Trimeresurus tibetanus

Trimeresurus tibetanus, also commonly known as the Tibetan bamboo pit viper[4] and the Tibetan pit viper, is a species of venomous pit viper in the family Viperidae. The species is found only in Tibet. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.[5]

Trimeresurus tibetanus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Genus: Trimeresurus
Species:
T. tibetanus
Binomial name
Trimeresurus tibetanus
Huang, 1982
Synonyms

Description

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The scalation of T. tibetanus includes 21 (19 or 20) rows of dorsal scales at midbody, 147–152/145–159 ventral scales in males/females, 46–54/40–48 subcaudal scales in males/females, and 7–9 supralabial scales.[4]

Geographic range

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T. tibetanus is endemic to Tibet (Tibet Autonomous Region, China). The type locality given is "Xizang Province, Nielamou District, Quekesumou, altitude 3,200 metres (10,500 ft)". In their English translation of Huang's publication, David and Tong (1997) list the type locality as "Tibet", but give "Naylam, Chokesumo" in the summary.[2]

Habitat

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T. tibetanus is found at altitudes of 2,700–3,200 m (8,900–10,500 ft) in a variety of natural habitats, including forest, shrubland, grassland, and rocky areas, and it has also been found disturbed areas such as cropland.[1]

Reproduction

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T. tibetanus has been observed to be both oviparous[1] and ovoviviparous.[1][3]

Etymology

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The specific name, karahahi, of the junior synonym is in honor of Nepali zoologist Karan Bahadur Shah.[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Rao, D.-Q.; Li, P.; Tshewang, S.; Limbu, K.P.; Bhattarai S. (2022). "Trimeresurus tibetanus (amended version of 2021 assessment)". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022. IUCN: e.T178471A219112026. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T178471A219112026.en. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b 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).
  3. ^ a b Species Trimeresurus tibetanus at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
  4. ^ a b Gumprecht A, Tillack F, Orlov NL, Captain A, Ryabov S (2004). Asian Pit vipers. First Edition. Berlin: Geitje Books. 368 pp. ISBN 3-937975-00-4.
  5. ^ "Trimeresurus tibetanus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 28 July 2008.
  6. ^ Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Trimeresurus karanshahi, p. 138).

Further reading

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  • David, Patrick; Tong, Haiyan (1997). "Translations of Recent Descriptions of Chinese Pitvipers of the Trimeresurus-complex (Serpentes, Viperidae), with a Key to the Complex in China and Adjacent Areas". Smithsonian Herpetological Information Service (112): 1-31.
  • Huang, Zheng-yi (1982). "[A New Species of Crotalid Snake from Tibet]" Journal of Fudan University (Natural Science) 21 (1): 116–118. (Trimeresurus tibetanus, new species). (in Chinese).