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Taxonomy &
Species Accounts
 

First description
Genus Leiopython
Taxonomic history

L. albertisii
L. hoserae
L. bennettorum
L. fredparkeri
L. huonensis
L. biakensis

Leiopython huonensis Schleip 2008

  

Common names
Huon White-Lipped Python

Holotype
An adult female from an area about 16 km west of Lae, collected by L. van
Royen in 1964, AMNH R-95535. Labeled: ‘‘Gift to H. M. van Deusen’’; SVL 940 mm; tail 155 mm; head 37 mm.

Description of the holotype
Supralabials 12/12, first two pitted, fifth to seventh entering the orbit with a lateral depression on the fifth scale; infralabials 16/16, with 7–13 pitted; loreals 1/1; postoculars 3/3 with whitish spot; supraoculars 1/1; one pair of prefrontals; one pair of parietals in median contact and meet uppermost postoculars; anterior temporals 5/4; posterior temporals 5/5; midbody scale rows 48; ventrals 269;
anal entire; subcaudals 73. 

(klick on pictures below for full size view)
Leiopython huonensis, total viewLeiopython huonensis, head lateral view, leftLeiopython huonensis, head dorsal surface
Figure 13a-c: Leiopython huonensis, holotype (AMNH R-95535). A: total view; B: head lateral view, left; C: dorsal surface of the head. Consider the small irregular scales behind the large parietal scales.
              
Diagnosis
This species differs from Leiopython albertisii, Leiopython biakensis, and Leiopython fredparkeri in having only one pair of parietals followed by small, irregular scales (Fig. 13C). It can be distinguished from Leiopython
bennettorum by the lower number of loreal and prefrontal scales as well as a lower average number of postoculars and from Leiopython hoserae by the scale
arrangement posterior to the parietal scales showing small, irregular scales. It also differs from Leiopython albertisii and from Leiopython hoserae by lower average ventral scale counts. Additionally, it can be distinguished from the latter taxon by the presence of the whitish postocular spot.

Reference
SCHLEIP, W. D. 2008. Revision of the Genus Leiopython Hubrecht 1879 (Serpentes: Pythonidae) with the Redescription of Taxa Recently Described by Hoser (2000) and the Description of New Species. Journal of Herpetology 42(4):645–667.



 

 
   

 
 

 

 
 
     

 

   © 2001-2009 by Wulf Schleip