Cerrophidion

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] Two species are currently recognized, but no subspecies.[3]

Cerrophidion
Cerrophidion godmani
Godman's montane pitviper
Scientific classification
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]

Description

These snakes grow to a maximum total length of 82.2 cm (32 1⁄4 in) (for C. godmani), but usually do not exceed 50–55 in (1,270–1,397 mm). 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

Snakes of this genus 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 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]

Taxonomy

One additional new species has been described: C. petlalcalensis López-Luna, Vogt & Torre-Loranca, 1999.[2]

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References
  1. 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).
  2. Campbell JA, Lamar WW. 2004. The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca and London. 870 pp. 1500 plates. ISBN 0-8014-4141-2.
  3. "Cerrophidion". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 3 November 2006.

Further reading
  • Campbell, J.A., and W.W. Lamar. 1992. Taxonomic status of miscellaneous Neotropical viperids, with the description of a new genus. Occ. Papers Mus. Texas Tech Univ. 153: 1-31.
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