Tropidolaemus

Tropidolaemus
Wagler's viper, T. wagleri
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Subfamily: Crotalinae
Genus: Tropidolaemus
Wagler, 1830[1]
Common names: temple pit vipers.

Tropidolaemus is a genus of venomous pitvipers found in southern India and Southeast Asia.[1] Currently, 4 species are recognised and no subspecies.[2]

Description

Tropidolaemus subannulatus

Tropidolaemus are sexually dimorphic. Females can attain total lengths of up to 1 metre (39⅜ inches), but males are typically only around 75 cm (29 1⁄2 in). They have a distinctly broad, triangular-shaped head and a relatively thin body.

They are found in a wide variety of colours and patterns, which are often referred to as "phases". Some sources even classify the different phases as subspecies. Phases vary greatly from having a black or brown colouration as a base, with orange and yellow banding, to others having a light green as the base colour, with yellow or orange banding, and many variations therein.

Geographic range

Tropidolaemus is native to southern India and Southeast Asia.[1]

Behaviour

These species are primarily arboreal, and are excellent climbers. They spend most of their time nearly motionless, in wait for prey to pass by. They may be diurnal or nocturnal, with their activity period depending on the temperature.[3]

Feeding

The diet includes small mammals, birds, lizards and frogs.[3]

Reproduction

The average litter consists of between twelve and fifteen young, with the neonates measuring 12–15 cm (4¾-5⅞ inches) in total length.[3]

Species

Species[2] Taxon author[2] Common name[3] Geographic range[1]
T. huttoni (M.A. Smith, 1949) Hutton's pit viper The High Wavy Mountains in Madurai district, southern India.
T. laticinctus (Kuch, Gumprecht, & Melaun, 2007) Broad-banded temple pit viper Indonesia on the island of Sulawesi.
T. philippinensis (Vogel, 2007) South Philippine temple pit viper The Philippines (western Mindanao).
T. subannulatus (Gray, 1842) Bornean keeled green pit viper
T. wagleriT (F. Boie, 1827) Wagler's pit viper Southern Thailand and West Malaysia. In Indonesia on Sumatra and the nearby islands of the Riau Archipelago, Bangka, Billiton, Nias, the Mentawai Islands (Siberut), Natuna, Karimata, Borneo (Sabah, Sarawak, Kalimantan), Sulawesi and Buton. In the Philippines on the islands of Balabac, Basilan, Bohol, Dinagat, Jolo, Leyte, Luzon, Mindanoa, Negros, Palawan, Samar and Tumindao.

T) Type species.[1]

Taxonomy

The two species here were once classified as Trimeresurus, but were given their own genus due to distinct morphological characteristics.

One new species, T. laticinctus, was described recently by Kuch, Gumprecht and Melaun (2007). It is found on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. The type locality is "between L. Posso and Tomini Bay, Celebes" [= between Lake Poso and Tomini Bay, Province of Sulawesi Tengah, Indonesia]."[4][5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
  2. 1 2 3 "Tropidolaemus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 3 November 2006.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Mehrtens JM. 1987. Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. ISBN 0-8069-6460-X.
  4. ↑ Tropidolaemus laticinctus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 12 December 2007.
  5. ↑ Kuch U, Gumprecht A & Melaun C. 2007. A new species of Temple Pitviper (Tropidolaemus Wagler, 1830) from Sulawesi, Indonesia (Squamata: Viperidae: Crotalinae). Zootaxa 1446: 1–20.
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