imported>UtherSRG: Reverted edit by Fly28888 (talk) to last version by Justlettersandnumbers

2023-12-26T14:37:59Z

Reverted edit by Fly28888 (talk) to last version by Justlettersandnumbers

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{{Short description|Species of reptile}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Antaresia_maculosa.jpg
| image_caption =
| genus = Antaresia
| species = maculosa
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| authority = ([[Wilhelm Peters|Peters]], 1873)
| synonyms = * ''Liasis maculosus'' - Peters, 1873
* ''Antaresia maculosus'' - Wells & Wellington, 1984
* ''A''[''ntaresia'']. ''maculosa'' - Kluge, 1993<ref name="McD99">McDiarmid, R.W., J.A. Campbell & T.Touré 1999. ''Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference'', vol. 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. {{ISBN|1-893777-00-6}} (series). {{ISBN|1-893777-01-4}} (volume).</ref>
}}

The '''spotted python''', '''eastern small-blotched python''', or '''eastern Children's python''' ('''''Antaresia maculosa''''') is a [[Pythonidae|python]] [[species]] found in northern [[Australia]] and [[New Guinea]].<ref name="NRDB"/> It is a popular pet among Australian reptile enthusiasts and other reptile enthusiasts abroad due to its small size and even temperament. No [[subspecies]] were originally recognized.<ref name="NRDB"/><ref name="ITIS">{{ITIS |id=634765 |taxon=''Antaresia maculosa'' |access-date=18 September 2007}}</ref> However, two subspecies were recognized as of 2020; ''A. m. maculosa'' and ''A. m. peninsularis''.

The spotted pythons of New Guinea were proposed to be reclassified in 2021 as their own unique species, ''A. papuensis'' or the [[Papuan spotted python]], in the same study that discovered the two mainland subspecies.<ref name="Phylogeography, historical demograp">{{cite journal |last1=Esquerré |first1=Damien |last2=Donnellan |first2=Stephen C. |last3=Pavón-Vázquez |first3=Carlos J. |last4=Fenker |first4=Jéssica |last5=Keogh |first5=J. Scott |title=Phylogeography, historical demography and systematics of the world's smallest pythons (Pythonidae, Antaresia) |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |date=August 2021 |volume=161 |pages=107181 |doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107181 |pmid=33892100 |s2cid=233383151 }}</ref> However, both [[ITIS]] and [[The Reptile Database]] currently consider the two variants as synonyms.

==Taxonomy==
[[Wilhelm Peters]] described the spotted python in 1873. A new [[subspecies]], ''A. m. brentonoloughlini'' was described by Hoser (2003),<ref name="NRDB">{{NRDB species|genus=Antaresia|species=maculosa|date=20 November|year=2017}}</ref> but this taxon is not considered valid by other herpetologists.<ref name="NRDB"/><ref name=Schleip>{{cite journal |last1=Schleip |first1=Wulf D. |last2=O'Shea |first2=Mark |title=Annotated checklist of the recent and extinct pythons (Serpentes, Pythonidae), with notes on nomenclature, taxonomy, and distribution |journal=ZooKeys |date=4 November 2010 |issue=66 |pages=29–80 |doi=10.3897/zookeys.66.683 |pmid=21594030 |pmc=3088416 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name=Kaiser>{{cite journal |last1=Kaiser |first1=Hinrich |last2=Crother |first2=Brian I. |last3=Kelly |first3=Christopher M. R. |last4=Luiselli |first4=Luca |last5=O'Shea |first5=Mark |last6=Ota |first6=Hidetoshi |last7=Passos |first7=Paulo |last8=Schleip |first8=Wulf D. |last9=Wüster |first9=Wolfgang |title=Best practices: in the 21st century, taxonomic decisions in herpetology are acceptable only when supported by a body of evidence and published via peer-review |journal=Herpetological Review |volume=44 |issue=1 |date=2013 |pages=8–23 |hdl=2436/621767 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> Two subspecies of ''A. maculosa'' were recognized in 2020; ''A. m. maculosa'' and ''A. m. peninsularis''.<ref name="Phylogeography, historical demograp"/>

==Description==
Adults average about {{convert|100|–|140|cm}} in length, though a record exists of a {{Convert|69|in|cm|abbr=on}} specimen. It is the largest species of the genus ''Antaresia''.<ref name="Julander_etal">{{cite book |last1=Julander |first1=Justin |author-link1=Justin Julander |last2=Mutton |first2=Nick |author-link2=Nick Mutton |last3=Birch |first3=Peter |author-link3=Peter Birch (writer) |date=2013 |title=The Complete Children's Python: A Comprehensive Guide to the Natural History, Care, and Breeding of ''Antaresia'' species}}</ref> It has an irregular, blotched color pattern throughout its life. The blotches have ragged edges because the dark pigmentation occurs only on complete scales.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.actha.org.au/uploads/6/0/3/1/6031192/antaresia_python.pdf|title=NOTES ON ANTARESIA MACULOSA (SPOTTED PYTHON)}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reptiletalk.net/spotted-python/|title=Spotted Python (Antaresia maculosa) {{!}} ReptileTalk NET|date=2016-05-08|work=ReptileTalk NET|access-date=2017-11-19|language=en-US}}</ref> Interestingly, the largest recorded example of this species was a male, suggesting males of this species as well as others in the genus ''Antaresia'' may compete for females. This behavior has never been witnessed in the wild, and has only been witnessed in captive specimens. Combat between males in such scenarios usually consists of constriction, striking, and biting. These snakes are primarily nocturnal, and are semi-arboreal with younger animals preferring to utilize elevated hiding spots more than adults. These snakes are the oldest species within the genus ''Antaresia'', having diverged from other species in the genus 27 million years ago.<ref name="Julander_etal" />

