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Crotalus tortugensis

Crotalus tortugensis

Least Concern (IUCN)

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Viperidae
Subfamily:	Crotalinae
Genus:	Crotalus
Species:	C. tortugensis

Binomial name

Crotalus tortugensis
Van Denburgh & Slevin, 1921

Synonyms

Crotalus tortugensis - Van Denburgh & Slevin, 1921
Crotalus atrox tortugensis - Stejneger & Barbour, 1933
Crotalus tortuguensis - Hoge & Romano-Hoge, 1971
Crotalus atrox tortuguensis - Hoge & Romano-Hoge, 1971
Crotalus tortugensis - Golay et al., 1993^[1]

Common names: Tortuga Island diamond rattlesnake,^[2]^[3] Tortuga Island rattlesnake,^[4] more.

Crotalus tortugensis is a venomous pitviper species found only on Tortuga Island in the Gulf of California. No subspecies are currently recognized.^[5]

Additional recommended knowledge

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Description

This species is smaller than its close relative, C. atrox, with large males not growing to much more than 100 cm in length. The largest specimen on record is 105.8 cm (Klauber, 1972). Compared to C. atrox, the head is shorter relative to the length of the body -- a trait considered to be an indication of dwarfing, which is common in island populations.^[2]

The color pattern consists of a gray to gray-brown ground color, occasionally with a slight purplish or pinkish hue, overlaid dorsally with a series of 32-41 dark brown to purplish brown blotches running down the length of the body. The blotches are hexagonal or diamond shaped, marked with black spots, and bordered with irregular black mottling.^[2]

Common names

Tortuga Island diamond rattlesnake,^[2] Tortuga Island rattlesnake,^[4] Tortuga diamond rattlesnake.^[6]

Geographic range

Found only on Tortuga Island, Baja California Sur, in the Gulf of California, Mexico. The type locality is "Tortuga Island."^[1]

Habitat

Lives in barren, rocky, desert terrain, sparsly covered with brush and cacti.^[2]

Conservation status

This species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (v3.1, 2001).^[7] 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 stable. Year assessed: 2007.^[8]

However, this it is threatened due to its limited range, even though it is common on the island.^[9]

Behavior

Although Van Denburgh reported that they would rattle vigorously when approached, it has been described as being less excitable than C. atrox, its mainland relative.^[3]

Feeding

Its diet apparently consists of mice. Several specimens from the island are reported to have contained mammal hair, and a white-footed mouse, Peromyscus dickeyi, is common on the island.^[3]

Venom

Klauber (1997) gives an average venom yield of 56 mg for this species. For comparison, the same study yielded an average of 277 mg for C. atrox.^[3]

Taxonomy

Even though most recent authors consider this taxon to be distinct, it may actually be conspecific with C. atrox.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c 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 ^c ^d ^e 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.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Klauber LM. 1997. Rattlesnakes: Their Habitats, Life Histories, and Influence on Mankind. Second Edition. First published in 1956, 1972. University of California Press, Berkeley. ISBN 0-520-21056-5.
^ ^a ^b Crotalus tortugensis at Rattlesnakes. Accessed 23 March 2007.
^ Crotalus tortugensis (TSN 585830). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on 23 April 2007.
^ Ditmars RL. 1933. Reptiles of the World. Revised Edition. The MacMillan Company. 329 pp. 89 plates.
^ Crotalus tortugensis at the IUCN Red List. Accessed 13 September 2007.
^ 2001 Categories & Criteria (version 3.1) at the IUCN Red List. Accessed 13 September 2007.
^ Crotalus tortugensis at San Diego Natural History Museum. Accessed 23 April 2007.

Category: Crotalus

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Crotalus_tortugensis". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia.