The other day my little Coastal Carpet Python named Aoda
passed away. So in recognition of his passing I’ll be blogging about the mating
behaviours of his kind, Morelia spilota
(mcdowelli).
The Coastal Carpet Python is one of the most common and
widely distributed species of snake in Australia who are often mistaken for
Diamond pythons. Interesting Fact! Those two species are known to interbreed
which is unheard of in most other species of reptiles. During the mating season,
the male pythons tend move relatively little and aggregate around
reproductively active females, however only staying with the females briefly.
The males also tend to engage in male-male combat in the vicinity of females. This
combat included vigorous biting and ritualistic “wrestling” matches.
These mating aggregations lasted around 4-6 weeks. After mating
the females would lay a clutch of up to 30 eggs, to which she would coil around
to incubate them. Unlike other snake species she will care for her eggs and
defend them violently. While she has coiled around them she will shiver to keep
a stable temperature. Approximately after 50 days her babies will begin to
hatch. At this point her maternal duties are completed, she goes off to feed
and her hatchlings are left to disperse freely, fending for themselves.
Photos taken of Aoda by my neighbour Sophie Kirkham
Reference
Shine, R. & Fitzgerald, M. 1995, "Variation in Mating Systems and Sexual Size Dimorphism between Populations of the Australian Python Morelia spilota (Serpentes: Pythonidae)", Oecologia, vol 103, no. 4, pp.490-498.
Sorry to hear about your carpet python, but it’s great that you have taken the opportunity to enlighten us about the interesting mating behaviour of this species. You mention that the males engage in male-male competition. What do they do?
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry about your python. I found this post very interesting though! Do these male battles frequently result in death? Also, I found it interesting that the carptet python and diamond python interbreed. What does this reveal about them genetically? Do these interbred snakes rear fertile offspring? I assume that if they interbreed they must be closely related.
ReplyDeleteMales in combat will included vigorous biting and ritualistic “wrestling” matches. The bouts do not always result in death however they can leave predominant scar marks. Carpets and Diamonds are indeed quite similar. They are both found under the Carpet group and do produce fertile offspring when the interbreed. :)
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry about Aoda. I have a Stimson's python, I would be devastated if I lost her. There should be some YouTube videos available for those who are interested in seeing male combat in snakes. It's deceptively graceful, partway between dancing and wrestling. I'd look some up myself but my data allowance is running dangerously low for the month.
ReplyDelete