Pythons

[Paleosuchus]

Wild leucistic indian python from Karnataka, India
"On 18 February 2016, we found a white Python molurus(Figure 1A) near the road side  in jungle habitat in Kuppepdavu, Karnataka, India. Kuppepdavu is a small town, 27km north of the city of Mangalore. We captured the snake and housed it in Pilikula Biological park. The white python was identified using keys provided by Daniel(2002) and Whitaker and Captain(2008). The female snake had a total length of 1.8m. Dorsally, the snake is white with small  light brown spots on the head. The eye is blue, which indicates that the leucisism is the homozygous form of the "mojave", "less", or "russo", all of which represent incomplete dominant expression of slightly different alleles of the same gene. Normally, Python molurus molurus(Figure 1B) is yellowish to brown with asymmetrical dark brown, black-edged blotches. The eye is brown. It is reported that leucism can be inherited and also skip generations if leucistic genes are recessive. The extent and positioning of the loss of pigmentation can vary individually. This leucistic python is being maintained in captivity at Pilikula Biological Park for observation and breeding along with other pythons..."

*This image is copyright of its original author

http://www.phyllomedusa.esalq.usp.br/articles/volume15/number2/152199200.pdf Reply