Crotalus intermedius

Crotalus intermedius
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Viperidae
Subfamily:	Crotalinae
Genus:	Crotalus
Species:	C. intermedius
Binomial name
Crotalus intermedius Troschel, 1865
Synonyms
Crotalus intermedius - Troschel In Müller, 1865 Crotalus intermedius - Fischer, 1881 Sistrurus intermedius - Garman, 1884 Crotalus intermedius intermedius - Klauber, 1952[1]

Common names: Mexican small-headed rattlesnake.^[2]

Crotalus intermedius is a venomous pitviper species found in central and southern Mexico. Three subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.^[3]

Description

This species grows to a maximum length of 50-60 cm. Males are somewhat larger than females. Klauber (1972) gives a maximum length of 57 cm, although captive specimens may grow larger.^[2]

Geographic range

Found in central and southern Mexico, more specifically in southeastern Hidalgo, southern Tlaxcala, northeastern and south-central Puebla, west-central Veracruz, Oaxaca (in the Sierra Juárez, Cerro San Filipe and the surrounding mountains, Sierra de Cuatro Venados, Sierra Madre del Sur, and the Sierra de Mihuatlán), and in Guerrero (in the Sierra Madre del Sur, west of Chilpancingo). A type locality was not given in the original paper, but "Mexico" is inferred from the title.^[1] Smith and Taylor (1950) restricted it to "El Limón, Totalco, Veracruz, Mexico."^[2]

Habitat

Much of the range of this species consists of seasonally dry pine-oak forest. However, it has also been found in cloud forest near Omilteme in Guerrero, as well as in the desert near Cacaloapan in Puebla, and Pachuca in Hidalgo.^[2] Found at elevations between 2,000 and 3,200 m.^[1]

Conservation status

This species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (v3.1, 2001).^[4] 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 stable. Year assessed: 2007.^[5]

Subspecies

Subspecies[3]	Taxon author[3]	Common name[6]	Geographic range[2]
C. i. intermedius	Troschel, 1865	Totalcan small-headed rattlesnake	Mexico, in southeastern Hidalgo, northeastern Puebla, west-central Veracruz, and southwestern Tlaxcala. Type locality: "El Limón, Totalco, Veracruz, Mexico."
C. i. gloydi	Taylor, 1941	Oaxacan small-headed rattlesnake	Mexico, in south, central and northern Oaxaca, and central Puebla. Type locality: "Cero San Filipe (elevation 10,000 ft.) near [15 km northwest of] Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico."
C. i. omiltemanus	Günther, 1895	Omilteman small-headed rattlesnake	Mexico, in Guerrero, in several areas west of Chilpancingo. Type locality: "Mexico, Omilteme in Guerrero."

See also

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

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} 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 d e} Campbell JA, Lamar WW. 2004. The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca and London. 870 pp. 1500 plates. ISBN 0-8014-4141-2.
3. ^ ^{a b c} "Crotalus intermedius". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=585825. Retrieved 9 July 2007. 
4. ^ Crotalus intermedius at the IUCN Red List. Accessed 13 September 2007.
5. ^ 2001 Categories & Criteria (version 3.1) at the IUCN Red List. Accessed 13 September 2007.
6. ^ Klauber LM. 1997. Rattlesnakes: Their Habitats, Life Histories, and Influence on Mankind. Second Edition. First published in 1956, 1972. University of California Press, Berkeley. ISBN 0-520-21056-5.

External links

• Crotalus intermedius at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 12 December 2007.