Porthidium ophryomegas

Taxobox
name = "Porthidium ophryomegas"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
subphylum = Vertebrata
classis = Reptilia
ordo = Squamata
subordo = Serpentes
familia = Viperidae
subfamilia = Crotalinae
genus = "Porthidium"
species = "P. ophryomegas"
binomial = "Porthidium ophryomegas"
binomial_authority = (Bocourt, 1869)
synonyms = * "Bothrops ophryomegas" - Bocourt, 1868
* "Bothriopsis ophryomegas" - Cope, 1871
* "Bothriechis ophryomegas" - Günther, 1895
* "Trimeresurus ophryomegas" - Mocquard, 1909
* "Trimeresurus lansbergii annectens" - Schmidt, 1936
* "Bothrops lansbergii annectens" - Hoge, 1966
* "Porthidium ophryomegas" - Campbell & Lamar, 1989McDiarmid 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).]

:"Common names: slender hognosed pitviper,Campbell JA, Lamar WW. 2004. The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere. 2 volumes. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca and London. 870 pp. 1500 plates. ISBN 0-8014-4141-2.] western hog-nosed viper.Mehrtens JM. 1987. Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. ISBN 0-8069-6460-X.] ""Porthidium ophryomegas" is a venomous pitviper species found in Central America. No subspecies are currently recognized.ITIS|ID=634902|taxon="Porthidium ophryomegas"|year=2008|date=6 August]

Description

Adults usually grow to a length of 40-60 cm and have a relatively slender build. Females grow larger than males and are often more than 60 cm in length, while males are usually about 45 cm. One exceptional speciemen, a female, was reported to measure 77 cm.

The color pattern consists of a tan, brown, gray or grayish-brown ground color overlaid with a narrow white, yellow or rust brown vertebral stripe and 24-40 dark brown to almost black blotches that oppose or alternate across the vertebral line. The blotches have thin white borders that extend at roughly a right angle from the vertebral line.

Geographic range

Found in Central America in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The type locality given is "les terres chaudes du versant occidental de la Cordillère Escuintla (Guatémala)" (= warm regions on western slope of Cordillera, Escuintla, Guatemala).

Habitat

Occurs in seasonally dry forests, including tropical dry forests, arid forests, subtropical dry forests and the more arid parts of tropical moist forests.

Behavior

When threatened, these snakes have been known to defend themselves vigorously, often striking with such force that the body is thrown forwards or even leaves the ground.

Feeding

The diet consists of rodents and lizards. Juveniles feed mostly on lizards, as well as small frogs if available.

Reproduction

Oviviviparous, females give birth to live young that are about 6 inches (15 cm) in length.

Venom

No deaths have been reported resulting from bites from this species. They are, however, quick to strike and several cases of serious envenomation have required hospitalization. According to Bolaños (1984), of the 477 cases of snakebite in Costa Rica in 1979, three were due to these snakes.

ee also

* List of crotaline species and subspecies
*
*
* Snakebite

References

External links

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