Common names: white-lipped python, D'Albertis' python, D'Albert's water python.

Leiopython, formerly a monotypic

Monotypic

In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...

 genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

, now comprises six species, created for the non-venomous python species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

, L. albertisii, found in New Guinea

New Guinea

New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...

. No subspecies

Subspecies

Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...

 are currently recognized. It was first described as an intermediate genus between Liasis

Liasis

Liasis is a genus of non-venomous pythons found in Indonesia, New Guinea and Australia. Currently, 3 extant species are recognized and one fossil species L. dubudingala -Geographic range:...

 and Nardoa. The species was named in honor of Luigi D'Albertis

Luigi D'Albertis

Luigi Maria D'Albertis was a flamboyant Italian naturalist and explorer who, in 1876, became the first person to chart the Fly River in Papua New Guinea. He took eight weeks to steam some 580 miles up the Fly River in an Australian launch, the Neva. On board as engineer was young Lawrence...

.

Description

Female Adults of the Northern White-Lipped Python (Leiopython albertisii) grow to an average of about 213 cm in length (6–7 ft), whereas the Southern White-Lipped Python (Leiopython hoserae) can reach up to 300 cm (10 ft) in length. They are patternless, except that the Northern White-Lipped Python has some light markings on their postoculars absent in the Southern White-Lipped Python. The snout is triangular and the head is distinct from the neck. The dorsum of the head is shiny black, the upper and lower labial scales are white with black markings on the anterior edge of the scales. Body color is either brownish-violet fading to yellowish ventrally (Leiopython albertisii) or blackish-blue fading to gray (Leiopython hoserae). These pythons also regurgitate fur balls, also known as "Casting." This behavior is rarely seen, but 2–3 days after feeding the results are seen. When it is witnessed owners of White lipped pythons often think their snake is regurgitating its food.

Geographic range

Found in most of New Guinea

New Guinea

New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...

 (below 1200 m), including the islands of Salawati

Salawati

Salawati is one of the four major islands in the Raja Ampat Islands in West Papua , Indonesia. Its area is 1623 km². The other main islands in the archipelago are Misool, Batanta and Waigeo....

 and Biak

Biak

Biak features a tropical rainforest climate with nearly identical temperatures throughout the course of the year. The average annual temperature in the city is 27 degrees celsius, which is also generally the average temperature of each day in Biak...

, Normanby

Normanby Island, Papua New Guinea

Normanby Island is a volcanic, 400 square mile , L-shaped island, the southern most island in the D'Entrecasteaux Islands group...

, Mussau

Mussau Island

Mussau Island is the largest island of St. Matthias Islands, Papua New Guinea, at . It is one of the northernmost islands of Papua New Guinea....

 and Emirau

Emirau Island

Emirau Island, also called Emira, is an island in the Bismarck Archipelago located at . It is currently part of the New Ireland Province of Papua New Guinea. The local language is a dialect of the Mussau-Emira language...

, as well as a few islands in the Torres Strait

Torres Strait

The Torres Strait is a body of water which lies between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea. It is approximately wide at its narrowest extent. To the south is Cape York Peninsula, the northernmost continental extremity of the Australian state of Queensland...

. The type locality given is "Kapaor in Nova Guinea boreali occidentali ... et prope Andai..." also stated "... un esemplare a Kapaor fra i Papua Onin..." and "... un secondo esamplare ad Andai presso Dorei..." (Kapoar, Onin Peninsula and Andai, near Dorei, Irian Jaya, Indonesia).

Some doubt can be cast on its occurrence on Normanby, as McDowell (1975) had erroneously assigned Bara Bara to this Island, rather than to the mainland of Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...

 in Milne Bay Province

Milne Bay Province

Milne Bay is a province of Papua New Guinea. Its capital is Alotau. The province covers 14,000 km² of land and 252,990 km² of sea, within the province there are more than 600 islands, about 160 of which are inhabited...

 as stated by Boulenger (1898) and Koopman (1982).

Habitat

Associated with rain forests, cutover clearings and swamps. Usually found near water, into which they may quickly retreat if disturbed. Often hide under dead leaves on forest floor.

Feeding

The diet includes a range of birds and mammals that are small to medium in size. Neonates and young semi-adults often feed on lizards.

