Calloselasma

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Calloselasma

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Subfamily: Crotalinae
Genus: Calloselasma
Cope, 1860
Species: C. rhodostoma
Binomial name
Calloselasma rhodostoma
(Kuhl, 1824)
Synonyms
  • Tisiphone - Fitzinger, 1843
  • Leiolepis - AMC Duméril, 1853
  • Calloselasma - Cope, 1860[1]
  • [Trigonocephalus] rhodostoma - Kuhl, 1824
  • [Trigonocephalus] rhodostoma - F. Boie, 1827
  • [Trigonocephalus] praetextatus - Gravenhorst, 1832
  • Tisiphone rhodostoma - Fitzinger, 1843
  • L[eiolepis]. rhodostoma - AMC Duméril, 1853
  • [Calloselasma] rhodostomus - Cope, 1860
  • T[isiphone]. rhodostoma - Peters, 1862
  • T[rigonocephalus]. (Tisiphone) rhodostoma - Jan, 1863
  • Calloselasma rhodostoma - Günther, 1864
  • Calloselma rhodostoma - Morice, 1875
  • Ancistrodon rhodostoma - Boettger, 1892
  • Ancistrodon rhodostoma - Boulenger, 1896
  • Agkistrodon rhodostoma - Barbour, 1912
  • Ancistrodon (Calloselasma) rhodostoma - Bourret, 1927
  • Ancistrodon annamensis - Angel, 1933
  • [Agkistrodon] annamensis - Pope, 1935
  • Calloselasma rhodostoma - Campden-Main, 1970[1]
Common names: Malayan pit viper,[2] Malayan pitviper.[3]

Calloselasma is a monotypic genus[4] created for a venomous pitviper species, C. rhodostoma, which is found in Southeast Asia from Thailand to northern Malaysia and on the island of Java.[1] No subspecies are currently recognized.[5]

Contents

[edit] Description

Attains an average length of 76 cm, with females being larger than males. Occasionally, they may grow as large as 91 cm.[2] This is the only Asian pit viper with large crown scales and smooth dorsal scales.[6]

[edit] Geographic range

Found in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, northern West Malaysia and on the Indonesian island of Java. The type locality is listed as "Java."[1]

[edit] Habitat

Prefers coastal forests, bamboo thickets, unused and overgrown farmland, as well as forests around plantations.[2]

[edit] Reproduction

This species is oviparous and the eggs are guarded by the female after deposition.[6]

[edit] Venom

This species has a reputation for being bad-tempered and quick to strike. In northern Malaysia it is responsible for some 700 incidents of snakebite annually with a mortality rate of about 2 percent. Remarkably sedentary, it has often been found in the same spot several hours after an accident.[6]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d 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 Mehrtens JM. 1987. Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. ISBN 0-8069-6460-X.
  3. ^ Gumprecht A, Tillack F, Orlov NL, Captain A, Ryabov S. 2004. Asian Pitvipers. GeitjeBooks Berlin. 1st Edition. 368 pp. ISBN 3-937975-00-4.
  4. ^ Calloselasma (TSN 209552). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved on 3 November 2006.
  5. ^ Calloselasma rhodostoma (TSN 634882). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved on 3 November 2006.
  6. ^ a b c U.S. Navy. 1991. Poisonous Snakes of the World. US Govt. New York: Dover Publications Inc. 203 pp. ISBN 0-486-26629-X.

[edit] External links