Common names: Timor python.

Python timoriensis is a nonvenomous 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...

 found in South East Asia. A dwarf form, 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.

Description

Timor pythons are a fairly long (7 + feet) but relatively thin python species from the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia. Ironically, there are no known records of Timor Pythons from the Island of Timor. This probably stems from the misidentification of a Macklot's Python (Liasis mackloti) that is similar in appearance and DOES occur on that island. This is a very fast-moving, highly defensive snake that spends a great deal of time in the trees hunting for prey. Like many python species, Timor pythons have a series of heat-sensing pits between their nostrils and mouth used to find warm-blooded prey in total darkness. They are egg-layers and instead laying the eggs and leaving, they remain coiled around the clutch for the entire incubation period. This maternal incubation serves two purposes: protection of the eggs is one and temperature regulation is the other. Through a series of twitches and contractions many python species can raise the temperature of their bodies by as much as eight degrees F. Loosening the coils and exposing the eggs to more air circulation does the opposite. This is a fairly remarkable achievement given that snakes are "cold-blooded," meaning that their body temperature is dictated by their surroundings.

Geographic range

Found in South East Asia on the Lesser Sunda Islands

Lesser Sunda Islands

The Lesser Sunda Islands or Nusa Tenggara are a group of islands in the southern Maritime Southeast Asia, north of Australia. Together with the Greater Sunda Islands to the west they make up the Sunda Islands...

 (Flores

Flores

Flores is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, an island arc with an estimated area of 14,300 km² extending east from the Java island of Indonesia. The population was 1.831.000 in the 2010 census and the largest town is Maumere. Flores is Portuguese for "flowers".Flores is located east of Sumbawa...

, Lombien and Timor

Timor

Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, north of the Timor Sea. It is divided between the independent state of East Timor, and West Timor, belonging to the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. The island's surface is 30,777 square kilometres...

 islands). The type locality given is "Kupang

Kupang

Not to be confused with Tanjung Kupang in JohoreKupang is the provincial capital of East Nusa Tenggara province in southeast Indonesia....

, (Timor)" [Indonesia].

Taxonomy

Previously also considered a subspecies of the Indian python, P. molurus.