Python sebae (Gmelin, 1789)

Pauwels, Olivier S. G., Morelle, Stephan, Albert, Jean-Louis, Carlino, Piero, Rahola, Nil & Trape, Jean-François, 2019, New reptile records from Lékédi Park and Haut-Ogooué Province, southeastern Gabon, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 174) 13 (1), pp. 143-161 : 154

Python sebae (Gmelin, 1789)

The record of the species from Plateaux Batéké NP by Christy et al. (2008) was based on a pers. comm. to OSGP by Gaël Vande weghe who observed an individual along Mpassa River in the NP in April 2007, and on a picture of a large adult individual shown in Pearson et al. (2007). On 15 January 2018 at 13h00 SM discovered a juvenile in Lékédi Park ( Fig. 29 ). We examined photographs taken on 16 July 2017 by A.N. Eyeang Mba of an adult individual of about four meters long that had been shot by a hunter the previous night in Moanda, Lébombi-Léyou Dept. New record for the park and new Dept. records (not recorded from these Depts. by Mocquard 1887; Pauwels and Vande weghe 2008; Pauwels et al. 2016b, 2017e, 2018c). In spite of a heavy hunting pressure, this python is still common in Gabon, including in urban areas, and is known from twelve Gabonese protected areas (Pauwels, 2016).

Figures

Fig. 29. Juvenile Python sebae in Lékédi Park, Haut-Ogooué Prov., southeastern Gabon. Photograph by S. Morelle.