# Difference between Stimson and Children's Pythons



## scorps (Apr 7, 2012)

Hey guys,

I was wondering if anyone new what exactly makes a snake a children's or a stimsons.

I know color can be a factor but just wondering exactly how you can tell, (haven't kept many ants)

Thanks heaps

Ben


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## montysrainbow (Apr 7, 2012)

lol i have an ant his name is monty he is 2 and a half still with a vibrant
pattern....i too would like to know what the diff is.


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## Bunson (Apr 7, 2012)

Great question mate.


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## MadeInNZ (Apr 7, 2012)

Hi,

Here is a quick link decribing the differences.
Antaresia Pythons

Hope it helps


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## Venomous1111 (Apr 7, 2012)

scorps said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> I was wondering if anyone new what exactly makes a snake a children's or a stimsons.
> 
> ...



There a completely different species from the Antaresia genus.. It's like asking what the difference between a M.spiliota cheynei and M. spilota spilota, there both from the same genus but different species.. Colours are different, geographical range is different etc


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## Gruni (Apr 7, 2012)

That is a bit like asking the difference between a Labradoore and a Golden Retriever... apart from being three different subspecies they have three different pattern characteristics. As for the spiecies differences a textbook or a more experienced member might be able to shed some light. They are found in three different regional distributions around the country with some overlap as far as I have seen.

This is my Spotted (Ant. Maculosa) has a blotchy irregular pattern.






Stimsons (Ant. Stimsoni) tend to have a more bar like shape to their markings.





And the Childrens (Ant. Childreni) has a generally more subtle pattern that isn't so dark.


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## saximus (Apr 7, 2012)

Venomous1111 said:


> There a completely different species from the Antaresia genus.. It's like asking what the difference between a M.spiliota cheynei and M. spilota spilota, there both from the same genus but different species.. Colours are different, geographical range is different etc



They are actually different sub-species. It's more like the difference between M.spilota and M.viridis or M.carinata


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## JUNGLE-JAK (Apr 7, 2012)

the size is one difference


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## Kitah (Apr 7, 2012)

nevermind..


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## dickyknee (Apr 7, 2012)

JUNGLE-JAK said:


> the size is one difference



There is very little difference in the sizes between A.childreni and A.stimsoni ..


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## Gruni (Apr 7, 2012)

As far as I was aware all three (other than Pygmy obviously) reach a size of between 1.2 & 1.5m the female my Skittles came from is close to the 1.5m mark but nowhere near as thick as an equivalent BHP or Woma in girth. They have much the same temperament and that, as has been noted in many threads now, can range from very placid to quite nippy although they certainly don't inflict pain as such. The biggest thing is definitely the variation in the patterns. 

To my way of thinking they really are a great little snake if you are just getting started or have limited room for an enclosure.


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## Blake182 (Apr 7, 2012)

Just a Q 
Could u breed a elcho island children's python with a normal children's python 
And what would the hatchling look like


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## Tassie97 (Apr 7, 2012)

montysrainbow said:


> View attachment 246253
> lol i have an ant his name is monty he is 2 and a half still with a vibrant
> pattern....i too would like to know what the diff is.


thats a stimsons IMO


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## dickyknee (Apr 7, 2012)

oi_itz_blake96 said:


> Just a Q
> Could u breed a elcho island children's python with a normal children's python
> And what would the hatchling look like



Yes and they would look like A.childreni.


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## Blake182 (Apr 7, 2012)

dickyknee said:


> Yes and they would look like A.childreni.



So there would no different pattens


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## Gruni (Apr 7, 2012)

I Googled images of Elcho Is. and came up with quite a few images from this site, many of them were pics of Maculosa as far as I could tell; dark irregular blotchy patterns rather than the faint much reduced patterns of the Childreni I have seen. So either they have been misrepresented or someone is pulling the pish out of the members, or are they _really_ that different???

Apparently after some searching this is a typical Elcho Is. They are quite dark and almost patternless.






As opposed to this... which is from an APS thread.


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## hrafna (Apr 7, 2012)

Gruni said:


> I Googled images of Elcho Is. and came up with quite a few images from this site, many of them were pics of Maculosa as far as I could tell; dark irregular blotchy patterns rather than the faint much reduced patterns of the Childreni I have seen. So either they have been misrepresented or someone is pulling the pish out of the members, or are they _really_ that different???


as far as i know, they start off with the patterns as hatchlings but that eventually darkens until it is a very dark animal with little to no patterning.


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## dickyknee (Apr 7, 2012)

Gruni said:


> I Googled images of Elcho Is. and came up with quite a few images from this site, many of them were pics of Maculosa as far as I could tell; dark irregular blotchy patterns rather than the faint much reduced patterns of the Childreni I have seen. So either they have been misrepresented or someone is pulling the pish out of the members, or are they _really_ that different???
> 
> Apparently after some searching this is a typical Elcho Is. They are quite dark and almost patternless.
> 
> ...



