To use all functions of this page, please activate cookies in your browser.
my.bionity.com
With an accout for my.bionity.com you can always see everything at a glance – and you can configure your own website and individual newsletter.
- My watch list
- My saved searches
- My saved topics
- My newsletter
Agkistrodon bilineatus
Agkistrodon bilineatus is a venomous pitviper species found in Mexico and Central America as far south as Costa Rica.[1] Four subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.[5] Additional recommended knowledge
DescriptionThese are heavy bodied snakes, and share the same general body structure with cottonmouths. They average around 60 cm in length and have a broad, triangular shaped head with small eyes that have vertical pupils. Coloration can vary, but most are brown or black, with darker brown or black banding, sometimes with white or cream colored accents. A. taylori is known for being more elaborately patterned, often having distinct tan colored banding, sometimes with orange or yellow accents that can almost appear gold in color. Juveniles of both species are almost always distinctly banded, with a bright green or yellow tip to their tail, which they use to lure prey with. As they age, their pattern and coloration fades and darkens. Common namesCantil,[2][3] common cantil,[4] Mexican moccasin,[3] tropical moccasin,[6] Mexican cantil.[7] Geographic rangeMexico and Central America. On the Atlantic side it is found in Mexico in Tamaulipas, Nuevo León, possibly northern Veracruz and Chiapas (in the Middle Grijalva Valley). On the Yucatan Peninsula it occurs in Campeche, Yucatán, Quintana Roo and northern Belize. On the Pacific side it is found from southern Sonora in Mexico south through Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua to southwestern Costa Rica. On the Pacific side the distribution is almost continuous, while on the Atlantic side it is disjunct. The type locality given is "Pacific coast of Guatemala."[1] Conservation statusThis species is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (v3.1, 2001).[8] A species is listed as such when it has been evaluated against the criteria but does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable now, but is close to qualifying for, or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future. The population trend is down. Year assessed: 2007.[9] The primary ecological concern is habitat loss. BehaviorMuch like the American cottonmouth, this species has a reputation for having a nasty disposition and being extremely dangerous, a reputation probably not well deserved. They are shy by nature, and if threatened their first instinct is usually to flee. If unable to flee they will threat display by raising their head and sometimes opening their mouth. They generally will only strike if given no other choice. ReproductionBreeding occurs in the spring, and like most other viper species, cantils are ovoviviparous, giving birth to 5-20 young at a time. CaptivityExport from Mexico is not permitted, but cantils of both species are often captive bred, making them frequently available in the exotic pet trade. They are also well represented in zoos throughout North America and Europe. VenomThe venom is considered medically significant to humans. Instituto Clodomiro Picado, in Costa Rica, manufactures a polyvalent antivenin. Subspecies
TaxonomyA new subspecies, A. b. lemosespinali, was described by Smith and Chiszar (2001) based on a single specimen from near Palma Sola, Veracruz, Mexico.[10] See also
References
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Agkistrodon_bilineatus". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia. |