Annotated checklist of the recent and extinct pythons (Serpentes, Pythonidae), with notes on nomenclature, taxonomy, and distribution
Author
Schleip, Wulf D.
Author
O'Shea, Mark
text
ZooKeys
2010
66
29
80
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.66.683
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.66.683
1313-2970-66-29
Genus
Leiopython Hubrecht, 1879
Remarks:
Recent studies revealed that
Bothrochilus
and
Leiopython
form a clade. Thus, since
Rawlings et al. (2008)
considered both genera monotypic, they proposed "the use of a single generic name (
Bothrochilus
) for this species pair" (
Rawlings et al. 2008: 613
). Later,
Schleip (2008)
demonstrated that this genus is not monotypic.
Rawlings et al. (2008)
had used material from
Leiopython hoserae
for their genetic analysis (GeneBank accession number U69835, Western Province, PNG at Mawatta). Until further molecular genetic data clarify the relationships of the taxa involved, and in deference to nomenclatural stability, we are reluctant to synonymize
Leiopython
with
Bothrochilus
.