Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What is the longest member of morelia?

I think it would be the australian Scrub Python, Morelia Amethystina. However i think the Oenpelli , Morelia oenpelliensis could rival the Scrub but not enough is known about it.Anyone know for sure, i know in general both reach about 3-4.5m not sure how long the longest one is though.

cheers
Mark

I'm not totally sure, but I think it might be Morelia kinghorni.
-----
A twisted mind is a terrible thing to waste.......so is BEEF JERKY!!!!!

Yeah when i said australian scrub i meant kinghorni but in Barkers book he refers to it by morlia amethystina.

I think the Kinghorni is the longest it's been measured at just under 28 feet but the Oenpelli may get heavier

wayne

I remember hearing this on the Rob Bredl's show killer insticnt... or one of the other shows, I watch Animal Planet and National Geograpic, etc. all of the time, ... Seems we keepers have no life except for snakes, at least me anyway LOL
Cori
-----
Best Regards,
Cori
www.snakeroom.net

Bartlett and Wagners Pythons book says "This (Morelia Oenpelliensis) is the largest of the Morelia clan, and is a rock dweller".
I bet that a Scrub got larger than an Oenpelli, but I think the key is average. On an average, the Oenpelli would be the largest Morelia snake.
Anyone want to explain to me why the "Pythons of the world" book insits on calling every morelia member "Python Oenpellinesis" or "Python Boeleni"?
Thanks

A lot of people are moving towards Morelia being swallowed by the Python genus (largely due to timoriensis blurring the bounderies between the two).
What the book says about oenpelliensis being the largest of the Morelia clan is simply wrong. While it is a long snake it is nowhere near as big as a kinghorni scrub or even a good sized coastal carpet.

G

Another book says that there are reports of over 6 meters for Oenpelliensis. I always thought that Rock pythons would somehowe be linked to the big Retic in Indonesia, and the Retic was linked to the Timor, who might be linked to Amethestyne pythons. Even so, it seems that Morelia even take on their own look. I cant think of any snake in the Python genus (besides Timor) who has the extra huge Labial pits. Just a thought.

oenpelliensis is deinitly smaller than kinghorni, just over 6 meters as compared with over 8 meters, thats a 6.5 foot difference. and at one time there was no seperation from the genus Python...and now what defines Morelia and what defines Python is inconsitant...one of Morelias defining traits WAS fine granular head scales, now anyone thats seen a scrub of any species knows their head scales are far from fine or granular. taxonomy is fun! oh and when they called it an Oenpelli rock python they in no way were even slightly refering to what we call rock pythons. it wasnt long ago that there were only childrens pythons...now there are spotteds, childrens, and stimsons pythons, all from what was once called "Liasis childreni"....taxonomy is not stable, and with the dna testing being done right now to determine just how some families of snakes fit together the whole Pythoninae is in for a lot of changes.

Jay

Reticulatus=32', Molurus=27', Sebae=29', Murinus=29', then Kinghorni=26'. Can't learn everything from TV.
Josh

>>I remember hearing this on the Rob Bredl's show killer instinct... or one of the other shows, I watch Animal Planet and National Geograpic, etc. all of the time, ... Seems we keepers have no life except for snakes, at least me anyway LOL
>>Cori
>>-----
>>Best Regards,
>>Cori
>>www.snakeroom.net