Trimeresurus cornutus

Trimeresurus cornutus
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Genus: Trimeresurus
Species: T. cornutus
Binomial name
Trimeresurus cornutus
Smith, 1930
Synonyms
  • Trimeresurus cornutus - Smith, 1930[1]
Common names: Fan-Si-Pan horned pitviper.[2]

Trimeresurus cornutus is a venomous pitviper species found in Vietnam. Previously, it was known from only two specimens, but was recently rediscovered in the central part of the country. No subspecies are currently recognized.[3]

Contents

Geographic range

Found in Vietnam in Bach Ma and Tonkin. Occurs in rainforests at low elevations. The type locality given is "Fan-si-pan mountains, Tonkin, Indo-China.".[1] (Mount Fan Si Pan, Sa Pa District, Lao Cai Province, northwestern Viertnam).[2]

Gumprecht et al. (2004) write that, previously, this species was known from only two specimens, but was rediscovered in central Vietnam (Phong Nha-Ke Bang NP, Guang Binh province) in 2001 (Ziegler and Herrmann, 2002).[2]

Conservations status

This species is classified as Data Deficient (DD) on the IUCN Red List (v2.3, 1994).[4] This means that there is inadequate information to make a direct, or indirect, assessment of its risk of extinction based on its distribution and/or population status. A taxon in this category may be well studied, and its biology well known, but appropriate data on abundance and/or distribution is lacking. Data Deficient is therefore not a category of threat or Lower Risk. Listing of taxa in this category indicates that more information is required and acknowledges the possibility that future research will show that threatened classification is appropriate. It is important to make positive use of whatever data are available. In many cases great care should be exercised in choosing between DD and threatened status. If the range of a taxon is suspected to be relatively circumscribed, if a considerable period of time has elapsed since the last record of the taxon, threatened status may well be justified. Year assessed: 1996.[5]

Taxonomy

Herrmann et al. (2004) moved this species to Protobothrops based on external and hemipenal morphology, as well as molecular data.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ 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).
  2. ^ a b c d Gumprecht A, Tillack F, Orlov NL, Captain A, Ryabov S. 2004. Asian Pitvipers. GeitjeBooks Berlin. 1st Edition. 368 pp. ISBN 3-937975-00-4.
  3. ^ "Trimeresurus cornutus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=634908. Retrieved 3 August 2007. 
  4. ^ Trimeresurus cornutus at the IUCN Red List. Accessed 2 September 2007.
  5. ^ 1994 Categories & Criteria (version 2.3) at the IUCN Red List. Accessed 2 September 2007.

External links