Python (genus)

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Template:Short description Template:Italic title Template:Automatic taxobox

Python is a genus of constricting snakes in the Pythonidae family native to the tropics and subtropics of the Eastern Hemisphere.[1]

The name python was proposed by François Marie Daudin in 1803 for non-venomous flecked snakes.[2] Currently, 10 python species are recognized as valid taxa.[3]

Three formerly considered python subspecies have been promoted, and a new species recognized.Template:Since when

Taxonomy

The generic name Python was proposed by François Marie Daudin in 1803 for non-venomous snakes with a flecked skin and a long split tongue.[2]

In 1993, seven python species were recognized as valid taxa.[4] On the basis of phylogenetic analyses, between seven and 13 python species are recognized.[5][6]

Species Image IUCN Red List and geographic range
Indian python (P. molurus; Linnaeus, 1758)[7] File:Python molurus molurus 2.jpg [[Near-Threatened|Template:IUCN status]][8]
File:Python molurus Area.svg
Central African rock python (P. sebae; Gmelin, 1788)[9] File:Gfp-african-rock-python.jpg [[Near threatened|Template:IUCN status]][10]
File:Natural Range of Python sebae.svg
Range shown in green
Ball python (P. regius; Shaw, 1802)[11] File:Female Ball python (Python regius).jpg [[Near Threatened|Template:IUCN status]][12]
File:Python regius distribution.svg
Burmese python (P. bivittatus; Kuhl, 1820)[13] File:Python bivittatus (30854313993).jpg [[Vulnerable species|Template:IUCN status]][14]
File:Python bivittatus Area.svg
Southern African rock python (P. natalensis; Smith, 1833)[15] File:Python natalensis G. J. Alexander.JPG [[Least-concern species|Template:IUCN status]][16]
File:Natural Range of Python sebae.svg
Range shown in orange
Sumatran short-tailed python (P. curtus; Schlegel, 1872)[17] File:Python curtus (2).jpg [[Near threatened|Template:IUCN status]][18]
File:Geographic distributions-Python.curtus-brongersmai-breitensteini.jpg
Range shown in yellow
Bornean python (P. breitensteini; Steindachner, 1881)[19] File:Python breitensteini (13106768574).jpg [[Least Concern|Template:IUCN status]][20]
File:Geographic distributions-Python.curtus-brongersmai-breitensteini.jpg
Range shown in green
Angolan python (P. anchietae; Bocage, 1887) File:Angolan Dwarf Python (Python anchietae).jpg [[Least Concern|Template:IUCN status]][21]
File:Approximate Distribution of Python anchietae.jpg[21]
Blood python (P. brongersmai; Stull, 1938) (formerly P. curtus brongersmai)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". File:Python brongersmai, Brongersma's short-tailed python.jpg [[Least Concern|Template:IUCN status]][22]
File:Geographic distributions-Python.curtus-brongersmai-breitensteini.jpg
Range shown in red
Myanmar short-tailed python (P. kyaiktiyo; Zug, Gotte & Jacobs, 2011)[23] File:P.kyaiktiyo II.png [[Vulnerable species|Template:IUCN status]][24]
West of the Tenasserim Hills, Myanmar[24]
Template:Extinct European python (Python europaeus; Szyndlar & Rage, 2003)[25] [[Extinct|Template:IUCN status]]

Extinct species known from the discovery of a trunk vertebrae dated to the Miocene epoch, found in Vieux-Collonges and La Grive-Saint-Alban, France.[25]

Distribution and habitat

File:Angolian-Python.jpg
Python anchietae

In Africa, pythons are native to the tropics south of the Sahara, but not in the extreme south-western tip of southern Africa (Western Cape) or in Madagascar. In Asia, they occur from Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, including the Nicobar Islands, through Myanmar, east to Indochina, southern China, Hong Kong and Hainan, as well as in the Malayan region of Indonesia and the Philippines.[1]

Invasive

Some suggest that P. bivittatus and P. sebae have the potential to be problematic invasive species in South Florida.[26] In early 2016, after a culling operation yielded 106 pythons, Everglades National Park officials suggested that "thousands" may live within the park, and that the species has been breeding there for some years. More recent data suggest that these pythons would not withstand winter climates north of Florida, contradicting previous research suggesting a more significant geographic potential range.[27]

Uses

File:Spider Morph Ball Python.png
Ball pythons commonly exhibit mutations, such as this "Spider" morph, and are popular among snake keepers.

Python skin is used to make clothing, such as vests, belts, boots and shoes, or fashion accessories such as handbags. It may also be stretched and formed as the sound board of some string musical instruments, such as the erhu spike-fiddle, sanxian and the sanshin lutes.[28] With a high demand of snake skin in the current fashion industry, countries in Africa and Southern Asia partake in the legal and illegal selling of python skin. Providing an extremely low pay for the hunters with an extremely high selling product for the consumers, there is an enormous gap between the beginning and end of the snake skin trade.[29]

As pets

Many Python species, such as P. regius, P. brongersmai, P. bivittatus and M. reticulatus, are popular to keep as pets due to their ease of care, docile temperament, and vibrant colors, with some rare mutations having been sold for several thousands of dollars. Pythons in the pet trade are sourced from the wild, or from captive females that were taken from the wild ('captive-born'), or from parents that themselves were born in a captive setting ('captive-bred')[30] Despite controversy that has arisen from media reports, with proper safety procedures pet pythons are relatively safe to own.[31][32]

Etymology

The word 'Python' is derived from the Latin word 'pȳthon' and the Greek word 'πύθων', both referring to Python, "the serpent slain, according to the myth, near Delphi by Apollo, who was fabled to have been called Pythius in commemoration of this victory".[33]

References

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  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  21. ↑ a b Template:Cite iucn
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  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ a b Template:Cite iucn
  25. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  31. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  32. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  33. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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External links

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