Morelia oenpelliensis
| Morelia oenpelliensis | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Boidae |
| Genus: | Morelia |
| Species: | M. oenpelliensis |
| Binomial name | |
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Morelia oenpelliensis (Gow, 1977) |
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| Synonyms | |
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The Oenpelli python, known in binomial nomenclature as Morelia oenpelliensis or Simalia oenpelliensis, is a large python species endemic to the sandstone massif area of the western Arnhem Land region in the Northern Territory of Australia. No subspecies are recognised. It has been called the rarest python in the world. Two notable characteristics of the species are the unusually large size of its eggs and its ability to change colour.
A large and rare species of Morelia (or Simalia), adults grow to more than 4 m (13 ft) in length, and one specimen in captivity is reportedly more than 5 m (16 ft) long. They are unusually thin in proportion to their length, relative to other pythons.
The colour pattern is dark olive-brown with darkened blotches. The belly is pale and dull, varying from cream to yellow.
Oenpelli pythons are able to change their skin colouration, which tends to be lighter at night and darker in the daytime.
The eggs of the Oenpelli python have been described as "huge". At 110.5 by 60 mm (4.35 by 2.36 in), they are almost twice the size of those for the related amethystine python (Morelia amethystina), which are reported as 70–98 by 45–56 mm (2.8–3.9 by 1.8–2.2 in).
The Oenpelli python is nocturnal and inhabits rock crevices, trees, and caves.
They feed on birds in fruiting trees, and have been speculated to specialise in eating birds. Adults prey on medium-to-large mammals, such as possum or large macropods. Captive specimens eat birds and rodents.
It is an ambush predator that remains motionless for long periods.
The species occurs in a restricted range in the Northern Territory, in the sandstone outcrops of western Arnhem Land.
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Wikipedia