Ophryacus sphenophrys is a venomous pitviper species endemic to the mountains of eastern Mexico.[1] No subspecies are currently recognized.[2][3]
| Ophryacus sphenophrys | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Viperidae |
| Genus: | Ophryacus |
| Species: | O. sphenophrys
|
| Binomial name | |
| Ophryacus sphenophrys Grünwald, Jones, Franz-Chávez & Ahumada-Carrillo, 2015
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
- Common names: Broad-horned pitviper.
Description
editNo rattle. Head wide with a pointed snout. Broad supraocular horn present, which is in contact with upper preocular. Horn shape is wider than tall.[4] Internasal shape slightly keeled. Canth is pointed then fused with horn. 10 supralabials, 3 interoculabials, 10-12 intersupraoculars, 33 interrictals, 171 ventrals. There is a short and straight tail spine. Palatine teeth absent.[4]
Body bright yellow with black stippling and reticulations all over the dorsum. There are 40 dark blotches, which are outlined in black. In mid dorsal region, it forms an undulating dark stripe. Head also bright yellow in color and contains black stippling. On the parietal portion of the head, there is a distinctive dark blotch in the shape of the letter “M”. Ventral surface yellow and flecked with small black spots. Tail darker olive-green with pale yellow banding. Scales of head speckled with green. There is a faint pale gray-green postocular stripe.[4]
Geographic range
editIt is found in south-central Oaxaca.[5] Habitats include montane cloud forest, humid pine-oak woodland and pine forest with secondary vegetation.[4]
Behavior
editTerrestrial and less arboreal.[4]
References
edit- ^ "Ophryacus undulates group". ncbi. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ^ Ophryacus sphenophrys at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 13 December 2017.
- ^ "Ophryacus sphenophrys". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ^ a b c d e "A new species of Ophryacus (Serpentes: Viperidae: Crotalinae) from eastern Mexico, with comments on the taxonomy of related pitvipers" (PDF). Mesoamerican Herpertology. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ^ "New species of venomous snake discovered in endangered Mexican cloud forests". mongabay. 7 January 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2018.