PYTHONIDAE

Krysko, Kenneth L., Burgess, Joseph P., Rochford, Michael R., Gillette, Christopher R., Cueva, Daniel, Enge, Kevin M., Somma, Louis A., Stabile, Jennifer L., Smith, Dustin C., Wasilewski, Joseph A., Kieckhefer Iii, Guy N., Granatosky, Michael C. & Nielsen, Stuart V., 2011, 3028, Zootaxa 3028, pp. 1-64 : 50

PYTHONIDAE

The Reticulated Python , Broghammerus reticulatus ( Schneider 1801) , is widely distributed in a broad region throughout tropical southeastern Asia ( Pope 1961; Shine et al. 1999; Reed & Rodda 2009), and it has been introduced to California, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Hawaii, USA, and Germany, and the Canary Islands ( Kraus 2009). Meshaka et al. (2004) reported that B. reticulatus has been sighted several times in mangrove forests just north of Flamingo, Everglades National Park, Monroe County, but did not provide a voucher. On 18 August 1989, JAW, Todd Hardwick, Tom McClellan and Felix Valde collected an adult (6100 mm TL) female B. reticulatus (photographic voucher UF 163091) under a house on NE 19 th Street, Fort Lauderdale, Broward County (26.15308 o N, - 80.103578 o W), which received widespread publicity in the media and popular books (see Neil & Dampier 1989; Carmichael & Williams 1991). On 14 May 2007, Steven Bierman found a B. reticulatus (photographic voucher UF 151206) dead in a swimming pool filter at 5055 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, Manatee County (27.405556 o N, - 82.652375 o W). On 22 September 2009, John Rivard collected an adult (3050 mm TL) B. reticulatus (photographic voucher UF 155856) at 150 Highland Avenue SE, Largo Central Park Nature Preserve, Pinellas County (27.91216 o N, - 82.77243 o W). On 18 August 2010 at 930 h, Dallas Hazelton et al. collected an adult (5296 mm SVL, 5540 mm TL, 59.4 kg) female B. reticulatus (UF 159335; MorphoBank M88667 ; Fig. 77) in one of the few remaining undeveloped tracts of pine rockland habitat, 0.45 km northeast of SW 176 th Street and 137 th Avenue, Miami, Miami-Dade County (25.607502 o N, - 80.410902 o W). This B. reticulatus was donated to Zoo Miami. This species likely was released or had escaped (stage 2) from enclosures. These represent the first known vouchers for this species in Florida.

Parker’s Python , Leiopython fredparkeri Schleip 2008 , is indigenous to central Papua New Guinea ( Schleip 2008). On 20 December 2006, David Roudebush was given an adult (1610 mm SVL, 1588 g) male L. fredparkeri (UF 159916; MorphoBank M88668 ; Fig. 78) collected DOR at the entrance of Founders Park Watersports, 87000 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, Monroe County (24.96024 o N, - 80.56841 o W). This species likely was released or had escaped (stage 2) from an enclosure. These represent the first known vouchers for this species in Florida.

The Carpet Python , Morelia spilota ( Lacépède 1804) , is indigenous to much of continental Australia, except southern Victoria and arid central and western regions ( Shine & Fitzgerald 1996; Cogger 2000). On 30 December 2009, Amanda Burke found an adult (1830 mm SVL) M. spilota (photographic voucher UF 157128) DOR at 91 Place North, 0.5 km west of Banyan Boulevard, Loxahatchee, Palm Beach County (26.81206 o N, - 80.30834 o W). On 24 July 2010, Skip Snow recovered an adult (1372 mm SVL, 1584 mm TL) M. spilota (UF 159553; MorphoBank M88669 ; Fig. 79) from inside a residential clothes dryer vent 11360 SW 60 th Avenue, Miami, Miami- Dade County (25.66571 o N, - 80.29053 o W). This species likely was released or had escaped (stage 2) from enclosures. These are the first vouchers for this species in Florida.

