Protobothrops elegans

Protobothrops elegans is a venomous pitviper species endemic to Japan in the southern Ryukyu Islands.[1][3] No subspecies are currently recognized.[3][4] Common names include: elegant pitviper,[1][3][4][5] Sakishima habu (サキシマハブ),[6] and elegant tree viper.[7]

Protobothrops elegans
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Genus: Protobothrops
Species:
P. elegans
Binomial name
Protobothrops elegans
(Gray, 1849)
Synonyms
  • Craspedocephalus elegans
    Gray, 1849
  • Trimeresurus luteus
    Boettger, 1895
  • Lachesis luteus Boulenger, 1896
  • Lachesis lutea Boettger, 1898
  • Trimeresurus elegans
    Stejneger, 1907
  • Trimeresurus mucrosq[uamatus]. elegans Mell, 1929
  • Protobothrops elegans
    Kraus, Mink & Brown, 1996[2]

Description

Scalation includes 25 (sometimes 23) rows of dorsal scales at midbody, 179–192 (males) or 182–196 (females) ventral scales, 63–90 subcaudal scales, and 8 (sometimes 7 or 9) supralabial scales.[5]

During 1965–2011, 2447 snakebites from this snake are reported with one fatality.[8]

Geographic range

It is found in Japan in the southern Ryukyu Islands, specifically in the Yaeyama Islands.[1] The type locality is unknown. Boulenger listed it as "---- ?" while Gray's original 1849 description gives "West Coast of [North?] America." A restriction to "Ishigaki-Shima [Ryukyu Islands, Japan]" was proposed by Stejneger (1907).[2]

See also

References

  1. Ota, H.; Kidera, N. (2018). "Protobothrops elegans". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T96265465A96265478. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T96265465A96265478.en. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  2. 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).
  3. Protobothrops elegans at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 15 August 2022.
  4. "Trimeresurus elegans". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  5. Gumprecht A, Tillack F, Orlov NL, Captain A, Ryabov S. 2004. Asian Pitvipers. GeitjeBooks. Berlin. 1st Edition. 368 pp. ISBN 3-937975-00-4.
  6. Mehrtens JM. 1987. Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. ISBN 0-8069-6460-X.
  7. Brown JH. 1973. Toxicology and Pharmacology of Venoms from Poisonous Snakes. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas. 184 pp. LCCCN 73-229. ISBN 0-398-02808-7.
  8. Seiko Matsuda. 沖縄県における平成23 年の毒蛇咬症 [2011 Venomous Snakebite in Okinawa Prefecture] (PDF) (in Japanese). Okinawa Prefectural Institute of Health and Environment, Hygiene Science Group Eiko Maho. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-05-02. Retrieved 2013-03-11.

Further reading

  • Gray, J.E. 1849. Catalogue of the Specimens of Snakes in the Collection of the British Museum. Trustees of the British Museum. London. xv + 125 pp. (Craspedocephalus elegans, p. 7.)
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