Trimeresurus popeorum

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iTrimeresurus popeorum

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Genus: Trimeresurus
Species: T. popeorum
Binomial name
Trimeresurus popeorum
Smith, 1937
Synonyms
  • Trimesurus elegans - Gray, 1853
  • Trimeresurus gramineus - Pope & Pope, 1933
  • Trimeresurus popeiorum - M.A. Smith, 1937
  • Trimeresurus popeorum - M.A. Smith, 1943
  • Trimeresurus popeorum - Taylor & Elbel, 1958
  • Trimeresurus popeorum popeorum - Regenass & Kramer, 1981
  • Trimeresurus popeorum popeorum - Golay et al., 1993[1]

Common names: Pope's tree viper, Pope's bamboo pit viper.


Trimeresurus popeorum is a venomous pit viper species found in northern India, Southeast Asia and parts of Indonesia. Three subspecies are currently recognized, including the typical form described here.[2]

Contents

[edit] Description

Grows to a total length 770 mm, tail length 170 mm.[3]

Dorsal scales in 21 (rarely 23) longitudinal rows at midbody; 9-11 upper labials, first upper labials separated from nasals by a distinct suture; a single supraocular; above green, below pale green to whitish, the two separated by a bright bicolored orange or brown (below) and white (above) (males) or white (females) ventrolateral stripe, which occupies the whole of the outermost scale row and a portion of the second row; ventrals 155-169; subcaudals 52-76, in males the base of the tail enlarged to the level of subcaudals 20-25; hemipenes long and slender, smooth, without spines.[3]

This species is most often confused with T. stejnegeri (q.v.), the two have quite distinct hemipenes, which does not make identification of individuals in the field or in the laboratory any easier without recourse to (a) male individuals and (b) an examination of the hemipenes. However, the two species are not known to have overlapping distributions, at least based on available materials. Also, closely allied to T. popeorum is T. yunnanensis (q.v.); ordinarily, the two are more easily be told apart by the number of midbody scale rows, 21 in T. popeorum, 19 in T. yunnanensis.[3]

[edit] Geographic range

Northern India, Myanmar, Thailand, West Malaysia and Vietnam. In Indonesia, it occurs on the islands of Sumatra, Mentawai (Siberut, Sipora, North Pagai) and Borneo. The type locality, designated by lectotype, is listed as "Khasi Hills, Assam" (India).[1]

[edit] Subspecies

Subspecies[2] Authority[2] Geographic range[1]
T. p. barati Regenass & Kramer, 1981 Type locality: Solok, Sumatra (Indonesia).
T. p. popeorum Smith, 1937 Type locality: Khasi Hills, Assam (India).
T. p. sabahi Regenass & Kramer, 1981 Type locality: Mount Kinabalu, Kulapis River, British North Borneo.

[edit] Taxonomy

There are differences in opinion as to the correct spelling of the specific epithet. The following is from David & Vogel (1996):[4]

This species was named in honour to Clifford H. Pope and Sarah H. Pope. The original spelling of the specific epithet, popeiorum, was corrected into popeorum by Smith (1943:518) on the basis that it was indeed a clerical error. Unfortunately, according to the Art. 32 (c, ii) of the Code (ICZN, 1985), such a change does not fall into the category of a “correction of an incorrect original spelling." According to the Art. 33 (d), the use of a termination -orum in a subsequent spelling of a species-group name that is a genitive based upon a personal name in which the correct original spelling terminates with -iorum, is an incorrect subsequent spelling, even if the change is deliberate. The original spelling, popeiorum, must therefore be conserved.

[edit] Cited references

  1. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b c Trimeresurus popeorum (TSN 634927). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on 5 November 2006.
  3. ^ a b c Leviton AE, Wogan GOU, Koo MS, Zug GR, Lucas RS, Vindum JV. 2003. The Dangerously Venomous Snakes of Myanmar, Illustrated Checklist with Keys. Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci. 54 (24): 407-462.
  4. ^ David P, Vogel G. 1996. The snakes of Sumatra. An annotated checklist and key with natural history notes. Ed. Chimaira. ISBN 3930612089. 259 pp.

[edit] Other references

  • David,P. & Vogel,G. 1996 The snakes of Sumatra. An annotated checklist and key with natural history notes. Bücher Kreth, Frankfurt/M.
  • Gumprecht,A. 2001 Die Bambusottern der Gattung Trimeresurus Lacépède Teil IV: Checkliste der Trimeresurus-Arten Thailands. Sauria 23 (2): 25-32
  • Gumprecht, A.; Tillack, F.; Orlov, N.L.; Captain, A. & Ryabow, S. 2004 Asian Pit Vipers. Geitje Books, Berlin, 368 pp.
  • Smith, M.A. 1937 The names of two indian vipers. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 39: 730-731
  • Tu, M.-C. et al. 2000 Phylogeny, Taxonomy, and Biogeography of the Oriental Pit Vipers of the Genus Trimeresurus (Reptilia: ViperidaCrotalinae): A Molecular Perspective. ZOOLOGICAL SCIENCE 17: 1147-1157

[edit] External links

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