Morelia spilota

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Morelia spilota, commonly known as the carpet python, is a large snake of the family Pythonidae found in Australia, New Guinea (Indonesia and Papua New Guinea), Bismarck Archipelago, and the northern Solomon Islands.<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /><ref name="Bush">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Cogger">Template:Cite book</ref> Many subspecies are recognised; ITIS lists six,<ref name="ITIS">{{#if:634780 | {{#invoke:template wrapper|wrap|_template=cite web|_exclude=id,ID,taxon

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| Template:Citation error }}</ref> the Reptile Database six,<ref name="NRDB"/> and the IUCN eight.<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" />

DescriptionEdit

File:PythonSpilotesRooij.jpg

M. s. spilota

M. spilota is a large species of python in the genus, reaching between Template:Convert in length and weighing up to Template:Convert. M. s. mcdowelli is the largest subspecies, regularly attaining lengths of Template:Convert.<ref name="DEC">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> M. s. variegata is the smallest subspecies, typically Template:Convert in length. The average adult length is roughly Template:Convert. However, one 3-year-old captive male M. s. mcdowelli, measured in Ireland, was found to exceed Template:Convert. Males are typically smaller than females; in some regions, females are up to four times heavier.<ref name="DEC"/> The head is triangular with a conspicuous row of thermoreceptive labial pits.

The colouring of M. spilota is highly variable, ranging from olive to black with white or cream and gold markings. The patterning may be roughly diamond-shaped or have intricate markings made up of light and dark bands on a background of grey or a version of brown.

ReproductionEdit

The species is oviparous, with females laying 10–50 eggs at a time. Afterward, females coil around the eggs to protect them and keep them warm through using muscular contractions to generate heat.<ref name="Queensland Museum">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This type of maternal care, which is typical for pythons, ceases once the hatchlings have emerged.

BehaviourEdit

Differences in activity are noted throughout various subspecies; as a whole, the species is generally active during both daytime and nighttime,<ref name="Queensland Museum" /> although the subspecies M. s. variegata is noted to be primarily nocturnal.<ref name="NT Government">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Carpet pythons favor arboreal living conditions, although they can also be found on the ground, and they commonly use open spaces to bask.<ref name="Queensland Museum" /><ref name="NT Government" />

Seasonal activityEdit

In the northern Australian city of Darwin, carpet pythons are significantly more likely to be encountered in suburban areas during the dry season months of May–July.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> This is indicative of shifts in snake behaviour or movement across the year, with snakes likely moving out of natural forest areas in the later dry season to the more productive suburban areas in search of prey or mates.

DietEdit

Carpet pythons kill prey by constriction. Their diet consists mainly of small mammals, birds, and lizards. Incidents of carpet pythons devouring domestic cats and small dogs have been reported.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Distribution and habitatEdit

The species is found throughout mainland Australia, with the exception of the arid centre and the western regions. It is widely distributed throughout the forest regions of Southwest Australia.<ref name="Spatial threat">Template:Cite journal</ref> It is also found in Indonesia (southern Western New Guinea in Merauke Regency), Papua New Guinea (southern Western Province, the Port Moresby area of Central Province), and on Yule Island. The type locality given is "Nouvelle-Hollande" [Australia].<ref name="McD99"/>

It occurs in a wide variety of habitats, from the rainforests of northeastern Queensland (M. s. cheynei) through the River Red Gum/Riverbox woodlands of the Murray and Darling Rivers (M. s. metcalfei), to the arid, treeless islands of the Nuyts Archipelago off the South Australian west coast (M. s. imbricata). It is also found in temperate grasslands with hot and dry weather. It is often found near human habitation, where it performs a useful service by eating rats and other vermin. M. spilota is known to occur in areas that receive snowfall.

ConservationEdit

M. spilota is not threatened as a species.<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /> The nominate subspecies, M. s. spilota, is listed as threatened with extinction in Victoria.<ref name="DSE">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The subspecies M. s. imbricata is regarded as near threatened in Western Australia, due to loss of habitat.<ref name="Spatial threat"/>

CaptivityEdit

This species is a popular pet among snake enthusiasts. Some forms can be more irascible than others, such as M. s. mcdowelli and M. s. variegata. Forms that tend to be more even tempered include M. s. spilota and M. s. metcalfei. Although they can be nippy as hatchlings, most grow into docile adults. However, care must be taken when feeding, as these snakes have a strong "feeding response" that can be mistaken for aggression.