==Distribution and habitat==
Found in [[Australia]] from the extreme north of the [[Cape York Peninsula]], south through eastern [[Queensland]] to northern [[New South Wales]]. Also on many islands off the coast of Queensland. The [[Type locality (biology)|type locality]] given is "Rockhampton, Port Mackay, Port Bowen [= Port Clinton]" [Queensland, Australia]. L.A. Smith (1985) restricted the type locality to "Port Mackay" (Mackay, Queensland, in 21° 09'S, 149° 11'E) by [[lectotype]] designation.<ref name="McD99"/> ''Antaresia maculosa'' has also been recorded from the southern Trans-Fly region of [[Papua New Guinea]], at Weam in [[Western Province (Papua New Guinea)|Western Province]]<ref name="O'Shea">{{cite journal |title= First record for the genus ''Antaresia'' (Squamata: Pythonidae) from Papua New Guinea |author= O'Shea, M. |author2= R.G. Sprackland |author3= I. Bigilale |name-list-style= amp |year=2004 |journal = Herpetological Review |volume=35 |issue=3 |pages=225–227 |hdl=2436/622466 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> and there are concerns it may be being exploited for the pet trade across the border in Indonesian [[West New Guinea]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Natusch, D.J.D. |author2=J.A. Lyons |name-list-style= amp |year=2011 |title=The harvest of ''Antaresia maculosa'' (Pythonidae) from West Papua, New Guinea |journal = Herpetological Review |volume=42 |issue=4 |pages=509–511 }}</ref><ref name=Natusch2>{{cite journal|title= Exploited for pets: the harvest and trade of amphibians and reptiles from Indonesian New Guinea |author= Natusch, D.J.D. |author2= J.A. Lyons |name-list-style= amp |year=2012 |journal= Biodiversity and Conservation |doi=10.1007/s10531-012-0345-8 |volume=21 |issue = 11|pages=2899–2911|s2cid= 1626125 }}</ref> Found in most types of habitats, but prefers rocky hillsides and outcrops with crevices and caves.<ref>Barker, D.G. & T.M. Barker 1994. ''Pythons of the World Vol.1 Australia''. The Herpetocultural Library. xviii + 171 pp. {{ISBN|1882770277}}.</ref> The Papua specimen was found behind discarded corrugated tin sheets beside a disused airstrip in [[Eucalypt]] savanna-woodland habitat dotted with numerous [[termite]] mounds.

==Feeding==
One of its favorite foods are the insectivorous [[bat]]s that it catches at the entrance of their caves. Being the largest members of this genus, captive specimens will usually accept mice and other small rodents. They also frequently feed on other reptile species such as the local gecko, [[Dubious dtella]].
[[File:Python, Spotted.JPG|thumb|Spotted Pythons are often mistaken for the [[Children's python]].]]

==Reproduction==
The spotted python is [[oviparous]], with females laying up to 15 eggs in a clutch.

==In captivity==
Spotted pythons are often kept as pets due to their small size, docile temperaments, strong feeding responses, resiliency and easy captive care. They and other species in the genus ''Antaresia'' are often seen as a good beginner species for keeping reptiles, particularly snakes. While not as popular or diverse in colors as ball pythons, these snakes can range in color from albino and [[leucism|leucistic]] to ebony, melanistic, and piebald color morphs to name a few. The few known leucistic individuals that have been documented were wild individuals released back into their native habitat after capture, leaving some python breeders disappointed by the lost opportunities to create different captive strains of these animals. The varying coloration between individuals also makes them quite attractive to many herpetoculturalists who work with and breed exotic reptiles. In captivity, this species are very tolerant of differing humidity levels ranging from 20%-80% due to the wide range of habitats they occur in throughout their range, and shedding problems that occur in captive animals are usually the result of temperatures being too high or low rather than problems with humidity. Spotted pythons are also fairly easy to breed, though some individuals (mostly males) may refuse to eat for a few weeks when they are interested in mating.<ref name="Julander_etal" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{Refbegin}}
* Mattison C. 1999. Snake. DK Publishing. {{ISBN|0-7894-4660-X}}.
* Fyfe G, Green D. 2003. Keeping Children's Pythons. Australian Reptile Keeper Publications. {{ISBN|0-9586050-7-6}}.
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* [http://www.antaresia.com/antaresia_spotted_python.html Spotted Python (''Antaresia maculosa'')] at [http://www.antaresia.com Antaresia.com]. Accessed 18 September 2007.
* [http://www.reptileexpert.org/spotted-python-care/ Spotted Python Care Sheet] Accessed 27/10/2011

{{Pythonidae}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q268068}}

[[Category:Pythonidae]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Western Australia]]
[[Category:Pets in Australia]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Papua New Guinea]]
[[Category:Reptiles described in 1873]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Wilhelm Peters]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Queensland]]
[[Category:Snakes of Australia]]
[[Category:Snakes of New Guinea]]

Spotted python - Revision history

imported>UtherSRG: Reverted edit by Fly28888 (talk) to last version by Justlettersandnumbers