Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all!

I have been lurking around here for a while now, enjoying all your pictures and debates.
For a while back I saw a picture of what is said to be P. curtus but they look so much like my P. breitensteini, perhaps some of you guys can help me.

My 2 animals were purchased at a reptile trade fair here in Denmark from a German dealer (pet store as far as I can tell). They are “farm breed” from 03. They are just about 50 centimetres long. On the papers it says P. breitesteini and I’ve tried to compare them with the drawings of head scales in ”Keogh, J. S., D. Barker, and R. Shine. 2001. Heavily exploited but poorly known: systematics and biogeography of commercially harvested pythons (Python curtus group) in Southeast Asia.” But couldn’t decide whether its P. curtus or P. breitensteini.

Here are some pictures of them:

And here you can see the animals I was comparing them to:

www.exoticsbynature.com/images/photos/blblood/index.html

And here is some more P. curtus pic’s:

www.kingsnake.com/dnj/pythons/bloods.html

What do you think? Thanks in advance.

Btw.: It doesn’t really effects me if it P. curtus or P. breitensteini as I’m planning on getting all 3 species. I would just like to be sure
These animals are too easy, they’ve never hissed or snapped at my fingers.
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Regard,
Claus Rix

Hey,
Those are definately, Black (orange-heads) Bloods, from Coastal Central Sumatara, probably from Medan, just inland from the coast. There aren't any very dark or very black bloods, being harvested or sold from that region further south much, if at all, from the Palembang area.

As mentioned, In southern Sumatra, you get the black bloods with the black heads and black bodies, out of Palembang, but you aren't seeing very many of that type any more; what we are seeing - are these lovely orange headed varieties coming out of central Sumatra from the Medan area or region, and maybe some - (probably!) from the Lampung skin trade. Hope this helps!

- Angel
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Sometimes on your way to your dream, you get lost and find a better way!

Very interesting indeed, thank you for that!

Are there any other differences between orange-heads and the “all black” animals than the color?

As said, I don’t really mind if it’s the one or the other. I still “need” the 2 other species.
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Regard,
Claus Rix

Hey Claus,
Taxonomically, there is no difference; phenotypically speaking - the only difference is the color of the two short-tail varieties. (There is a lot of variation within the black blood population geographically). As for scale counts - I doubt whether there is much difference there either, with few, of course! variation as with most animals given a mean count of scales to compare to.

I think as Dave Barker pointed out, there is not much information out there right now, as to make them any less a black blood than the southern type, but would typifiy the central type as a variable color morph with less black than the southern type. At the moment, I also heard from Dave Barker that there are a smallish red headed dwarf type black blood, that they are working with, but I don't have any further information on them to date. I guess I'll have to make another inquiry about them soon.

-Angel
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Sometimes on your way to your dream, you get lost and find a better way!

Hey Claus,
Here is a map of Sumatra, that might help to give you a better look and understanding of the provinces and regions where black bloods are most commonly harvested and imported from. The areas are highlighted in red.

- Angel

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Sometimes on your way to your dream, you get lost and find a better way!

Looks like a curtus to me, and nice at that.