near fruit bat roosts. According to local collectors, the Halmahera python feeds on fruit bats and presumably other small mammals and birds. There have also been reports by natives of Halmahera pythons carrying off large numbers of domestic chickens. Like other pythons, the Halmahera python will swallow its victims whole or defeat larger prey through constriction. This snake is non-venomous. Geographic Range Simalia tracyae is only found in the northwestern area of Halmahera, Indonesia. Specimens have been seen as far south as Jailolo and have been sighted near Galela and Tobelo in the north. Simalia tracyae has evolved as a separate species because of its secluded location on Halmahera. Habitat This python's main habitat is the evergreen rainforest of northern Halmahera, where it moves equally comfortable on the ground and in the trees. Captivity The only clutches obtained in captivity are part of a Conservation Program, so information regarding their reproduction, clutch size, and development are extremely limited. In general, scrub pythons do not tend to do well in captivity, due in part to their reputation for biting, and have been described as “heat-seeking guided missiles tipped with teeth.” Citations References Morelia (snake) Reptiles described in 2000