29/09/2025
If you've known me long enough and we were talking snakes, there's a really good chance you've heard me mention this species at some point as a dream animal. I have been interested in these guys as long as I have been keeping snakes - before these were even considered their own species. I'm so thrilled to finally be working with an F1 CBB Leiopython meridionalis- the Southern Whitelipped Python! The southern species occurs south of the central mountain range on New Guinea. Whereas the northern L. albertisii have a golden color that creeps up their sides, these guys hatch a kind of ashy brown-black, then turn deep black with striking iridescence as they grow (you can already see some of this iridescence in the outdoor photos, but it is difficult to capture on camera). These are also the larger of the two, and the less common to see in captivity, though more breeders seem to be having success with them in recent years. I look forward to finding a male for her in the next year or so. (A few other species have been named from other locales, but I am not familiar with them, and I am unaware of any examples that exist in captivity in the US).
https://www.instagram.com/p/DPJtuxYDUZd/?igsh=eWhrZ2R3Y2g5bXNy
