Gloydius monticola

Gloydius monticola is a venomous pitviper species endemic to southern China. A small and darkly colored snake with no visible color pattern, it is found high in the mountains of northern Yunnan province. No subspecies are currently recognized.[5]

Gloydius monticola
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Genus: Gloydius
Species:
G. monticola
Binomial name
Gloydius monticola
(F. Werner, 1922)
Synonyms
  • Ancistrodon blomhoffi monticola F. Werner, 1922
  • Agkistrodon halys monticola – Gee, 1929
  • Agkistrodon monticola
    – Mell, 1929
  • Agkistrodon strauchi popei Mell, 1931
  • Ancistrodon halys monticola – Rendahl, 1933
  • Agkistrodon blomhoffi monticola – Mertens, 1934
  • Gloydius monticola
    – Hoge & Romano-Hoge, 1981[2]
Common names: Likiang pit viper,[3] Likiang pitviper.[4]

Description

Gloyd and Conant (1990) state that the only male they examined was 37.4 cm (14.7 in) long with a 5.4 cm (2.1 in) tail. The largest female was 49.8 cm (19.6 in) in length with a tail of 5.9 cm (2.3 in). The body is relatively slender, although adult females are more stout. The snout is rounded, while the head is not markedly wider than the neck.[3]

Scalation includes 6 supralabial scales, 19 rows of keeled dorsal scales at midbody, 140 ventral scales, a single anal scale, and 32 paired subcaudal scales.[3]

The coloration consists of a black, dark brown, or dark gray ground color, with almost no discernible pattern. Exceptions to this rule may have labial scales with a whitish border along the line of the mouth, a few whitish subcaudal scales at the tail tip, or a faint hint of a dorsal pattern.[3]

Geographic range

Found in southern China in the mountains of northern Yunnan[2] at elevations of 3,600–4,000 m (11,800–13,100 ft)[3] The type locality given is "Yao-Schan bei Lidjiang, NW-Yünnan, 3600 m." [Yaoshan, near Lijiang, northwestern Yunnan, China, 3,600 m (11,800 ft)].[2]

References
  1. Li, P.; Rao, D.-q. & Guo, P. (2012). "Gloydius monticola". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012: e.T192093A2038837. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T192093A2038837.en.
  2. 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).
  3. 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.
  4. Gumprecht A, Tillack F, Orlov NL, Captain A, Ryabov S. 2004. Asian Pitvipers. GeitjeBooks. Berlin. 1st Edition. 368 pp. ISBN 3-937975-00-4.
  5. "Gloydius monticola". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 9 August 2008.

Further reading
  • Werner, F. 1922. Neue Reptilien aus Süd-China, gesammelt von Dr. H. Handel-Mazzetti. Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien. Mathematisch-naturwissenschaftliche Klasse 59 (24-25): 220-222. ("Ancistrodon blomhoffi monticola subsp. n.", p. 222.)
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