A phylogenetic paper focused episode looking at the longest snake of them all: Reticulated pythons. Are all reticulated pythons part of one big happy whole, or do the hundreds of islands they inhabit mean pythons represent just as many sub-species? Species of the Bi-week is a wonderfully lemon-soaked lizard.
Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/herphighlights
Full reference list available here: http://www.herphighlights.podbean.com


Main Paper References:
Murray-Dickson G, Ghazali M, Ogden R, Brown R, Auliya M. 2017. Phylogeography of the reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus ssp.): Conservation implications for the worlds’ most traded snake species. PLOS ONE 12:e0182049. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0182049.
Species of the Bi-Week:
Pavón-Vázquez CJ, Esquerré D, Fitch AJ, Maryan B, Doughty P, Donnellan SC, Keogh JS. 2022. Between a rock and a dry place: phylogenomics, biogeography, and systematics of ridge-tailed monitors (Squamata: Varanidae: Varanus acanthurus complex). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 173:107516. DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107516.
Other Links/Mentions:
Tom’s appearance on BBC Springwatch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCP2w5CVbkY
Music:
Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson
Species Bi-week theme – Mike Mooney
Other Music – The Passion HiFi, www.thepassionhifi.com