Aspidites
| Aspidites | |
|---|---|
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| Black-headed python, A. melanocephalus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Pythonidae |
| Subfamily: | Pythoninae |
| Genus: |
Aspidites W. Peters, 1877 |
| Synonyms | |
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Aspidites is a genus of pythons endemic to Australia. The name can be translated as "shield bearer" and pertains to the symmetrically shaped head scales. Currently, two species are recognized.
These snakes lack the heat sensitive pits between the labial scales that most other python species have.
The head is slightly wider than the neck, and the eye is small, with a vertically elliptic pupil.
Found in Australia except in the south of the country.
Both species are nocturnal, and terrestrial.
Oviparous. The females stay with their eggs until they hatch.
T) Type species.
Two new subspecies, A. ramsayi panoptes, the western woma python, and A. r. richardjonesii, the desert woma python, were described by Hoser (2001). However, these descriptions are questionable, as they do not include proper diagnoses and seem to be based only on distribution.
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Wikipedia