The care requirements can be generalized for all subspecies.<ref name="MARK all">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The subspecies M. s. spilota, the cold-weather diamond python, has some separate requirements and habits.<ref name="MARK spila">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> As medium to large snakes, carpet pythons need a proportionately sized enclosure that allows for climbing as well as crawling around on the ground. They generally require moderately high basking temperature and moderate humidity. Captive specimens are normally fed live or frozen (defrosted to room temperature) rats or mice, but it is considered best practice to offer a varied diet which includes other types of rodents and birds to create more balanced nutrition. Young carpet pythons can be fed every 1–2 weeks, but adults have slower metabolisms and should be fed every 2–4 weeks depending on body condition.

With good care, the carpet python is capable of living up to 30 years.

SubspeciesEdit

The geographic distribution and common names can be summarised as the following:<ref name="ITIS"/><ref name="McD99"/>

Subspecies<ref name="ITIS"/>	Taxon author<ref name="ITIS"/>	Common name	Geographic range
M. s. cheynei File:Morelia spilota cheynei.tif Jungle carpet python in shed	Wells & Wellington, 1984	Template:Unbulleted list	Australia in northeastern Queensland
M. s. mcdowelli File:Australian-Carpet-Python.jpg Coastal carpet python	Wells & Wellington, 1984	Template:Unbulleted list	Australia in eastern Queensland and northeastern New South Wales
M. s. metcalfei File:Murray darling carpet python handling.jpg Murray-Darling carpet python being handled	Wells & Wellington, 1984	Template:Unbulleted list	Australia in the Murray-Darling Basin of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia
M. s. spilota File:Carpet Python in Lamington National Park, Queensland, Australia.jpg Diamond python in Lamington National Park, Queensland, Australia	(Lacépède, 1804)	Template:Unbulleted list	Australia in eastern New South Wales and the extreme east of Victoria
M. s. variegata File:Python Australia Zoo.JPG Morelia spilota variegata	Gray, 1842	Template:Unbulleted list	New Guinea (Western New Guinea and Papua New Guinea) and Australia in northwestern Western Australia and in the northern portion of the Northern Territory (specimens from New Guinea are referred to by Hoser (2000) as M. harrisoni, but this is not officially recognized as a separate species or subspecies)

HybridsEdit

Morelia spilota X viridis

Naming and taxonomyEdit

The first description of M. spilota was by Lacépède (1804), who placed it in the genus Coluber as Coluber spilotus. The species has since been described by various authors as containing a number of subspecies and hybrids; these have also been known by various informal names.<ref name="Cogger"/><ref name="NRDB">Template:NRDB species</ref> The attempted arrangement of taxa in this, and other, Australasian Pythonidae has produced numerous synonyms. The discreet and roaming habits of this species have produced a low number of recorded specimens, giving inadequate sample numbers to support descriptions of a taxon's morphology.<ref name="DSE"/> This is the case with proposed names which are sometimes cited, such as the Papuan Morelia spilota harrisoni (Hoser),<ref>Hoser, R. (2000a) A revision of the Australasian pythons. Ophidia Review 1(1): 7-27.</ref> despite being unaccepted or invalid.<ref name=Wuster>Template:Cite journal</ref> Common names are regional variants of carpet and diamond python or snake.<ref name="Meh87">Mehrtens JM. 1987. Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. Template:ISBN.</ref><ref name="Dit33">Ditmars RL. 1933. Reptiles of the World. Revised Edition. The MacMillan Company. 329 pp. 89 plates.</ref>

The following is an incomplete list of synonyms:<ref name="McD99">McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. Template:ISBN (series). Template:ISBN (volume).</ref><ref name="NRDB"/>

[Coluber] Arges - Linnaeus, 1758
[Coluber] Argus - Linnaeus, 1766
Coluber spilotus - Lacépède, 1804
[Python] punctatus - Merrem, 1820
[Coluber (Natrix)] Argus - Merrem, 1820
[Vipera (Echidna)] Spilotes - Merrem, 1820
Python Peronii - Wagler, 1828
Python spilotes - Gray In G. Grey, 1841
Morelia punctata - Gray, 1842
Morelia argus - A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1844
Morelia spilotes - Gray, 1849
M[orelia]. argus var. fasciolata - Jan In Jan & Sordelli, 1864
Python spilotes - Boulenger, 1893
[Python spilotes spilotes] - Werner, 1909
Python spilotes macrospila - Werner, 1909
Morelia argus - Loveridge, 1934
Morelia argus - Stull, 1935
Morelia spilotes spilotes - Worrell, 1961
Morelia argus argus - Stimson, 1969
Python spilotes - McDowell, 1975
[Python spilotus spilotus] - L.A. Smith, 1981
Morelia spilota - Cogger, Cameron & Cogger, 1983
Morelia spilota - Underwood & Stimson, 1990
Morelia spilota spilota - Barker & Barker, 1994

ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

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DPIPWE (2012) Carpet Python (Morelia spilota) PDF — Detailed description and pest risk assessment — Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water & Environment. Hobart, Tasmania.

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