Pythonidae

Palci, Alessandro, Hutchinson, Mark N., Caldwell, Michael W., Smith, Krister T. & Lee, Michael S. Y., 2020, The homologies and evolutionary reduction of the pelvis and hindlimbs in snakes, with the first report of ossified pelvic vestiges in an anomalepidid (Liotyphlops beui), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 188, pp. 630-652 : 638

Pythonidae

In the Pythonidae , the usual condition is that only the femur and the anterior element are ossified [e.g. Antaresia stimsoni (Smith, 1858) , Liasis olivaceus Gray, 1842 , Morelia viridis (Schlegel, 1872) , most specimens of Python spp. examined; Fig. 2U–W)], whereas the dorsal and ventral elements are often missing from radiographs or CT-scan reconstructions. These elements are either lost or possibly cartilaginous, as is suggested by some dissections (e.g. Fürbringer, 1870; Bellairs, 1950; Renous et al., 1976). Two specimens of Python reticulatus dissected by Renous et al. (1976) had ossified anterior and dorsal elements and a cartilaginous ventral element.

Loxocemus bicolor

The condition in the specimens of Loxocemus bicolor that we examined (ZFMK 43849 and ZMB 10031) resembles that in most pythons, where only a femur and the anterior element are ossified. However, McDowell (1975) stated that Loxocemus has a femur and two (unspecified) pelvic bones.