Taxonomy
& Species Accounts :: Ecology :: Biology :: Captive Care & Breeding :: Misc topics
|
Ecology |
| Distribution Habitat & Climate |
Habitat and Climate
|
|
 Figure 15: Distribution map of species of the genus Leiopython overlayed with a rainfalldistribution map (EuDASM). It can be seen that the Southern White-Lipped Python primarily occurs in the drier areas of New Guinea with even less than 2000 mm rainfall /year, whereas the Northern White-Lipped Python is found primarily in areas with more than 2000 mm rainfall /year. Leiopython albertisii & Leiopython hoserae Leiopython hoserae is primarily found in drier areas, receiving lower annual rainfall than L. albertisii (1,800–2,000 mm vs. . 2200 mm) and having a pronounced dry season with mean monthly rainfall of 100 mm or less (vs. 100 mm for L. albertisii, except the Wewak region) (McAlpine et al., 1983). Both the Port Moresby/Sogeri and the trans-Fly area are called the ‘‘dry strips’’ in PNG (Nix, 1982:56; Crisp et al., 2001: fig. 10), and according to Heads (2002), these areas show the highest diversity in snakes. Leiopython hoserae shares its distribution with many other snake species (e.g., Morelia spilota variegata, Demansia vestigiata, Pseudechis papuanus, and others) that do not occur north of the Central Mountain Range and are absent from much or all of Gulf Province (see also distribution maps in O’Shea, 1996). The vegetation found throughout the drier parts of the distribution consists of dry evergreen forests, woodlands, and mixed or Eucalypt savannahs in the dry season that are frequently burning. During the wet season, these areas are only infrequently flooded for short periods (see McAlpine et al., 1983), at which the vegetation turns more into rain forests (Paijmans, 1976). Leiopython bennettorum Annual rainfall is between 1,500 and 2,000 mm and relative humidity falls to 60% at midafternoon throughout the year (McAlpine et al., 1983). McPhee (1988) stated that at Wau peak breeding season in rodents is earlier than found elsewhere in PNG. This report is interesting, as rodents are the main prey of Leiopython. According to Shine and Madsen (1997), there is a causal connection between prey abundance and reproductive output of Liasis fuscus Peters 1873. This might lead to the assumption that Leiopython bennettorum has a shift in timing of reproduction, but this assumption is speculative and further research on the ecology of this species is needed. Leiopython huonensis McAlpine et al. (1983) stated that the Huon Peninsula area is highly seasonal showing a ‘‘reverse’’ seasonality in having a wet season between May and August, rather than between December and April, as found in most other parts of the country. Annual rainfall exceeds 4400 mm (McAlpine et al., 1983; Macfarlane, 1999). Recent studies have revealed that tropical snakes can reproduce seasonally. This is strictly true in captive held specimens of Leiopython albertisii and Leiopython hoserae in the northern hemisphere (pers. obs.). This evidence may lead to the conclusion that Leiopython huonensis is subject to a dramatic shift in timing of reproduction, because of prey availability and ‘‘cost’’ of reproduction (Shine, 2003) as found in Liasis fuscus Peters from Queensland and the Northern Territory (Shine and Slip, 1990), but this assumption is highly speculative and further studies are needed. Leiopython fredparkeri The climate of this area is moderately seasonal (McAlpine et al., 1983) with mean annual rainfall of about 3,330 mm (Diamond, 1972). According to McAlpine et al. (1983), the mean maximum daily temperature at this elevation (1,000–1,500 m) is about 25°C Leiopython biakensis The climate at Biak Island is almost similar to that from the northern coast of Papua. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
© 2001-2009
by Wulf Schleip