Crotalus stephensi

Crotalus stephensi is a venomous pitviper species[3] found in central and southern Nevada and adjacent California.[4] Common names include panamint rattlesnake, panamint rattler, Owens Valley rattler, and tiger rattlesnake (not to be confused with C. tigris).[5]

Crotalus stephensi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Genus: Crotalus
Species:
C. stephensi
Binomial name
Crotalus stephensi
Klauber, 1930
Synonyms
  • Crotalus confluentus stephensi
    Klauber, 1930
  • Crotalus mitchellii stephensi
    — Klauber, 1936
  • Crotalus mitchellii stephensi
    — Schmidt, 1953
  • Crotalus mitchellii stephensi
    — McCrystal & McCoid, 1986[1]
  • Crotalus stephensi
    — Douglas et al., 2007
  • Crotalus stephensi
    — Beaman & Hayes, 2008[2]

Etymology

The specific name, stephensi, is in honor of Frank Stephens (1849–1937), curator emeritus of the San Diego Society of Natural History.[6][7]

Description

Adults of C. stephensi are 58 to 132 cm (23 to 52 in) in total length (including tail), with an average of 60 to 91 cm (24 to 36 in).[8]

According to Klauber (1936), this species is characterized by the absence of the vertical light line on the posterior edge of the prenasal and first supralabial scales. The supraocular scales are pitted, sutured, or with the outer edges broken.[5]

The color pattern consists of a straw, tan, buff, brown, or gray ground color, overlaid with a series of buff, gray, brown, or deep red-brown blotches. Often, gray suffusions occur on the sides of the body and head, and a scattering of black-tipped scales occur on the back, especially at the edges of the blotches.[5]

Geographic range

Crotalus stephensi is found in desert-mountain areas of the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada from Mono County, California, east to Nye County, Nevada, south through southwestern Nevada, southeast to Clark County, Nevada, and southwest to central San Bernardino County, California at 900 to 2,400 m (3,000 to 7,900 ft) altitude.[5]

Feeding

The diet of C. stephensi consists of small mammals, lizards, and birds.[8]

Reproduction

Crotalus stephensi is ovoviviparous, and the young are born in July and August. Neonates are about 25 cm in total length.[8]

See also

References
  1. 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).
  2. "Crotalus stephensi ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  3. "Crotalus stephensi ". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 5 November 2006.
  4. Behler JL, King FW (1979). The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 743 pp. LCCCN 79-2217. ISBN 0-394-50824-6. (Crotalus mitchelli stephensi, p. 690 + Plate 646).
  5. Wright AH, Wright AA (1957). Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Ithaca and London: Comstock Publishing Associates. (7th printing, 1985). 1,105 pp. (in 2 volumes). ISBN 0-8014-0463-0. (Crotalus mitchelli stephensi, pp. 976-980, Figure 279 + Map 68 on p. 971).
  6. Beltz, Ellin. 2006. Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America – Explained. http://ebeltz.net/herps/biogappx.html#S
  7. 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. (Crotalus stephensi, p. 253).
  8. Crotalus mitchellii stephensi Archived 2006-03-15 at the Wayback Machine at Californiaherps.com. Accessed 5 November 2006.

Further reading
  • Klauber LM (1930). "New and Renamed Subspecies of Crotalus confluentus Say, with Remarks on Related Species". Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist. 6 (3): 95-144. (Crotalus confluentus stephensi, new subspecies, pp. 108–111).
  • Klauber LM (1936). Crotalus mitchellii, the Speckled Rattlesnake". Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist. 8 (19): 149-184. (Crotalus mitchellii stephensi, new combination, pp. 162–166).
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.