Agkistrodon bilineatus taylori
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| Agkistrodon bilineatus taylori Burger & Robertson, 1951 |
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- Common names: Taylor's cantil,[2] ornate cantil, cantil, Mexican moccasin.
Agkistrodon bilineatus taylori is a venomous pitviper subspecies[3] found only in northeastern Mexico. It is named in honor of American herpetologist, Edward Harrison Taylor.
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[edit] Description
Adults usually attain a length of 64-90 cm, with some growing to 96 cm. The subspecies has a heavy body and a relatively long tail: 16-19% of total body length in males and 13-18% in females.[4]
[edit] Geographic range
Found in Mexico in the northeastern states of Nuevo Leon, San Luis Potosí and Tamaulipas.[2] The type locality is "21 km north of Villagrán, Tamaulipas, Mexico."[1]
[edit] Conservation status
This species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (v3.1, 2001).[5] Species are listed as such due to their wide distribution, presumed large population, or because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category. The population trend is unknown. Year assessed: 2007.[6]
[edit] Feeding
Feeds primarily on rodents and amphibians. Juveniles are known to employ the yellowish tip of their tail as a lure to attract small insectivorous vertebrates. The yellowish tip fades as the animals mature, as does this behavior.
[edit] Taxonomy
Elevated it to species status by Parkinson, Zamudio and Greene (2000) based on mitochondrial DNA sequences.
[edit] Captivity
Because of their attractive coloration and relatively small size, they are somewhat popular in the exotic pet trade, with captive bred individuals occasionally being available. The care requirements are fairly basic, similar to A. contortrix. These snakes are, however, not for the inexperienced keeper. The venom is significantly stronger than that of A. contortrix and can cause sever tissue damage and even death if untreated. Dry bites are seldom reported and they may strike repeatedly.
[edit] See also
- List of crotaline species and subspecies
- Crotalinae by common name
- Crotalinae by taxonomic synonyms
- Snakebite
[edit] References
- ^ a b 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).
- ^ a b Gloyd HK, Conant R. 1990. Snakes of the Agkistrodon Complex: A Monographic Review. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 614 pp. 52 plates. LCCN 89-50342. ISBN 0-916984-20-6.
- ^ Agkistrodon bilineatus taylori (TSN 586229). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved on 2 November 2006.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Agkistrodon taylori at the IUCN Red List. Accessed 14 September 2007.
- ^ 2001 Categories & Criteria (version 3.1) at the IUCN Red List. Accessed 14 September 2007.
[edit] Further reading
- Parkinson CL, Zamudio KR , Greene HW. 2000. Phylogeography of the pitviper clade Agkistrodon: historical ecology, species status, and conservation of the cantils. Mol. Ecol. 9:411-420.
[edit] External links
- Agkistrodon taylori at the TIGR Reptile Database. Accessed 7 December 2007.
