Agkistrodon taylori

Agkistrodon taylori is a venomous pitviper species[5] found only in northeastern Mexico. It is named in honor of American herpetologist Edward Harrison Taylor.[6]

Agkistrodon taylori
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Genus: Agkistrodon
Species:
A. taylori
Binomial name
Agkistrodon taylori
Burger & Robertson, 1951
Synonyms[2][3]
Common names: Taylor's cantil,[4] ornate cantil.

Description
A. taylori, juvenile.

Adults of A. taylori usually attain a total length (including tail) of 64–90 cm (25 1⁄4–35 3⁄8 in), with some growing to 96 cm (37 3⁄4 in). The species has a heavy body and a relatively long tail: 16-19% of total body length in males and 13-18% in females.[7]

Geographic range

A. taylori is native to Mexico, where it occurs in the northeastern states of Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, and Tamaulipas.[4] The type locality is "21 km north of Villagrán, Tamaulipas, Mexico".[2]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of A. taylori are forest, grassland, and freshwater wetlands.[1]

Conservation status

A. taylori is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (v3.1, 2001).[1] 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 unknown. Year assessed: 2007.[8]

Feeding

A. taylori feeds primarily on rodents and amphibians. Juveniles are known to employ the yellowish tip of their tail as a lure to attract small insectivorous vertebrates. The yellowish tip fades as the animals mature, as does this behavior.

Reproduction

A. taylori is viviparous.[3]

Taxonomy

This taxon was elevated to species status (A. taylori ) by Parkinson, Zamudio and Greene (2000) based on mitochondrial DNA sequences.

Agkistrodon taylori is a vertebrate in the subfamily Crotalinae.

Captivity

Because of its attractive coloration and relatively small size, examples of A. taylori are somewhat popular in the exotic pet trade, with captive bred individuals occasionally being available. The care requirements are fairly basic, similar to A. contortrix. This species of snake is, however, not for the inexperienced keeper. The venom of A. taylori is significantly stronger than that of A. contortrix and can cause severe tissue damage and even death if untreated. Dry bites are seldom reported, and A. taylori may strike repeatedly.

References
  1. Lavin P, Mendoza-Quijano F, Hammerson GA (2007). Agkistrodon taylori. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. Downloaded on 13 April 2015.
  2. McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré TA (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
  3. "Agkistrodon taylori ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  4. Gloyd HK, Conant R (1990). Snakes of the Agkistrodon Complex: A Monographic Review. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 614 pp. 52 plates. LCCN 89-50342. ISBN 0-916984-20-6.
  5. "Agkistrodon bilineatus taylori ". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2 November 2006.
  6. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Agkistrodon bilineatus taylori, p. 261).
  7. Campbell JA, Lamar WW (2004). The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere. Ithaca and London: Comstock Publishing Associates. 870 pp. 1500 plates. ISBN 0-8014-4141-2.
  8. 2001 Categories & Criteria (version 3.1) at the IUCN Red List. Accessed 14 September 2007.

Further reading
  • Burger WL, Robertson WB (1951). "A New Subspecies of the Mexican Moccasin, Agkistrodon bilineatus ". University of Kansas Science Bulletin 34 (1): 213-218. (Agkistrodon bilineatus taylori, new subspecies).
  • Parkinson CL, Zamudio KR, Greene HW (2000). "Phylogeography of the pitviper clade Agkistrodon: historical ecology, species status, and conservation of the cantils". Molecular Ecology 9: 411-420.
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