22 



Singapore; Penang; Malay Peninsula; Nicobars; Burma; Siam; 

 Indo-China; Philippines. 



A very common snake, living in the neighbourhood of water 

 and feeding on mammals and birds; nocturnal. The eggs are 

 large, oval, soft-shelled and are incubated by the female. 



2. Python molurus (L.). 



Coluber molurus, Linne", Syst. Nat. I 1766, p. 387. 



Pytlwn bivittatus, part., Schlegel, Phys. Serp. Ill 1837, p. 403, pi. XV, fig. I 4. 



Python molurus, Boulenger, Cat. Sn. I 1893, p. 87. 



Python bivittatus, Werner, Zool. Jahrb. Syst. XXVIII 1909, p. 271. 



Rostral more broad than deep, visible from above, with a 

 deep pit on each side; internasals about one time and a half 

 as long as broad; a pair of large praefrontals; supraocular 

 large; frontal divided; two prae- and three or four postoculars; 

 sometimes a series of suboculars (fig. io); eleven to thirteen 

 upper labials, two anterior deeply pitted, usually sixth or seventh 

 entering the eye (fig. io#); some anterior and posterior lower 

 labials pitted. Scales in 61 75 rows; ventrals 242 265; anal 

 entire; subcaudals 60 72. 



Dark brown above, with blackish markings bordering long, 

 subquadrangular spots; flanks with large black-edged spots, 

 with lighter or whitish centres; head with a triangular dark 

 marking, sometimes distinct from the tip of the snout to the 

 nape; a dark lateral streak, passing through the eye and a 

 dark vertical bar below the eye. Lower surface yellowish, 

 brown-spotted on the sides. Length of head and body 2400 mm.; 

 tail 300 mm.; reaches a length of 10 M. 



Habitat: Java; Celebes (Bonthain). Malay Peninsula; 

 Indo-China; S. China; Siam; India; Ceylon. 



Note. P. bivittatus Schleg. has been regarded by BOULENGER 

 as a synonym of P. molurus L. WERNER (op. cit.) distinguishes 

 P. bivittatus as a distinct species, after having seen in the 

 Vivarium in Vienna two kinds: light Pythons (molurus) and 

 dark Pythons (bivittatus). The difference between these two 

 forms is in the colour, in the scaling of the head and in length. 

 WERNER describes them as follows : In P. molurus there is one 

 labial entering the eye; the animal does not grow longer than 

 about 4 M. and is of a greyish- or yellowish-brown colour, 

 with reddish-brown, dark-edged spots, those of the flanks 



