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''Morelia spilota'', commonly referred to as the carpet python, is a large
snake Snakes are elongated, Limbless vertebrate, limbless, carnivore, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other Squamata, squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping Scale (zoology), scales. Ma ...
of the family
Pythonidae The Pythonidae, commonly known as pythons, are a family of nonvenomous snakes found in Africa, Asia, and Australia. Among its members are some of the largest snakes in the world. Ten genera and 42 species are currently recognized. Distributi ...
found in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
,
New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...
(
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
and
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
),
Bismarck Archipelago The Bismarck Archipelago (, ) is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. Its area is about 50,000 square km. History The first inhabitants o ...
, and the northern
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...
. Many
subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
are described;
ITIS The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) is an American partnership of federal agencies designed to provide consistent and reliable information on the taxonomy of biological species. ITIS was originally formed in 1996 as an interagenc ...
lists six, the Reptile Database six, and the
IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
eight.


Description

''M. spilota'' is a large
species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of python in the genus, reaching between in length and weighing up to . ''M. s. mcdowelli ''is the largest subspecies, regularly attaining lengths of . '' M. s. variegata'' is the smallest subspecies, typically in length. The average adult length is roughly . However, one 3-year-old captive male ''M. s. mcdowelli'', measured in Ireland, was found to exceed . Males are typically smaller than females; in some regions, females are up to four times heavier. 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 gray or a version of brown.


Reproduction

The species is
oviparous Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), and ...
, 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. This type of maternal care, which is typical for pythons, ceases once the hatchlings have emerged.


Behaviour

Differences in activity are noted throughout various subspecies; as a whole, the species is generally active during both daytime and nighttime, although the subspecies ''M. s. variegata'' is noted to be primarily nocturnal. Carpet pythons favor
arboreal Arboreal locomotion is the Animal locomotion, locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally, but others are exclusively arboreal. Th ...
living conditions, although they can also be found on the ground, and they commonly use open spaces to bask.


Diet

Carpet pythons kill prey by constriction. Their diet consists mainly of small
mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...
s,
bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...
s, and
lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...
s. Incidents of carpet pythons devouring domestic cats and small dogs have been reported.


Distribution and habitat

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 Southwest Australia is a biogeographic region in Western Australia. It includes the Mediterranean-climate area of southwestern Australia, which is home to a diverse and distinctive flora and fauna. The region is also known as the Southwest Aus ...
. It is also found in
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
(southern
Western New Guinea Western New Guinea, also known as Papua, Indonesian New Guinea, or Indonesian Papua, is the western half of the Melanesian island of New Guinea which is administered by Indonesia. Since the island is alternatively named as Papua, the region ...
in
Merauke Regency Merauke Regency is a regency in the far south of the Indonesian province of South Papua. It covers an area of 46,791.63 km2, and had a population of 195,716 at the 2010 Census and 230,932 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2 ...
),
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
(southern
Western Province Western Province or West Province may refer to: * Western Province, Cameroon *Western Province, Rwanda *Western Province (Kenya) *Western Province (Papua New Guinea) *Western Province (Solomon Islands) *Western Province, Sri Lanka *Western Provin ...
, the
Port Moresby (; Tok Pisin: ''Pot Mosbi''), also referred to as Pom City or simply Moresby, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the largest cities in the southwestern Pacific (along with Jayapura) outside of Australia and New Z ...
area of Central Province), and on Yule Island. The type locality given is "Nouvelle-Hollande" ustralia 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 The Nuyts Archipelago is an island group located in South Australia in the Great Australian Bight to the south of the town of Ceduna on the west coast of the Eyre Peninsula. It consisting of mostly granitic islands and reefs that prov ...
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.


Conservation

''M. spilota'' is not threatened as a species. The nominate subspecies, ''M. s. spilota'', is listed as threatened with extinction in
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...
. The subspecies ''M. s. imbricata'' is regarded as near threatened in
Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
, due to loss of habitat.


Captivity

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. The subspecies ''M. s. spilota'', the cold-weather diamond python, has some separate requirements and habits. 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.


Subspecies

The geographic distribution and common names can be summarised as the following, although ''M. s. imbricata'' is missing:


Hybrids

* Morelia spilota X viridis


Naming and taxonomy

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. 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. This is the case with proposed names which are sometimes cited, such as the Papuan ''Morelia spilota harrisoni'' (
Hoser ''Hoser'' or ''hose-head'' is a slang term originating in Canada that is used to reference or imitate Canadians. The term "hoser", long used by certain groups of Canadians, is a comedic label given to someone that gained popularity and notoriety ...
),Hoser, R. (2000a) A revision of the Australasian pythons. Ophidia Review 1(1): 7-27. despite being unaccepted or invalid. Common names are regional variants of carpet and diamond python or snake.Mehrtens JM. 1987. ''Living Snakes of the World in Color''. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. . Ditmars RL. 1933. ''Reptiles of the World. Revised Edition''. The MacMillan Company. 329 pp. 89 plates. The following is an incomplete list of synonyms:McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. ''Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1''. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. (series). (volume). * '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


References


Further reading

* Lacépède, B.G. 1804. ''Mémoire sur plusieurs animaux de la Nouvelle-Hollande dont la description n'a pas encore été publiée''. Annales du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris 4: 184–211. (''Coluber spilotus'', p. 209.) * Mattison, C. 1999. ''Snake''. DK Publishing. .


External links


DPIPWE (2012) Carpet Python (''Morelia spilota'')
PDF — Detailed description and pest risk assessment — Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water & Environment. Hobart, Tasmania. {{Taxonbar, from=Q575770 Morelia (snake) Snakes of Australia Reptiles of Indonesia Reptiles of Papua New Guinea Reptiles described in 1804 Snakes of New Guinea