Metlapilcoatlus occiduus

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Metlapilcoatlus occiduus
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
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 pitviper. [3]

Metlapilcoatlus occiduus is a venomous pitviper 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 venomous 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.

<i>Bothriechis</i> Genus of snakes

Bothriechis is a genus of venomous 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.

Ophryacus is a genus of venomous pit vipers endemic to Mexico. The name is derived from the Greek word ophrys, which means "brow", and the Latin word acus, which means "needle", an allusion to the characteristic horn-like scales over the eyes. Currently, three species are recognized and no subspecies.

<i>Cerrophidion</i> Genus of snakes

Cerrophidion is a genus of venomous pitvipers 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". Two species are currently recognized, but no subspecies.

<i>Porthidium</i> Genus of snakes

Porthidium is a genus of venomous pitvipers found in Mexico and southward to northern South America. The name is derived from the Greek word portheo and the suffix -idus, which mean "destroy" and "having the nature of", apparently a reference to the venom. As of August 2016 nine species are recognized as being valid. The snakes of the genus Hypnale in southern India and Sri Lanka look quite similar to those of this genus, possibly an example of convergent evolution.

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

Bothriechis bicolor is a venomous 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 pitviper or jumping viper, is a venomous pit viper species endemic to Mexico.

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

Metlapilcoatlus olmec is a venomous pitviper species found in Mexico. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Atropoides picadoi, also known as Picado's jumping pitviper, is a species of venomous snake, a pitviper in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to Central America. There are no subspecies that are recognised as being valid. It is monotypic in the genus Atropoides.

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

Bothriechis aurifer is a venomous 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.

Bothriechis marchi is a species of pitviper, 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 found in southern Mexico and Guatemala. No subspecies are currently recognized. It is also known as the Godman's montane pit viper or the 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 dunni</i> Species of snake

Porthidium dunni is a species of venomous pitviper in the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to Mexico. There are no recognized subspecies.

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

Porthidium hespere is a venomous pitviper species found in western Mexico. No subspecies are currently recognized.

<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>Metlapilcoatlus mexicanus</i> Species of snake

Metlapilcoatlus mexicanus is a venomous pitviper species endemic to Mexico and Central America.

Trigonocephalus affinis is a taxonomic synonym that may refer to:

<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