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Ecological divergence among sympatric colour morphs in blood pythons, Python brongersmai
R Shine1, Ambariyanto1, Peter S Harlow1
1School of Biological Sciences A08, The University of Sydney, N.S.W. 2006, Australia, e-mail: rics@bio.usyd.edu.au; Fax: +61-2-9351-5609, , , , , , AU.
Oecologia
|March 18, 2017
Summary
Color variation in Sumatran blood pythons is not random. Different color morphs exhibit distinct biological traits, suggesting camouflage plays a key role in maintaining this snake polymorphism.
Area of Science:
- Herpetology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Ecology
Background:
- Blood pythons (Python brongersmai) in Sumatra exhibit distinct color morphs.
- Understanding the biological significance of these color variations is crucial for explaining polymorphism maintenance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that color variation in blood pythons lacks significant biological correlates.
- To investigate the associations between color morphs and various biological and ecological traits.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from over 2,000 blood pythons from the commercial leather industry.
- Comparison of traits including abundance, sex ratio, age structure, body size and shape, energy stores, parasite load, diet, and reproductive output across color morphs.
Main Results:
- The null hypothesis was rejected, indicating significant biological differences among color morphs.
- Four distinct color morphs showed significant variations in nearly all measured traits.
- Observed differences included spatial-temporal abundance, demographics, morphology, physiology, and ecology.
Conclusions:
- Color polymorphism in blood pythons is associated with substantial biological differences.
- Potential mechanisms for polymorphism maintenance include frequency-dependent selection and habitat selection.
- Effective camouflage for ambush predation is a likely driver for these color patterns, supported by similar independent evolution in other snake species.
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