Reproduction

Oviparous, with females laying about a dozen eggs. The eggs stick together in a compact pile and the females coils around them. The hatchlings emerge after about two months of incubation and are about 38 cm (15 inches) in length.

Taxonomy

A new species L. hoserae, and two new subspecies L. albertisii barkeri and L. a. bennetti, were described in Hoser

Raymond Hoser

Raymond Terrence Hoser is an Australian herpetologist, snake-catcher, and author. Since 1976 he has written books and articles about official corruption in Australia. He has also authored works on Australian frogs and reptiles and operates a snake handling business, Snakebusters, in Melbourne...

 (2000), but these descriptions are considered vague and questionable.
In 2008, Schleip redescribed and provided proper descriptions and diagnoses for two of Hoser's (2000) taxa, Leiopython hoserae, from the southern lowlands of Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...

 and neighbouring Indonesia

Indonesia

Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...

, and L. benettorum, from the highlands of Morobe Province

Morobe Province

Morobe Province is a province on the northern coast of Papua New Guinea. The provincial capital, and largest city, is Lae. The province covers 34,500 km², including 719 km² maritime area, with a population of 539,725...

, Papua New Guinea. A third, Leiopython albertisii barkeri was considered a nomen nudum

Nomen nudum

The phrase nomen nudum is a Latin term, meaning "naked name", used in taxonomy...

 due to Hoser not having provided a description that includes characters to differentiate this taxon

Taxon

|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement...

 from others. Three new species were also described: L. biakensis from the island of Biak

Biak

Biak features a tropical rainforest climate with nearly identical temperatures throughout the course of the year. The average annual temperature in the city is 27 degrees celsius, which is also generally the average temperature of each day in Biak...

 (part of the Indonesian Province of Papua

Papua (Indonesian province)

Papua comprises most of the western half of the island of New Guinea and nearby islands. Its capital is Jayapura. It's the largest and easternmost province of Indonesia. The province originally covered the entire western half of New Guinea...

, L. fredparkeri from the Karimui Basin, Simbu Province

Simbu Province

Simbu, also known as Chimbu, is a Highlands Region province in Papua New Guinea. The province has an area of 6,100 km² and a population of 259,703 . The capital of the province is Kundiawa...

, Papua New Guinea, and L. huonensis from the Huon Peninsula

Huon Peninsula

Huon Peninsula is a large rugged peninsula on the island of New Guinea in Morobe Province, eastern Papua New Guinea. It is named after French explorer Jean-Michel Huon de Kermadec who discovered it along with his personal assistant and porter, Henry Ole. The peninsula is dominated by the steep...

, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea.

The taxonomy of the Pythonidae family is fluid, however, an arrangement of the genus may be summarised as:

Pythonidae

• Antaresia
  Antaresia
  Antaresia is a genus of pythons, non-venomous snakes found in Australia. The genus in known by the common name Children's pythons, the name of the type species. Gray named it in honour of his mentor, John George Children, who was a curator of the zoological collection at the British Museum around...
  
  
• Apodora
• Aspidites
  Aspidites
  Aspidites is a genus of pythons found in Australia. The name can be translated as "shield bearer" and pertains to their two symmetrically shaped head scales. Currently, two species are recognized.-Description:...
  
  
• Bothrochilus
  Bothrochilus
  Bothrochilus is a monotypic genus containing the non-venomous python species, B. boa, found on the islands of the Bismarck Archipelago. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:...
  
  
• Leiopython
  • Leiopython albertisii, D'Albert's water python
  • Leiopython bennettorum, Bennett's white-lipped python
  • Leiopython biakensis, Biak white-lipped python
  • Leiopython fredparkeri, Parker's white-lipped python
  • Leiopython hoserae, Southern white-lipped python
  • Leiopython huonensis, Huon white-lipped python
• Liasis
  Liasis
  Liasis is a genus of non-venomous pythons found in Indonesia, New Guinea and Australia. Currently, 3 extant species are recognized and one fossil species L. dubudingala -Geographic range:...
  
  
• Morelia
• Python
  Python (genus)
  Python, from the Greek word , is a genus of non-venomous pythons found in Africa, Asia and Australia. Currently, 7 species are recognised. A member of this group, P. reticulatus, is among the longest snakes known.-Geographic range:...
  
  

External links

• Leiopython.de. Accessed 4 January 2009.