Cerrophidion

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Lepidosauromorpha
Superordo: Lepidosauria
Ordo: Squamata
Subordo: Serpentes
Infraordo: Caenophidia
Superfamilia: Viperoidea

Familia: Viperidae
Subfamilia: Crotalinae
Genus: Cerrophidion
Species (5): C. godmani – C. petlalcalensis – C. sasai – C. tzotzilorum – C. wilsoni
Name

Cerrophidion Campbell & Lamar, 1992: 24

Type species: Bothriechis godmanni Günther, 1863, by original designation.

References
Primary references

Campbell, J.A. & Lamar, W.W. 1992. Taxonomic status of miscellaneous Neotropical viperids, with the description of a new genus. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Texas Tech University 153: 1–31. BHL Reference page.

Vernacular names
English: Montane Pit Vipers
español: Nauyaca de montaña

Cerrophidion is a genus of venomous pitvipers which are endemic to southern Mexico, Central America, and western Panama.[1] The generic name, Cerrophidion, is derived from the Spanish word cerro, which means "mountain", and the Greek word ophidion, which means "small snake".[2] Two species are currently recognized, but no subspecies.[3]

Description

These snakes grow to a maximum total length of 82.2 cm (32+1⁄4 in) (for C. godmani), but usually do not exceed 50–55 in (1,270–1,397 mm). The head scalation is highly variable, with some scales being enlarged, especially in the frontal region. The fact that the prelacunal is not fused with any of the supralabial scales is characteristic for this genus. The rest of the scalation is as follows: 1-7 intersupraoculars, 7-11 supralabials, 8-12 sublabials, 120-150 ventral scales, 22-36 subcaudal scales (undivided), and 17-21 rows (rarely 23) of dorsal scales at midbody.[2]
Geographic range

Snakes of this genus are found in southern Mexico (in the highlands of the Mexican states of Guerrero and southeastern Oaxaca), southward though the highlands of Central America (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, northern Nicaragua and Costa Rica) to western Panama.[1]
Species

Image	Species[3]	Taxon author[3]	Common name[2]	Geographic range[1]
	C. godmaniT	(Günther, 1863)	Godman's montane pitviper	Southeastern Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico, through Central America to western Panama at moderate to high elevations.
	C. petlalcalensis	López-Luna, Vogt, & de la Torre-Loranca, 1999		Veracruz in Mexico.
	C. sasai	Jadin, Townsend, Castoe, & Campbell, 2012	Costa Rica montane pitviper	Costa Rica and western Panama.
	C. tzotzilorum	(Campbell, 1985)	Tzotzil montane pitviper	Meseta Central of Chiapas, Mexico.
	C. wilsoni	Jadin, Townsend, Castoe & Campbell, 2012	Honduras montane pitviper	Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.

T) Type species.[1]
Taxonomy

One additional new species has been described: C. petlalcalensis López-Luna, Vogt & Torre-Loranca, 1999.[2]
References

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).
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.

"Cerrophidion". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 3 November 2006.

Further reading

Campbell, J.A., and W.W. Lamar. 1992. Taxonomic status of miscellaneous Neotropical viperids, with the description of a new genus. Occ. Papers Mus. Texas Tech Univ. 153: 1-31.