# Darwin or coastal



## Madders (Feb 11, 2013)

Hi guys, I have a female python sold to me as a Darwin but she has patterning which looks rather coastal like. Could someone please explain in laymans terms the scale difference? Her head is the same shape as my Darwin males but is that enough to go on? I believe she is a Darwin but would like to be able to say so with more certainty. Cheers


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## saximus (Feb 11, 2013)

A photo would help immensely. Otherwise it would be much easier for you to Google the two to get an idea of the differences in patterning


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## Helikaon (Feb 11, 2013)

possibly an imbricata if you are in WA


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## Madders (Feb 11, 2013)

this is the best pic I could get on my phone that shows the pattern on her head 




you can see why everyone thinks coastal lol


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## Bushman (Feb 12, 2013)

I agree that it doesn't look like a typical Darwin Carpet Python. 
There are no scale differences that I know of that distinguishes between the various _Morelia spilota_. 
Did you see pics of the parents?


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## Hamalicious (Feb 12, 2013)

Doesn't look anything like a Darwin to me, the patterns aren't even close to a darwin.


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## Madders (Feb 12, 2013)

No there were no pics of parents, surely there must be some difference otherwise they would be categorised as the same type? I know she looks nothing like a Darwin, but if I compare her head shape to that of my male it's the same size and shape and he is undoubtably Darwin. Hence the question of scale difference. Cheers


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## phatty (Feb 12, 2013)

thats a coastal for sure well it looks the same as mine


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## Ramsayi (Feb 12, 2013)

Is it on license?


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## Madders (Feb 15, 2013)

So can anyone tell me if there is a scale pattern difference between the two?


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## Cold-B-Hearts (Feb 15, 2013)

i would have to say coastal aswell darwins my darwins look nothing like that.


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## Cold-B-Hearts (Feb 15, 2013)

Typical darwin and a typical coastal. it could be a hybrid? still leaning towards coastal View attachment 281967
View attachment 281968


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## Shotta (Feb 15, 2013)

could be a coastal cross
beautiful snake though


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## Jacknife (Feb 15, 2013)

Madders said:


> No there were no pics of parents, surely there must be some difference otherwise they would be categorised as the same type? I know she looks nothing like a Darwin, but if I compare her head shape to that of my male it's the same size and shape and he is undoubtably Darwin. Hence the question of scale difference. Cheers



Head shape has nothing to do with it, all morelia have the same head shape, same as scales; there is no difference.
The only thing really that seperates all Morelia species is their endemic locations...


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## Viking_Python (Feb 15, 2013)

View attachment 281969

Your snake has more of a Coastal look to it. Your Python may be a hybrid. A few pics of my Coastal to compare.


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## Vixen (Feb 15, 2013)

Looks like a Coastal to me. Their patterns and colours vary immensely so you can't really go by comparing it to anyone elses - but it does have the Coastal look about it, definitely not a Darwin.

As Ramsayi said, is it on license? What is it written down as?


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## reptileaddiction (Feb 15, 2013)

It seems to me some people are confused about the difference between an hybrid and a crossbreed.


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## mcbuggsy (Feb 15, 2013)

Madders. There is no difference in the scalation (count wise) They are both Morelia spilota.....just subspecies of the same (at the moment ha ha ha). The variations are geographical, and with a captive animal with a "muddy" provenance, you can't be sure what it is. As others have asked...."Is it on license and what is it described as?" So otherwise you would have to go by pattern and colour.and to me, as with the other learned gents and ladies on here, it looks like a normal coastal (mcdowelli).


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## Madders (Feb 15, 2013)

Righto thanks guys, better get my boy a gf


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## BrownHash (Feb 17, 2013)

Vixen said:


> As Ramsayi said, is it on license? What is it written down as?



It wont be on license as both Darwins and Coastals are illegal to keep in WA. Its probably just taken from the wild as Darwins occur locally around Kununurra.


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## Madders (Feb 17, 2013)

No I'm not in wa anymore! I'd never risk losing my reptiles by having the wrong ones either. For some reason it won't change to nsw and I'm on my phone all the time, when I'm on the computer next ill try change it again


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## Darlyn (Feb 17, 2013)

BrownHash said:


> It wont be on license as both Darwins and Coastals are illegal to keep in WA. Its probably just taken from the wild as Darwins occur locally around Kununurra.



I never knew that, should be called Darwinunurra pythons : )


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## Ramsayi (Feb 17, 2013)

BrownHash said:


> It wont be on license as both Darwins and Coastals are illegal to keep in WA. Its probably just taken from the wild as Darwins occur locally around Kununurra.



Except the op has moved from WA.


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## NATIVE2OZ (Feb 18, 2013)

you have a mongrel


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## Madders (Feb 18, 2013)

NATIVE2OZ said:


> you have a mongrel



Haha it's not the only one then! My dog, cat and probably myself fall into that category lol


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