although useful in distinguishing maternal origin, where
there is any possibility of hybridization, tests involving
mtDNA cannot be relied upon to exclude exotic
ancestry, since they are unable to determine the
paternal inheritance.
Curiosity leaves no page unturned and one must wonder
why this sudden interest in differentiating between
native and exotic GTPs by the NSW authority. Is this
simply the brainchild of a single officious individual
seeking to elevate his or her status, or is there
something more sinister brewing within the
department? Since there is absolutely no conservation
component in this exercise, there must be an alternative
motive – perhaps ultimately to declare all non-native
GTPs illegal? This is not such a far-fetched assertion,
considering that exotic reptiles are illegal in Australia
and that once Morelia azureus is firmly established as a
distinct species, it will clearly fall into that category.
It is undeniable and no secret that there are currently
more exotic GTPs in NSW collections than in any other
state or territory, many being the original animals, or
their progeny, declared under the 1996 amnesty. If the
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service is considering
any action against keepers holding Green Tree Pythons
of non-Australian heritage, this would be an enormous
breach of the terms of the amnesty which saw them put
on licence 20-odd years ago.
Below: Sorong type—dubious.