Antaresia maculosa

Taxobox
name = "Antaresia maculosa"

---

image_caption =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
subphylum = Vertebrata
classis = Reptilia
ordo = Squamata
subordo = Serpentes
familia = Pythonidae
genus = "Antaresia"
species = "A. maculosa"
binomial = "Antaresia maculosa"
binomial_authority = (Peters, 1873)
synonyms = * "Liasis maculosus" - Peters, 1873
* "Antaresia maculosus" - Wells & Wellington, 1984
* "A" ["ntaresia"] . "maculosa" - Kluge, 1993McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 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).]

:"Common names: spotted python.""Antaresia maculosa" is a non-venomous python species found in northern Australia. A popular pet among Australian reptile enthusiasts due to its small size and even temperament. No subspecies are currently recognized.ITIS|ID=634765|taxon="Antaresia maculosa"|year=2007|date=18 September]

Description

Adults average about 4 feet in length. It has an irregular, blotched color pattern throughout its life. The blotches have ragged edges because the dark pigmentation occurs only on complete scales.

Geographic range

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 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.

Habitat

Found in most types of habitats, but prefers rocky hillsides and outcrops with crevices and caves.

Feeding

One of its favorite foods are the insectivorous bats that it catches at the entrance of their caves. Being the largest members of this genus, captive specimens will usually accept mice and small rodents.

Reproduction

Oviparous, with females laying up to 15 eggs at a time.

Taxonomy

A new subspecies, "A. m. brentonoloughlini" was described by Hoser (2003).NRDB species|genus=Antaresia|species=maculosa|date=9 September|year=2007]

Phylogeny

Antaresia maculosa fits into the tree of life under Serpentes. They are with other snakes and lizards as Squamata. The exact phylogenetic position of it is uncertain but they evolved somewhere from Scleroglossa.

Homologous Feature

A feature of snakes which is homologous is the fact that they have no eye lids. Instead they have eye scales witch are part of its skin. This means that when they shed they must also shed their eye scales. This feature is much like that of Gecko. All Geckos have no eye lids as well but they have a transparent membrane to protect them that they must lick clean. These 2 animals are closely related yet are very different.

Analogous Feature

Snakes like other reptiles have a skin covered in scales. These scales are used for protection, aid movement, allow moisture to be retained and even help camouflage. These scales are analogous to the scales of a fish. Some fish contain scales that like that of a snake are used for protection from scrapes or parasites.

ee also

* List of pythonid species and subspecies.
*.
*.

References

Further reading

* 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 0-958605076.

External links

* [http://www.antaresia.com/antaresia_spotted_python.html Spotted Python ("Antaresia maculosa")] at [http://www.antaresia.com Antaresia.com] . Accessed 18 September 2007.