The Ball Python , Python regius ( Shaw 1802) , is indigenous to much of central and western-central Africa ( Barker & Barker 2006), and it has been introduced to California, Colorado, and Hawaii, USA, the Canary Islands, St. Maarten, Brazil, and Germany ( Eterovic & Duarte 2002; Lemm 2006; Kraus 2009). Beltz (1995) first reported the introduction of P. regius in Florida from Mount Dora, Lake County, and Bartlett and Bartlett (2003, 2006c) listed this species from Santa Rosa, Leon, Duval, Alachua, Pinellas, Orange, Glades, Brevard, Lee, Collier and Miami- Dade counties, but these authors did not provide specific localities and/or vouchers. On 17 July 2009 at 0430 h, Donna Durham found an adult (ca. 1220 mm TL) P. regius (photographic voucher UF 155527) on the floor inside a house at 2204 Clover Ridge Court, Eagle Lake, Polk County (27.98309 o N, - 81.74835 o W). On 24 May 2010, Binion Waters collected an adult (1097 mm SVL, 1177 mm TL) P. regius (UF 159625) DOR on SE 27 th Street, 0.09 km south of State Road 20, Gainesville, Alachua County (29.6418 o N, - 82.2892 o W). On 6 June 2010, Shaye Winter collected a gravid adult (1097 mm SVL, 1177 mm TL; six oviducal eggs) P. regius (UF 157835) DOR on Harbor Shores Road, 0.12 km north of Lake Bradley Drive, Grand Island, Lake County (28.86599 o N, - 81.75308 o W). On 7 January 2008, Jean-Paul Metz collected an adult (755 mm SVL, 810 mm TL) female P. regius (photographic voucher UF 152563) at 120 Madeira Road, Islamorada, Monroe County (24.922402 o N, - 80.632082 o W). On 1 October 2009, Joy Doumis collected an adult (1167 mm SVL, 106 mm tail length) male P. regius (UF 158959) at 63 Sombrero Beach Road, Marathon, Vaca Key, Monroe County (24.69296 o N, - 81.08107 o W). On 24 July 2010, Donna Allen collected a P. regius (photographic voucher UF 158775) DOR on NE Boca Bay Colony Drive, Palm Beach County (26.41523 o N, - 80.07282 o W). On 11 January 2008, Daniel Walsh photographed an adult (92.5 cm TL) P. regius (photographic voucher UF 152562) that was killed by a fisherman at the water-control structure G- 123, US Highway 27, 0.5 km north of I-75, Broward County (26.149825 o N, - 80.44218611 o W). On 19 January 2008 at 1627 h, MRR collected an adult P. regius (photographic voucher UF 152572; MorphoBank M88670 ; Fig. 80) under plastic sheeting on College Avenue, along a canal between the Broward Fire Academy and the University of Florida, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, Davie, Broward County (26.086176 o N, - 80.24082 o W). On 2 April 2008, Brian Bahder, Nigel Watson and Nathan H. Nazdrowicz found five P. regius, at least one of which was collected but not vouchered, at night just outside the property of the animal importer's facility at 6450 Stirling Road, Hollywood, Broward County (26.04591 o N, - 80.21976 o W). On 3 April 2008, these three people returned to this same site and collected, but did not voucher, two additional P. regius . On 8 April 2008 at 1030 h, MRR and Brian Bahder returned to this same site and collected, but did not voucher, four P. regius. On 8 April 2009, MRR returned to this same site and collected an adult P. regius (photographic voucher UF 152809). On 11 December 2009 at 2030 h, CRG, DC, MRR and GNK visited this same site and collected, but did not voucher, two adult P. regius . On 5 November 2010 at 1818 h, MRR visited this same site and found three P. regius; two were dead (photographic vouchers UF 163087–88) and one collected alive (UF 163089; male, 610 mm SVL, 660 mm TL). All of these snakes were found just outside the property of the facility in the grass, hanging from wall vents, or inside PVC pipes. Although there is currently no evidence of reproduction (stage 3), we believe that there should be a concern given the propagule pressure (i.e., number of snakes being found in the wild), and especially those coming from a single invasion pathway and locality. This species likely was released or had escaped (stage 2) from enclosures. These represent the first known vouchers for this species in Florida.