Metlapilcoatlus occiduus

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Metlapilcoatlus occiduus
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Genus: Metlapilcoatlus
Species:
M. occiduus
Binomial name
Metlapilcoatlus occiduus
(Hoge, 1966)
Synonyms
  • Bothrops affinis Bocourt, 1868
  • Bothriopsis affinis
    Cope, 1871
  • Trigonocephalus affinis
    Garman, 1884
  • Bothrops nummifer affinis
    Stuart, 1963
  • Bothrops nummifer occiduusHoge, 1966 (replacement name for Bothrops affinisBocourt, 1868)
  • Bothrops nummifer occiduus
    Hoge & Romano-Hoge, 1981
  • Porthidium nummifer occiduum
    Campbell & Lamar, 1989 [2]
Common names: Guatemalan jumping pit viper. [3]

Metlapilcoatlus occiduus is a pit viper subspecies [4] endemic to southern Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador.

Contents

Description

Adults are usually 35–60 cm (13+3423+58 in) in total length. The largest specimens reported are a male of 74.8 cm (29+12 in) from Baja Verapaz, Guatemala, and a female of 79.5 cm (31+14 in) from Volcán de Agua, Escuintla, Guatemala. The build is very stout, although not so much as that of M. mexicanus . [3]

Geographic range

Found in southern Mexico (southeastern Chiapas), southern and central Guatemala, and western El Salvador. [3] The type locality given is "Saint-Augustín (Guatemala), versant occidentale de la Córdillère. 610 mètres [2,000 ft] d´altitude". Actually, San Augustín is on the southern slope of Volcán Atitlán. [2]

Habitat

Its habitat includes subtropical wet forest on the Pacific versant from southeastern Chiapas, Mexico to western El Salvador. It also inhabits the pine-oak forest near Guatemala City. It can be found at altitudes varying from 1,000–1,600 m (3,300–5,200 ft).

Taxonomy

Regarded as a full species, Metlapilcoatlus occiduus, by Campbell and Lamar (2004). [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Metlapilcoatlus</i> Genus of snakes

Metlapilcoatlus is a genus of pit vipers endemic to Mexico and Central America. Six species are currently recognized. The common names suggest they are able to leap at an attacker, but this is likely exaggerated. Common names for the species include jumping pitvipers and jumping vipers. The genus name comes from the Nahuatl name metlapilcohuatl, which means of the oblong grindstone held in the hand when grinding corn—alluding to the snake's short, stocky body.

<i>Loxocemus</i> Genus of snakes

Loxocemus bicolor, the sole member of the monotypic family Loxocemidae and commonly known as the Mexican python, Mexican burrowing python and Mexican burrowing snake, is a species of python-like snake found in Mexico and Central America. No subspecies are currently recognized. Analyses of DNA show that Loxocemus is most closely related to the true pythons and the sunbeam snakes.

<i>Bothriechis</i> Genus of snakes

Bothriechis is a genus of pit vipers, commonly called palm vipers or palm-pitvipers found predominantly in Mexico and Central America, although the most common species, B. schlegelii, ranges as far south as Colombia and Peru. All members are relatively slender and arboreal. The name Bothriechis is derived from the Greek words bothros and echis that mean "pit" and "viper" respectively. Ten species and no subspecies are currently generally recognized.

<i>Cerrophidion</i> Genus of snakes

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

<i>Crotalus simus</i> Species of snake

Crotalus simus is a venomous pit viper species found in Mexico and Central America. The specific epithet is Latin for "flat-nosed", likely because its head is blunt compared with lanceheads (Bothrops). Three subspecies are recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

<i>Crotalus intermedius</i> Species of snake

Crotalus intermedius is a pit viper species found in central and southern Mexico. Like all other pit vipers, it is venomous. Three subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

<i>Crotalus triseriatus</i> Species of snake

Crotalus triseriatus is a venomous pit viper species found in Mexico. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

<i>Bothriechis bicolor</i> Species of snake

Bothriechis bicolor is a pit viper species found in southern Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. The specific name refers to the contrasting ventral and dorsal colors. No subspecies are currently recognized.

<i>Metlapilcoatlus nummifer</i> Species of snake

Metlapilcoatlus nummifer, commonly known as Mexican jumping pit viper or jumping viper, is a pit viper species endemic to Mexico.

<i>Metlapilcoatlus olmec</i> Species of snake

Metlapilcoatlus olmec is a pit viper species found in Mexico. No subspecies are currently recognized.

<i>Bothriechis aurifer</i> Species of snake

Bothriechis aurifer is a pit viper species found in Mexico and Guatemala. No subspecies are currently recognized.

<i>Bothriechis rowleyi</i> Species of snake

Bothriechis rowleyi is a species of pit viper, a venomous snake, in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to Mexico. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.

<i>Bothriechis marchi</i> Species of snake

Bothriechis marchi, also known as Honduran palm pit viper and March's palm pit viper, is a species of pit viper, a venomous snake, in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to Central America. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.

<i>Cerrophidion godmani</i> Species of snake

Cerrophidion godmani is a venomous pit viper species native to southern Mexico and Guatemala. No subspecies are recognized as being valid. It is also known commonly as Godman's montane pit viper or Godman's pit viper.

<i>Cerrophidion tzotzilorum</i> Species of snake

Cerrophidion tzotzilorum is a venomous pit viper species which is native to southern Mexico. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.

<i>Porthidium nasutum</i> Species of snake

Porthidium nasutum is a venomous pitviper species found in southern Mexico, Central America and northern South America. No subspecies are currently recognized.

<i>Bothrops bilineatus</i> Species of pit viper

Bothrops bilineatus, also known as the two-striped forest-pitviper, parrotsnake, Amazonian palm viper, or green jararaca, is a highly venomous pit viper species found in the Amazon region of South America. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here. A pale green arboreal species that may reach 1 m (3.3 ft) in length, it is an important cause of snakebite throughout the entire Amazon region.

<i>Metlapilcoatlus mexicanus</i> Species of snake

Metlapilcoatlus mexicanus is a pit viper species endemic to Mexico and Central America.

<i>Lachesis melanocephala</i> Species of snake

Lachesis melanocephala is a species of venomous pit viper in the family Viperidae. The species is native to Costa Rica and Panama. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.

<i>Porthidium ophryomegas</i> Species of snake

Porthidium ophryomegas is a venomous pitviper species found in Central America. No subspecies are currently recognized.

References

  1. López-Luna, M.A. & Canseco-Márquez, L. 2014. Atropoides occiduus (errata version published in 2017). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014: e.T197459A114584467. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T197459A2485704.en. Downloaded on 05 November 2018.
  2. 1 2 McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN   1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN   1-893777-01-4 (volume).
  3. 1 2 3 4 Campbell JA, Lamar WW. 2004. The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere. 2 volumes. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca and London. 870 pp. 1500 plates. ISBN   0-8014-4141-2.
  4. "Atropoides occiduus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System . Retrieved 1 August 2008.

Further reading