Morelia (snake) explained

Morelia is a genus of large snakes in the family Pythonidae found in Indonesia, New Guinea, and throughout Australia. Currently, up to eight species are recognized.

These snakes are generally arboreal to semiarboreal, spending much of their lives in the forest canopy. Although exceptions occur, most attain adult lengths of 2-.

Geographic range

Species are found from Indonesia in the Maluku Islands, east through New Guinea, including the Bismarck Archipelago, and in Australia.

Species

Seven species are recognized:

SpeciesIUCN Status[1] Taxon authorSubsp.*Common nameGeographic range
M. azurea(Meyer, 1874)2Green tree python; northern green tree pythonPapua New Guinea (Biak, Numfor and Supiori in the Schouten Islands group of Cenderawasih Bay)
M. bredli(Gow, 1981)0Bredl's python; Centralian pythonAustralia, in the mountains of the southern Northern Territory
M. carinata(L.A. Smith, 1981)0Rough-scaled pythonAustralia, northwestern Western Australia in the lower sections of the Mitchell and Hunter Rivers, just inland from the coast
M. imbricata (L.A. Smith, 1981)0Southwestern carpet pythonNew Guinea, Australia (New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia)
M. spilotaT
(Lacépède, 1804)5Carpet python; diamond pythonIndonesia (southern Western New Guinea in Merauke Regency), Papua New Guinea (the southern Western Province, the Port Moresby area of Central Province and on Yule Island) and Australia (excluding much of the center and northwest of the country)
M. viridis (Schlegel, 1872)0Green tree python; southern green tree pythonIndo/Papuan: Indonesia (Misool, Salawati, the Aru Islands, the Schouten Islands, most of Western New Guinea), Papua New Guinea (including nearby islands from sea level to 1,800 m elevation, Normanby Island and the d'Entrecasteaux Islands)Australian: Queensland along the eastern coast of the Cape York Peninsula
M. riversleighensis(Smith and Plane, 1985)0n/aExtinct, remains found in Queensland, Australia
T) Type species.

Hybrids

Notes and References

  1. Web site: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.