That top one is my snake and my pic , its an elcho island chilreni adult ....
The second pic looks to be a hatchling elcho island childreni and will look just the adult of mine when its older..

Maybe in future rather than suggest us few breeders of them are scamming members , do a little home work on your claims


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## Blake182 (Apr 7, 2012)

Dickyknee 
How old is that elcho 
Cause that look magic


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## dickyknee (Apr 7, 2012)

oi_itz_blake96 said:


> Dickyknee
> How old is that elcho
> Cause that look magic



No idea on age sorry , but he getting on a bit ... He is in with the female as we speak though so keep an eye on my for sale ads at the end of the year


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## Gruni (Apr 7, 2012)

Ecuse me Dicky, I didn't accuse you of anything. I said to _me_ the images I found _looked_ like Macs, and unless , 'are they _really_ that different???'... i would think it was a pi$$ take. 

Hrafna took my point and pointed out that the pattern dissapears as they mature... NOW I know. I also didn't realise the top pic was yours it was one I found on another site and I used it as an example of what I expected an Elcho to look like.


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## Blake182 (Apr 7, 2012)

dickyknee said:


> No idea on age sorry , but he getting on a bit ... He is in with the female as we speak though so keep an eye on my for sale ads at the end of the year



Yeah im picking up a male and a female on the 28 th 
Is there any thing wrong with breeding bro and sis like is there and 
Mutation


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## Frozenmouse (Apr 7, 2012)

Antaresias all have a single anal plate and divided posterier subcaudal scales (I believe that's the right term, the ones on the tail)

The divide is replicated on the anteria subcaudal scales in A. maculosa, A. stimpsoni and A. perthenesis (apologies for any misspellings
A. childreni however do not have the same divide present on the anteria scales. Which seems one way to clearly decipher at least the Childrens' Pythons of the four.
taken from a uk site.


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## dickyknee (Apr 7, 2012)

Gruni said:


> Ecuse me Dicky, I didn't accuse you of anything. I said to _me_ the images I found _looked_ like Macs, and unless , 'are they _really_ that different???'... i would think it was a pi$$ take.
> 
> Hrafna took my point and pointed out that the pattern dissapears as they mature... NOW I know. I also didn't realise the top pic was yours it was one I found on another site and I used it as an example of what I expected an Elcho to look like.



Sorry mate , I was just stirring you , no offense intended .

They are both elchos in the pics , the hatchlings are heavily spotted , as they grow they end up like the male of mine in the pics .
Ill see if I can dig up some of my hatchling pics.

Gruni , this is one of the hatchlings from my elchos ...


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## Jeffa (Apr 7, 2012)

Would a scale count be a good tell tail sign that define the 4 species?


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## Gruni (Apr 7, 2012)

It still amazes me that as a hatchy it LOOKS like a Mac. I am assuming the scale variation mentioned earlier by Frozenmouse clarifies that they are Childreni, do Childrens hatch out with the same splotchy pattern?


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## scorps (Apr 7, 2012)

Ok thanks to a few people,

To the people saying they look different and localities doesnt help t all, this isn't my first time keeping snakes.

Im currently on a 3000km herping trip. 

Im finding ants in the same locality photographing them that look a bit different. 

I Littuarrly found two pythons less then 25m apart on the road which look very different, not just pattern but head shape, I'm pretty sure which is which but wanted to know if there where certain differences e.g scale count

Saying one can have bigger spots doesn't help lol

To the guys with serious answers thanks


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## Gruni (Apr 7, 2012)

Thanks for the extra info about the trip and your aims of identification. You didn't make it clear what you were after in your first post so I think all the answers were given as serious and genuine answers. I have to admit I didn't look at your post count, not that that is always an idicator of experience or depth of knowledge. So as someone who _tried_ to give a serious answer... you're welcome.


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## Elapidae1 (Apr 8, 2012)

The Stimmie depicted in post 6 has a distinct mid lateral line from the head traveling about a third of it's body. 
Some literature gives this as a diagnostic for A. stimsoni, however I've only ever seen a few childreni in hand and others have told me the mid lateral diagnostic doesn't always hold true.


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## No-two (Apr 8, 2012)

The baby Elcho is mine and would be a direct sibling to Dickys, they all start fully patterned. I also don't appreciate you taking my photos and re posting them. You are imposing mine isn't an Elcho yet you have no clue what they. They do not look like A.maculosa.


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## Gruni (Apr 8, 2012)

I used your pic which was readily found on Google images to findout if that is how it works with Elcho's. Two others have already explained and I didn't 'impose' or infer anything other than to ask a question. As for the pattern I still believe the pattern is VERY much like the pattern on any number of Mac's I have looked at. Talk about being precious, even Dicky accepted what I was getting at and Hrafna had already clarified things before that.


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## No-two (Apr 8, 2012)

Regardless of where an image is from does not give you the right to post it anywhere. I guess that's another thing you can research... You can believe what you like, doesn't make it true.


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