Calloselasma

Calloselasma
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Viperidae
Subfamily:	Crotalinae
Genus:	Calloselasma Cope, 1860
Species:	C. rhodostoma
Binomial name
Calloselasma rhodostoma (Kuhl, 1824)
Synonyms
Tisiphone - Fitzinger, 1843 Leiolepis - AMC Duméril, 1853 Calloselasma - Cope, 1860[1] [Trigonocephalus] rhodostoma - Kuhl, 1824 [Trigonocephalus] rhodostoma - F. Boie, 1827 [Trigonocephalus] praetextatus - Gravenhorst, 1832 Tisiphone rhodostoma - Fitzinger, 1843 L[eiolepis]. rhodostoma - AMC Duméril, 1853 [Calloselasma] rhodostomus - Cope, 1860 T[isiphone]. rhodostoma - Peters, 1862 T[rigonocephalus]. (Tisiphone) rhodostoma - Jan, 1863 Calloselasma rhodostoma - Günther, 1864 Calloselma rhodostoma - Morice, 1875 Ancistrodon rhodostoma - Boettger, 1892 Ancistrodon rhodostoma - Boulenger, 1896 Agkistrodon rhodostoma - Barbour, 1912 Ancistrodon (Calloselasma) rhodostoma - Bourret, 1927 Ancistrodon annamensis - Angel, 1933 [Agkistrodon] annamensis - Pope, 1935 Calloselasma rhodostoma - Campden-Main, 1970[1]

Common names: Malayan pit viper,^[2] Malayan pitviper.^[3]

Calloselasma is a monotypic genus^[4] created for a venomous pitviper species, C. rhodostoma, which is found in Southeast Asia from Thailand to northern Malaysia and on the island of Java.^[1] No subspecies are currently recognized.^[5]

Description

Attains an average length of 76 cm, with females being slightly larger than males. Occasionally, they may grow as large as 91 cm.^[2] This is the only Asian pit viper with large crown scales and smooth dorsal scales.^[6]

Geographic range

Found in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, northern West Malaysia and on the Indonesian island of Java. The type locality is listed as "Java".^[1] There are unconfirmed, but credible reports from southern Myanmar (Burma), northern Sumatra and northern Borneo.

Habitat

Prefers coastal forests, bamboo thickets, unused and overgrown farmland, orchards, plantations as well as forests around plantations.^[2]

Reproduction

This species is oviparous and the eggs are guarded by the female after deposition.^[6]

Venom

This species has a reputation for being bad-tempered and quick to strike. In northern Malaysia it is responsible for some 700 incidents of snakebite annually with a mortality rate of about 2 percent. Remarkably sedentary, it has often been found in the same spot several hours after an incident involving humans.^[6] Its venom causes severe pain and local swelling and sometimes tissue necrosis, but deaths are not common. Unfortunately many victims are left with dysfunctional or amputated limbs due to the lack of antivenom and early treatment.

See also

• List of crotaline species and subspecies
• Crotalinae by common name
• Crotalinae by taxonomic synonyms
• Snakebite

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} 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).
2. ^ ^{a b c} Mehrtens JM. 1987. Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. ISBN 0-8069-6460-X.
3. ^ Gumprecht A, Tillack F, Orlov NL, Captain A, Ryabov S. 2004. Asian Pitvipers. GeitjeBooks Berlin. 1st Edition. 368 pp. ISBN 3-937975-00-4.
4. ^ "Calloselasma". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=209552. Retrieved 3 November 2006. 
5. ^ "Calloselasma rhodostoma". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=634882. Retrieved 3 November 2006. 
6. ^ ^{a b c} U.S. Navy. 1991. Poisonous Snakes of the World. US Govt. New York: Dover Publications Inc. 203 pp. ISBN 0-486-26629-X.

External links

• Calloselasma at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 9 August 2007.
• Calloselasma at Herpbreeder.com. Accessed 26 September 2006.
• Calloselasma image at Glades Herp. Accessed 9 August 2007.