Python curtus
Encyclopedia
Python curtus is a species
of Pythonid, a nonvenomous snake found in Southeast Asia
. Three subspecies
are recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here, although some authors describe these as species.
Adults grow to 1.5-2.5 m (5–8 feet) in length and are heavily built. The tail is extremely short relative to the overall length. The color pattern consists of a beige, tan or grayish-brown ground color overlaid with blotches that are brick to blood-red in color.
in southern Thailand
, Malaysia (Peninsular
and Sarawak
) (including Pinang) and Indonesia
(Sumatra
, Riau Archipelago
, Lingga Islands
, Bangka Island
s, Mentawai Islands
and Kalimantan
). According to Stimson (1969), the type locality is Sumatra.
s where it is found in marsh
es, swamps and along river
banks and streams.
The blood python has been extensively harvested for leather
, an estimated 100 000 individuals are taken for this purpose each year. The commercial trade regards this as a single species. Authors who elevate these island populations to species note that skins are readily distinguished.
The subspecies P. c. brongersmai
was elevated to a full species by Pauwels et al. (2000)., while P. c. breitensteini was given species status by Keogh, Barker and Shine (2001). The divergence of this monophyletic group is presumed to be isolation of populations resulting from changes in sea levels. Phylogenetic analysis of the Malay population, P. curtus brongersmai, suggests a close affinity with the nominal subspecies, however, P. curtus breitensteini was determined to be as genetically distant from the original type as the species Python reticulatus.
An arrangement as subspecies is summarised as:
The synonyms for this arrangement are:
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...
of Pythonid, a nonvenomous snake found in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
. Three 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 recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here, although some authors describe these as species.
Description
Common names
Short python, Blood python, Short-tailed python, Black blood python, Sumatran short-tailed python, Sumatran blood python.Geographic range
Found in Southeast AsiaSoutheast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
in southern Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Malaysia (Peninsular
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
and Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
) (including Pinang) and 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...
(Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, Riau Archipelago
Riau Archipelago
Not to be confused with Riau Islands Province, a province of Indonesia.The Riau Archipelago is the core group of islands within the Riau Islands Province in Indonesia, and located south of Singapore...
, Lingga Islands
Lingga Islands
Not to be confused with "Linga", a common Scottish island name, see Linga The Lingga Islands or Lingga Archipelago are a group of islands in Indonesia, located south of Singapore, along both sides of the equator, off the eastern coast of Riau Islands province on Sumatra island...
, Bangka Island
Bangka Island
Bangka is an island lying east of Sumatra, Indonesia. Population 626,955. Area: c.4,600 sq mi .There is an additional small island named Pulau Bangka in northern Sulawesi, Indonesia.-Geography:...
s, Mentawai Islands
Mentawai Islands
The Mentawai Islands are a chain of about seventy islands and islets off the western coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. Siberut is the largest of the islands. The other major islands are Sipura, North Pagai and South Pagai . The islands lie approximately 150 km off the Sumatran coast, across the...
and Kalimantan
Kalimantan
In English, the term Kalimantan refers to the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo, while in Indonesian, the term "Kalimantan" refers to the whole island of Borneo....
). According to Stimson (1969), the type locality is Sumatra.
Habitat
Occurs in rainforestRainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
s where it is found in marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es, swamps and along river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
banks and streams.
Reproduction
Oviparous, females seldom lay more than a dozen large eggs (however, much larger clutches have been reported). The female remains coiled around the eggs during the incubation period. The hatchlings emerge after 2.5 to 3 months and are about 30 cm (12 inches) in length.Uses
The species is kept as an exotic pet. They are often regarded as unpredictable and aggressive, but captive bred individuals tend to be more docile than wild-caught specimens.The blood python has been extensively harvested for leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
, an estimated 100 000 individuals are taken for this purpose each year. The commercial trade regards this as a single species. Authors who elevate these island populations to species note that skins are readily distinguished.
Taxonomy
Python curtus brongersmai
Python curtus brongersmai, a subspecies python, is a non-venomous snake found on the Malay Peninsula.-Description:Adults generally grow to 137-182 cm in length, with females usually a little longer than males, and usually weigh 5.4–9 kg ; much more than other snakes of similar length.The...
was elevated to a full species by Pauwels et al. (2000)., while P. c. breitensteini was given species status by Keogh, Barker and Shine (2001). The divergence of this monophyletic group is presumed to be isolation of populations resulting from changes in sea levels. Phylogenetic analysis of the Malay population, P. curtus brongersmai, suggests a close affinity with the nominal subspecies, however, P. curtus breitensteini was determined to be as genetically distant from the original type as the species Python reticulatus.
An arrangement as subspecies is summarised as:
- Python curtus Schlegel, 1872
- Python curtus curtus, western and southern Sumatra. One of two taxa referred to as Short-tailed pythons.
- Python curtus breitensteini SteindachnerFranz SteindachnerFranz Steindachner was an Austrian zoologist.- Work and career :Being interested in natural history, Steindachner took up the study of fossil fishes on the recommendation of his friend Eduard Suess...
, 1880 Borneo short-tailed python Type locality: BorneoBorneoBorneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
. - Python curtus brongersmaiPython curtus brongersmaiPython curtus brongersmai, a subspecies python, is a non-venomous snake found on the Malay Peninsula.-Description:Adults generally grow to 137-182 cm in length, with females usually a little longer than males, and usually weigh 5.4–9 kg ; much more than other snakes of similar length.The...
StullOlive Griffith StullOlive Griffith Stull was an American herpetologist.Stull was born February 10, 1905, in Rochester, New York. She married Loy Davis in 1930, one year after completing her degree at the University of Michigan. She worked in the field of veterinary medicine and contributed to research in a variety of...
, 1935. Referred to by the common name Red blood python, this taxon contains reddish colour morphs. The type locality was SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Malay PeninsulaMalay PeninsulaThe Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
. - Python curtus breitensteini, SchlegelHermann SchlegelHermann Schlegel was a German ornithologist and herpetologist.-Early life and education:Schlegel was born at Altenburg, the son of a brassfounder. His father collected butterflies, which stimulated Schlegel's interest in natural history...
, 1872. Black blood python, Type locality: KalimantanKalimantanIn English, the term Kalimantan refers to the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo, while in Indonesian, the term "Kalimantan" refers to the whole island of Borneo....
.
The synonyms for this arrangement are:
- Python curtus - Schlegel, 1872
- Aspidoboa curtus - Sauvage, 1884
- Python curtus - Boulenger, 1890
- Python curtus - Boulenger, 1893
- Python curtus curtus - Stull, 1935
- Python curtus curtus - Stimson, 1969
- Python curtus - Stuebing, 1991