Aspidites

Schwarzkopf Python ( Aspidites melanocephalus )

The Schwarzkopf pythons ( Aspidites ) are a genus benthic, mid-sized giant snakes from the family of pythons, their occurrence is limited to Australia. Only two types are distinguished: the Schwarzkopf Python ( Aspidites melanocephalus ) and the Woma ( Aspidites ramsayi ).

Characteristics and lifestyle

The body of the Schwarzkopf Python is built muscular; the head is only weakly separated from the body. As a characteristic feature of the genus the edentulous premaxilla and the large, symmetrical head shields apply. Thermal Sensory pit organs, such as can occur with other pythons, are missing. It is therefore assumed that the natural prey almost exclusively of poikilothermic ( cold-blooded ) animals there. Both species lay eggs, ie are oviparous.

The basic color of both species is light brown, the back usually is darker than the sides. Pull across the back to dark to reddish brown, sometimes black cross- bars that are narrower than the light spaces normally. The two types differ in head color, which is the Woma light brown to yellowish and thus corresponds roughly to the ground color of the body, while Schwarzkopf Python, the head is, however, shiny black.

Species

To this genus belong to only two species, the Schwarzkopf Python ( Aspidites melanocephalus ) and the Woma ( Aspidites ramsayi ). Here, the Schwarzkopf Python lives mainly in Northern Australia and settled very different habitats from wet coastal forests on the seasonally dry tropical forest areas to the northern desert areas. The Woma is, however, limited to the desert regions of Central Australia.