Morelia boeleni

Morelia boeleni
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Pythonidae
Genus: Morelia
Species: M. boeleni
Binomial name
Morelia boeleni
(Brongersma, 1953)
Synonyms
  • Liasis boeleni Brongersma, 1953
  • Liasis taronga Worrell, 1958
  • Liasis boeleni – Stimson, 1969
  • Python boeleni – McDowell, 1975
  • Morelia boeleni
    – Underwood & Stimson, 1990[1]
  • Simalia boeleni (Brongersma, 1953)[2]
Common names: Boelen's python,[3] black python.[2]

Morelia boeleni is a non-venomous python species found in the mountains of New Guinea.[3] No subspecies are currently recognized.[2][4]

Etymology

The specific name, boeleni, is in honor of K.W.J. Boelen, M.D., who collected the holotype specimen.[5]

Description

Adults: The upperside color pattern is dark bluish-black or purplish-black and the anterior part of underside white to pale yellow. The white extends up the flanks as a series of streaks. The upper and lower lips are also patterned with pale or whitish labial scales. The black portions are commonly iridescent with an oil-slick like sheen. The body is stocky and the head large. Neonates are predominantly red upon emerging from the egg. Gradual black pigmentation presents itself as the neonate grows and sheds. Ontogenetic color charge begins as the juvenile snake approaches 1 meter in length. Adults may be up to 3 meters in length.[6]

Conservation status

The unmistakable and famed Boelen's Python receives the highest legal protection possible in Papua New Guinea. It is currently listed on CITES Appendix II.

Common names

Locally it is also known as the Blu Moran or Papa Graun. Within Indonesia, it has several names depending on which language is used. Bahasa Indonesia: Ular Hitam, Ular Sanca Bulan, Piton Hitam, and Ular Buleni.

Geographic range

Found in Indonesia (Western New Guinea in the Wissel Lakes region) and Papua New Guinea (the provinces of Eastern Highlands, Central and Morobe, and Goodenough Island).

The type locality given is "Dimija (3[°] 56' S, 136[°] 18' E), Wissel Lakes, Dutch New Guinea, about 1750 m (5700 feet) above sea-level" [Western New Guinea, Indonesia].[1]

Habitat

The species inhabits forested montane regions of over 1,000 m (3,300 ft) elevation. It is generally encountered on the forest floor, but is also reckoned to be an able climber.

Diet

The diet consists of mammals, lizards, and birds.

Captivity

This species is considered to be highly desirable by private keepers due to its beauty, but is also exceptionally rare in collections.[7] Although captive-born snakes are fairly hardy in captivity,[8] wild-caught individuals are considerably more difficult to keep successfully.[9] Captive breeding is exceedingly rare, and the conditions necessary are still unclear.[10]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
  2. 1 2 3 Simalia boeleni at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 20 October 2015.
  3. 1 2 Mehrtens JM. 1987. Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. ISBN 0-8069-6460-X.
  4. ↑ "Morelia boeleni". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  5. ↑ Brongersma, 1953. p. 317.
  6. ↑ http://www.boelenspythons.com/naturalhistory/description.html. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ↑ http://www.boelenspythons.com/home.html
  8. ↑ http://www.boelenspythons.com/captivemanagement/hatchlingssubadults.html
  9. ↑ http://www.boelenspythons.com/captivemanagement/wildcaughts.html
  10. ↑ http://www.boelenspythons.com/reproduction/index.html

Flagle, A.R. Stoops E.D 2009. Black python: Morelia boeleni, Frankfurt Chimaira Buchhandelsgesellschaft mbh. Contributions to Natural History Vol. 26. 160pp. ISBN 9783930612864

Further reading

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