Trimeresurus labialis

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Trimeresurus labialis
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Genus: Trimeresurus
Species:T. labialis
Binomial name
Trimeresurus labialis
Steindachner, 1867
Synonyms
  • Bothrophis labialis
    Fitzinger, 1861(nomen nudum)
  • Trimeresurus labialisSteindachner, 1867
  • Trim[eresurus]. mutabilis Stoliczka, 1870 [1]
  • Trimeresurus labialis
    M.A. Smith, 1943
  • Cryptelytrops labialis
    — Malhotra & Thorpe, 2004
  • Trimeresurus (Trimeresurus) labialis
    — David et al., 2011 [2]

Trimeresurus labialis, commonly called Nicobar bamboo pit viper, [3] is a venomous pit viper species endemic to the Nicobar Islands of India. No subspecies are currently recognized. [4]

Venomous snakes are species of the suborder Serpentes that are capable of producing venom, which they use for killing prey, for defense, and to assist with digestion of their prey. The venom is typically delivered by injection using hollow or grooved fangs, although some venomous snakes lack well-developed fangs. Common venomous snakes include the families Elapidae, Viperidae, Atractaspididae, and some of the Colubridae. The toxicity of venom is mainly indicated by murine LD50, while multiple factors are considered to judge the potential danger to humans. Other important factors for risk assessment include the likelihood that a snake will bite, the quantity of venom delivered with the bite, the efficiency of the delivery mechanism, and the location of a bite on the body of the victim. Snake venom may have both neurotoxic and hemotoxic properties.

Pit viper subfamily of vipers (Viperidae)

The Crotalinae, commonly known as pit vipers, crotaline snakes, or pit adders, are a subfamily of venomous vipers found in Eurasia and the Americas. They are distinguished by the presence of a heat-sensing pit organ located between the eye and the nostril on both sides of the head. Currently, 18 genera and 151 species are recognized: seven genera and 54 species in the Old World, against a greater diversity of 11 genera and 97 species in the New World. These are also the only viperids found in the Americas. The groups of snakes represented here include rattlesnakes, lanceheads, and Asian pit vipers. The type genus for this subfamily is Crotalus, of which the type species is the timber rattlesnake, C. horridus.

In biology, a species ( ) is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. Other ways of defining species include their karyotype, DNA sequence, morphology, behaviour or ecological niche. In addition, paleontologists use the concept of the chronospecies since fossil reproduction cannot be examined. While these definitions may seem adequate, when looked at more closely they represent problematic species concepts. For example, the boundaries between closely related species become unclear with hybridisation, in a species complex of hundreds of similar microspecies, and in a ring species. Also, among organisms that reproduce only asexually, the concept of a reproductive species breaks down, and each clone is potentially a microspecies.

Contents

Geographic range

Found only in the Nicobar Islands of India. The type locality given is "den Nikobaren". [1]

Nicobar Islands island group

The Nicobar Islands are an archipelagic island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean. They are located in Southeast Asia, 150 km north of Aceh on Sumatra, and separated from Thailand to the east by the Andaman Sea. Located 1,300 km southeast of the Indian subcontinent, across the Bay of Bengal, they form part of the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India.

India Country in South Asia

India, also known as the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh largest country by area and with more than 1.3 billion people, it is the second most populous country as well as the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the northeast; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives, while its Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia.

Description

Males may attain a total length of 42 cm (16½ in), with a tail 8 cm (3⅛ in) long; females, total length 44 cm (17¼ in), tail 7 cm (2¾ in).

Dorsally, T. labialis is brown, either light or dark, with or without darker spots or transverse bars. It may have a light streak on each side of the head, beginning at the snout, continuing under the eye, to the neck. Ventrally, it is also brown.

The dorsal scales are smooth, and are usually in 23 rows at midbody. Ventrals: 158-170 in males; 154-174 in females. Subcaudals: 60-65 in males; 46-57 in females. The subcaudals are usually double, but there may be some interspersed singles. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<i>Trimeresurus erythrurus</i> species of reptile

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<i>Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus</i> species of reptile

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<i>Trimeresurus stejnegeri</i> species of tree viper

Trimeresurus stejnegeri is a species of venomous pit viper endemic to Asia. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

<i>Trimeresurus andersonii</i> species of reptile

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<i>Trimeresurus flavomaculatus</i> species of reptile

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<i>Trimeresurus puniceus</i> species of reptile

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<i>Trimeresurus sumatranus</i> species of reptile

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Trimeresurus malcolmi is a venomous pitviper species found in East Malaysia. Common names include: Malcolm's pitviper, Malcolm's tree viper, and Mt. Kinabalu pit viper.

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<i>Trimeresurus borneensis</i> species of reptile


Trimeresurus borneensis, commonly known as the Bornean pit viper, is a venomous pit viper species endemic to the island of Borneo. No subspecies are currently recognized.

<i>Trimeresurus brongersmai</i> species of reptile

Trimeresurus brongersmai is a venomous pit viper species endemic to Indonesia on the island of Simalur. No subspecies are currently recognized.

<i>Trimeresurus macrops</i> species of reptile

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<i>Trimeresurus schultzei</i> species of reptile

Trimeresurus schultzei, commonly known as the Schultze's pitviper, is a venomous pitviper species endemic to the Philippines. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Trimeresurus tibetanus, commonly known as the Tibetan bamboo pit viper, is a venomous pit viper species found only in Tibet. No subspecies are currently recognized.

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<i>Trimeresurus mcgregori</i> species of reptile

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<i>Trimeresurus insularis</i> species of reptile

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References

  1. 1 2 McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré TA (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN   1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN   1-893777-01-4 (volume).
  2. "Trimeresurus labialis ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  3. Gumprecht A, Tillack F, Orlov NL, Captain A, Ryabov S (2004). Asian Pitvipers. First Edition. Berlin: Geitje Books. 368 pp. ISBN   3-937975-00-4.
  4. "Trimeresurus labialis ". Integrated Taxonomic Information System . Retrieved 27 September 2006.
  5. Smith MA (1943). The Fauna of British India, Ceylon and Burma, Including the Whole of the Indo-Chinese Sub-region. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. III.Serpentes. London: Secretary of State for India. (Taylor and Francis, Printers). xii + 583 pp. (Trimeresurus labialis, pp. 525-526).

Further reading

International Standard Book Number Unique numeric book identifier

The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a numeric commercial book identifier which is intended to be unique. Publishers purchase ISBNs from an affiliate of the International ISBN Agency.

Franz Steindachner Austrian zoologist

Franz Steindachner was an Austrian zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist. He published over 200 papers on fishes and over 50 papers on reptiles and amphibians Steindachner described hundreds of new species of fish and dozens of new amphibians and reptiles. At least seven species of reptile have been named after him.