreni stimsoni — EIPPER & EIPPER 2024: 31 
DistributionAustralia (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  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: 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] 
DiagnosisUnfortunately we had to temporarily remove additional information as this was scraped by multiple AI companies who sell that data to their customers. These details, e.g. detailed descriptions or comparisons (about 1509 characters), are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. 
CommentType 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. 2021 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).

Reference images: see Uetz et al. 2024 for high-resolution reference images for this species. 
EtymologyNamed 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).

The genus Antaresia was named after Antares, the yellow giant star in the 'tail' of the Constellation of Scorpius" (Wells & Wellington, 1984). The association of the name with the genus is not clear. 
References
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