Python Daudin, 1803

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 : 49

Genus Python Daudin, 1803

Synonyms:

Aspidoboa Sauvage, 1884 - Hoser 2004

Helionomus Gray - Hoser 2004 (incorrect subsequent spelling, APP4)

Shireenhoserus Hoser, 2004 (junior synonym of Enygrus Wagler)

Distribution:

Head (2005) reported remains of an indeterminate python from Miocene-age strata of the Siwalik Group of Pakistan. From the known distribution of extant species, this is likely to be a species of Python .

Remarks:

Hoser (2004) split this genus into several genera, e.g., Aspidoboa Sauvage (for breitensteini, brongersmai, and curtus), Broghammerus Hoser (for reticulatus), and Shireenhoserus Hoser (for anchietae and regius). However, Hoser (2004) overlooked Enygrus Wagler, 1830 (also see McDowell 1979: 9-10, 28), which makes Shireenhoserus a subjective junior synonym of Enygrus Wagler. He further intended to resurrect Heleionomus Gray, 1842 (for sebae and natalensis) but spelt the name as " Helionomus ". This constitutes an incorrect subsequent spelling (APP4), although the name Helionomus was already listed in Gray 1841 but is considered a nomen nudum (see remarks for Heleionomus ). Only molurus and bivittatus would have remained within Python . Evidence from genetic studies reveal that with the exception of reticulatus and timoriensis, which were placed into Broghammerus (see comments there) by Rawlings et al. (2008), no further splitting of the clade Python is indicated. Furthermore, the phylogenetic relationships of several species (e.g., regius and anchietae, molurus and bivittatus, and sebae and natalensis) have not been fully resolved (e.g., Douglas et al. 2010: fig. 4-6). Other groups (e.g. the curtus-group sensu lato) are currently under study.