Cerrophidion
Cerrophidion godmani
Godman's montane pitviper
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Subfamily: Crotalinae
Genus: Cerrophidion
Campbell & Lamar, 1992[1]
Common names: Montane pitvipers.[2]

Cerrophidion is a genus of venomous pitvipers which are endemic to southern Mexico, Central America, and western Panama.[1] The generic name, Cerrophidion, is derived from the Spanish word cerro, which means "mountain", and the Greek word ophidion, which means "small snake".[2] Five species are recognized as being valid, but no subspecies are.[3]

Description

Species in the genus Cerrophidion grow to a maximum total length (including tail) of 82.2 cm (32.4 in) (for C. godmani), but usually do not exceed 50–55 cm (20–22 in). The head scalation is highly variable, with some scales being enlarged, especially in the frontal region. The fact that the prelacunal is not fused with any of the supralabial scales is characteristic for this genus. The rest of the scalation is as follows: 1-7 intersupraoculars, 7-11 supralabials, 8-12 sublabials, 120-150 ventral scales, 22-36 subcaudal scales (undivided), and 17-21 rows (rarely 23) of dorsal scales at midbody.[2]

Geographic range

Cerrophidion species are found in southern Mexico (in the highlands of the Mexican states of Guerrero and southeastern Oaxaca), southward though the highlands of Central America (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, northern Nicaragua and Costa Rica) to western Panama.[1]

Species

Image Species[3] Taxon author[3] Common name[2] Geographic range[1]
C. godmaniT (Günther, 1863) Godman's montane pitviper Southeastern Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico, through Central America to western Panama at moderate to high elevations.
C. petlalcalensis López-Luna, Vogt & de la Torre-Loranca, 1999[2] Cerro Petlalcala montane pitviper Veracruz in Mexico.
C. sasai Jadin, Townsend, Castoe & Campbell, 2012 Costa Rica montane pitviper Costa Rica and western Panama.
C. tzotzilorum (Campbell, 1985) Tzotzil montane pitviper Meseta Central of Chiapas, Mexico.
C. wilsoni Jadin, Townsend, Castoe & Campbell, 2012 Honduras montane pitviper Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.

T) Type species.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré TA (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Campbell JA, Lamar WW (2004). The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere. Ithaca and London: Comstock Publishing Associates. 870 pp., 1,500 plates. ISBN 0-8014-4141-2.
  3. 1 2 3 "Cerrophidion". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 3 November 2006.

Further reading

  • Campbell JA, Lamar WW (1992). "Taxonomic status of miscellaneous Neotropical viperids, with the description of a new genus". Occasional Papers of the Museum of Texas Tech University 153: 1-31. (Cerrophidion, new genus, p. 24).
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