Black Phase White Lipped Pythons

[Richard Welter]

Here is a couple of pictures of my WLP'S. They are true black phase but are just very hard to capture that on a camera. Plus you have to add the fact that they love to bite and hurt you. Please enjoy

[Richard Welter]

Here's another picture of one of them. It's nice to take pictures of them when they are like this.

[Richard Welter]

This guy just shed today and this picture shows just how incredible the rainbow background is. I will have to get more of these in the future. These are a definite must bring to the show idea. I will bring all three to the show.

[Scales Zoo]

To the Red Deer show?

Very nice snakes!

Ryan

[vanderkm]

Hope it is to the Red Deer Show - these are incredible - gorgeous examples of one of the most beautiful species. Will be looking for them in Red Deer!

mary v.

[LdyDrgn]

Yes, gotta love the "Evil Face Biters". Ours:

http://primareptilia.com/gallery/albums/mephisto/white_lipped_5.sized.jpg

Good luck with yours, they seem to be small still so you should be able to get them somewhat calmed, LOL. Ours is about 6' full of terror.

[Invictus]

Are you sure those are true black phase, Richard? They look kinda olive phase to me... but I guess that could be the irridescence. Nonetheless, they look awesome, I hope to see them at the show!

[Richard Welter]

LdyDrgn , let me tell you they are a handful at this size. I can't wait til they hit 9 feet. Hey Ken they are black phase, they are just so hard to get the pics right with the camera. Why don't you come and say hi at the show bring a couple of beers and then we can handle them and find out if they are black. Thanks Richard Welter

[Katt]

I'm with Ken on this one. They look like the golden WLP's, (brown/golden/black's are different species!).

Is there yellow on them the first pic appears to have yellow on the throat part, could just be me.

Regardless WLP's are awesome!!

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v147/Kattia/Boids/foxface.jpg">

[Invictus]

For sure, whether golden, black, or olive, this is an incredible species. I am looking forward to working with them.

Richard, did you say beer? You're talking my language! We'll hook up at RD for sure. :D

[LdyDrgn]

From the EMBL database:

HOSER (2001) described several new subspecies of Leiopython albertisii. However, due to their vague description we list them as synonyms of Leiopython albertisii. For example, Leiopython albertisii barkeri is diagnosed as "separated from L. albertisii albertisii by the mutually exclusive distribution and by analysis of mitochondrial DNA [which apparently has not been done]. Ventral counts for this species are near the lower limit for the range for New Guinea L. albertisii." L. a. bennetti is described as follows: "Essentially similar in most respects to L. albertisii albertisii from which it can usually be differentiated by its higher loreal count. L. albertisii albertisii usually has a single loreal in broad contact with the prefrontal. The three specimens listed above are typical for their subspecies in that they have two or three loreals on each side. Specimens of L. albertisii albertisii usually have a single pair of elongated prefrontal scutes with their median suture three or more times as long as the suture between the internasals. However in L. albertsis bennetti it is not unusual for there to be a pair of small lateral prefrontals, broadly separated from each other by the median prefrontals but in contact with the frontal posteriorly and with the more posterior loreal anteriorly".

They are the same species, only possibly a different subspecies. But it looks as if that is still under contention.

[Katt]

I looked up that page that you quoted.

http://srs.embl-heidelberg.de:8000/srs5bin/cgi-bin/wgetz?-id+1FYbh1OGiQj+-e+[REPTILIA-Species:'Leiopython_SP_albertisii']

Unfortunately, the black "phase" white lips aren't mentioned, L. hoserae. Raymond Hoser, himself, describes the black WLP's as a seperate species.

Reference.

http://www.smuggled.com/pr30.htm

[Colonel_SB]

Wow White Lips are great, Katt that last pic you posted was a great one :)

[LdyDrgn]

The stuff in that "publication" is never actually recognized. They even had an article in there about the Sawu's being a completely different species. Nothing but a bunch of Splitters trying to get their names on things. The Black and Gold phase are still leiopython albertisii. Hoser's only reasoning for splitting is because "its dorsal body colour is usually a greyish metallic black in adults as opposed to a golden brown colour. L. hoserae also attains a larger size." If this was actually applicable, then ALL bci would be split into seperate species/subspecies, as would Timber rattlesnakes and Canebrakes, among other things. You can't also put your own name on a new species/subspecies. They are usually named something descriptive pertaining to the animal or after a famous scientist/researcher. In the same year (2000) Hoser also tried applying the names of leiopython albertisii barkeri and leiopython albertisii bennetti. This raises a red flag for me as does all the flashy bits on the site. It looks like an online version of a rag-mag to me, LOL. The Barkers still refer to them as albertisii. With their knowledge and background, that's proof enough for me!

Don't take this the wrong way. But some of the info out there is not accurate, nor applicable. I made the same mistake a fews years ago by getting info from outdated and purely sensationalistic pages. With all the lumping and splitting going on by several different groups of people, it's hard to know what and who to believe. The EMBL database updates their database fairly regularly from recognized scientific publications. I was pointed there by people that actually subscribe to the publications that list the true and recognized taxonomy changes.

I don't mean to argue with you, I just wanted you to understand that because someone said it's something different, it does not mean it is recognized by the majority of the scientific community.

[Darren179]

out of curiousity what do white lips go for?