Morelia viridis (Schlegel, 1872)

Schleip, Wulf D. & O'Shea, Mark, 2010, Annotated checklist of the recent and extinct pythons (Serpentes, Pythonidae), with notes on nomenclature, taxonomy, and distribution, ZooKeys 66, pp. 29-80 : 48

Morelia viridis (Schlegel, 1872)

Synonyms:

Chondropython viridis (Schlegel) - Hoser 2000 (part)

Chondropython viridis viridis (Schlegel) - Hoser 2004 (part)

Chondropython viridis shireenae Hoser, 2004

Morelia viridis (Schlegel) - Henderson and Powell 2007

Distribution:

see Wilson and Heinsohn (2007)

Remarks:

Rawlings and Donnellan (2003) found molecular evidence for cryptic diversity within Morelia viridis , resulting in two genetically distinct races. The type locality for Morelia viridis is Aru Island, which applies to the "southern lineage", including Australian specimens ( Rawlings and Donnellan 2003) (also see Chondropython azureus ). However, Rawlings and Donnellan (2003: 42) noted that “(…) the east/west limits of the distribution of the two lineages may not necessarily be at the extreme ends of the central cordillera or the island", and hence, there may be even more lineages present. Finally, due to the absence of molecular genetic data from the holotype, the type locality Aru Island cannot definitely be confirmed.