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Python breitenstieni
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Similar to the other members of the curtus complex, Python breitenstieni is known by a number of common names. "Borneo Short Tail Python", and "Borneo Blood Python" are both commonly used, but recently the push has been to adopt "Borneo Python" as it's common name, as it is the only species of python endemic to the island of Borneo. They are characterized by a highly variable background color that can be a mixture brown, yellow, and even green. Their back patterns are similar colors, and are often outlined by varying degrees of black. |
The original taxonomy of the curtus complex looked quite a bit different than it does today. The first sub species, described in the late 1800's, were from the southern and western coasts of Sumatra. Over the next 50 years or so, two more subspecies were added to the taxonomy. The first individuals discovered became nominate, and were known as "Python curtus curtus". Next, individuals from the island of Borneo were added, and named "Python curtus breitenstieni". In the mid- 1900's the third subspecies was described and added. "Python curtus brongersmai" co-habitate Sumatra island with the first discovered individuals (curtus curtus), but their range is restricted to the central and nothern areas of the island, and the two poulations are separated by a mountain range. Eventually, as interest gained, and these animals became more common in captivity, all three were described and given status as their own separate species (Keogh, S., Barker, D. and Shine, R. 2001.). Their elevated status dropped the sub species designations from their names, and they became "Python curtus", "Python breitenstieni", and "Python brongersmai".
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Distribution
The natural range of P. breitenstieni is exclusively the island of Borneo. Two distinct localities occur, the main population, and the population in the Sarawak region, which may actually be a distinct species or sub species. As with P. curtus and P. brongersmai, the two localities of P. breitenstieni are separated by a mountain range. An interesting fact regarding the way the curtus complex co-exists with the other python species in Indonesia was outlined by David and Tracy Barker in their paper "The Distribution of the Burmese Python, Python molurus bivittatus" 2008. They note that Reticulated and Burmese Pythons, the first and fourth largest constrictors on earth respectively, co-exist throughout a great portion of their native range. Similarly, Reticulated Pythons also co-exist with all three members of the curtus complex throughout their range. However, Burmese and Blood/ Short Tail Pythons do not co-exist anywhere in the wild. Burmese occur in a virtual circle surrounding the native habitats of the curtus complex, but nowhere do their ranges overlap. There is a distinct "Burmese free" zone in Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo. One would think that Burmese and Reticulated Pythons, both being giants, would compete more with one another than Burmese and Blood Pythons, but that doesn't appear to be the case. Some think that the terrestrial nature of both Burmese and Bloods is the culprit, as Reticulated Pythons are at least somewhat arboreal in the wild.
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Borneo Mutations
Borneo Pythons seem to inherrit genetic traits and mutations in a different way than most other snakes. The idea of a trait being simple recessive, dominant, or co-dominant doesn't really hold true with Borneos. It's close, but not quite the same as what most breeders are familiar with. There is a controversy over the genetics of "Marble" and "Granite" Borneos; whether they are the same mutation or different, and whether they are co-dominant, dominant, or recessive. The easy answer to this is simply that the two mutations (or are they one?!) are genetic... somehow. Similarly, the "Ultra Breit" mutation is something I often get asked about. People will say "how is it passed on?" and my answer is always that it's "kinda sorta co-dom". The visibles are obvious, and the heterozygous (het) animals are visibly different, though they blur the line between a true visible het (ie. a Pastel Ball) and a het that can display visible markers (ie. het Pied Ball). However, certain anomalies occur that can't really be explained. One such case occurred in the 2007/2008 breeding season, when Matt Jablonski ( www.monkeyfrog.com ) bred a visible Ultra Breit male to a normal Borneo female. In theory, all of the babies should have been het for Ultra Breit, with the visible markers. But Matt got a pleasant surprise when the eggs hatched, and a very reduced pattern visible Ultra crawled out! It seems that just when we think we've got these guys figured out, they throw us for a loop. I guess the snakes aren't reading the same books we are!
Ultra Breit male and normal female parents of the animal pictured to the right.
©Monkeyfrog.com 2008
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Visible Ultra offspring that technically "shouldn't have happened".
©Monkeyfrog.com 2008
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