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20-Jul-07, 02:42 PM
| | Regular Member | Join Date: Sep-05 Location: Rome (Italy) - Europe Age: 35 | | | Prehensile tail (M.carinata question)?
Hi mates,
I'd like to know if the Rough-scaled pythons are prehensile tailed or not. Smith (1981) in his description wrote no, instead of Weigel (2006) that said yes...Who is right.
Cheers
Stef
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20-Jul-07, 02:50 PM
|  | The Devils Reject. Subscriber | Join Date: Aug-05 Location: Rugsville..... Gender:  | | | Quote:
Originally Posted by GetCoiled  Hi mates,
I'd like to know if the Rough-scaled pythons are prehensile tailed or not. Smith (1981) in his description wrote no, instead of Weigel (2006) that said yes...Who is right.
Cheers
Stef |
what do you mean by prehensile tailed??????
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20-Jul-07, 03:00 PM
|  | Sponsor | Join Date: May-04 Location: Melbourne | | |
I would have thought that all pythons have prehensile tails based on my understanding of the definition of the term. Quote: |
Originally Posted by answers.com A prehensile tail is the tail of an animal that has adapted to be able to grasp and/or hold objects. Fully prehensile tails can be used to hold and manipulate objects, and in particular to aid arboreal creatures in finding and eating food in the trees. If the tail cannot be used for this it is considered only partially prehensile - such tails are often used to anchor an animal's body to or dangle from a branch, or as an aid to climbing. The term prehensile means "able to grasp" (from the Latin prehendere, the root of "comprehend" and "apprehend"). | John Weigel would know.
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20-Jul-07, 03:02 PM
|  | Subscriber | Join Date: Jun-06 Location: Sydney NSW Gender: | | | Quote:
Originally Posted by krusty what do you mean by prehensile tailed?????? | Prehensile = Adapted for grasping especially by wrapping around an object
Hi Stefano  Personally I would think John Weigel is correct. I would assume all morelia are basically prehensiled tailed but I"m no scientist and could be wrong 
And they say carinata seems to be closely related to viridis so I would think that carinata would qualify as prehensiled tailed.
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20-Jul-07, 03:04 PM
| | The Devils Reject. Subscriber | Join Date: Aug-05 Location: Rugsville..... Gender: | | | |
cool thanks now i know.
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20-Jul-07, 03:12 PM
|  | Has Happy Herps.... Sponsor | Join Date: Aug-03 Location: SYDNEY | | | |
I would also agree with Colin, you would imagine being an arboreal animal they would have a prehensile tail. They wouldn't climb too well without one.....LOL
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20-Jul-07, 03:20 PM
| | Regular Member | Join Date: Sep-05 Location: Rome (Italy) - Europe Age: 35 | | | |
thanks mates to you all.
I've read too that RSP are closely related anatomically speaking with GTP.
Cheers
Stef
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20-Jul-07, 03:23 PM
|  | Subscriber | Join Date: Feb-07 Location: Brisbane, Toowong Age/Gender: 20 | | | Quote:
Originally Posted by herptrader I would have thought that all pythons have prehensile tails based on my understanding of the definition of the term. | By no means do all pythons have prehensile tails. Arboreal pythons do. Terrestrial pythons have no need and their tails are often shorter and incapable of any real grasping actions
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20-Jul-07, 03:30 PM
| | Subscriber | Join Date: Jun-06 Location: Sydney NSW Gender: | | | |
Stefano, Just PM'ed you John Weigel's email address.
John is a really nice bloke and I'm sure he would be pleased to give you some information on your query. Cheers mate.
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20-Jul-07, 03:59 PM
|  | Regular Member | Join Date: Jun-04 Location: Wagga NSW Age/Gender: 25 | | | |
I was under the impression that all of australias pythons had prehensile tails, even terristrial (spelling?) species.
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20-Jul-07, 04:05 PM
|  | Subscriber | Join Date: Oct-05 Location: Brisbane Gender:  | | | |
My womas certainly manage to get a good grip around my wrist with their tails, hehehe!!
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20-Jul-07, 04:09 PM
| | Subscriber | Join Date: Jun-06 Location: Sydney NSW Gender: | | | Quote:
Originally Posted by craig.a.c I was under the impression that all of australias pythons had prehensile tails, even terristrial (spelling?) species. | I kind of thought the same craig but didn't want to say it. I think most of the pythons that are not prehensile tailed would be the short fat ground dwelling types from overseas countries.
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20-Jul-07, 04:11 PM
|  | Regular Member | Join Date: Sep-06 Location: Melbourne Age: 23 | | | |
i always assumed that prehensile tails was referring to the section of tail beyond the cloaca, if u compare a carpet to a woma, the carpets tail is longer and more flexible allowing it to wrap around thin branches. the woma on the other hand has a shorter less flexible tail.
i would have said the carpets was "prehesile" and the womas wasn't.
based on this i would expect the RSP to have a prehensile tail.
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20-Jul-07, 04:12 PM
| | Regular Member | Join Date: Sep-06 Location: Melbourne Age: 23 | | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Colin I kind of thought the same craig but didn't want to say it. I think most of the pythons that are not prehensile tailed would be the short fat ground dwelling types from overseas countries. | thats a good point, maybe there are degrees of prehensitility?  |
20-Jul-07, 04:43 PM
|  | Subscriber | Join Date: Jun-05 Location: Sydney Age: 44 | | | |
I think you will even find that the initial classifications of pythons in Australia merely separated them into two genus. Genus "python" (cant do italics) were those with prehensile tails like Carpets and chondros and Genus "Liasis" being Olives, WAters, BHP, Womas & Childrens (and White Lips too I guess) without prehensile tails. I think it was either McDowell or Metcalf that originally did it.
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