Cerrophidion | |
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Godman's montane pitviper, C. godmani | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Serpentes |
Family: | Viperidae |
Subfamily: | Crotalinae |
Genus: | Cerrophidion Campbell & Lamar, 1992 |
Synonyms | |
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Cerrophidion is a genus of venomous pitvipers that are found in southern Mexico, southward through the highlands of Central America to western Panama.[1] The name is derived from the Spanish word cerro, which means "mountain", and the Greek word ophidion, which means "small snake."[2] Four species are currently recognized and no subspecies.[3]
Contents |
These snakes grow to a maximum length of 82.2 cm (for C. godmani), but usually do not exceed more than 50-55 cm. The head scalation is highly variable, with some 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 (rarely 23) dorsal scales at midbody.[2]
Found in southern Mexica (in the highlands 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[3] | Taxon author[3] | Common name[2] | Geographic range[1] |
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C. barbouri | (Dunn, 1919) | Barbour's montane pitviper | Highlands of the Sierra Madre del Sur in the state of Guerrero, Mexico. |
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. tzotzilorum | (Campbell, 1985) | Tzotzil montane pitviper | Meseta Central of Chiapas, Mexico. |
T) Type species.[1]
One new species has been described: C. petlalcalensis, López-luna, Vogt & Torre-loranca (1999).[2]