Lachesis melanocephala
| Lachesis melanocephala | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Viperidae |
| Genus: | Lachesis |
| Species: | L. melanocephala
|
| Binomial name | |
| Lachesis melanocephala | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
Lachesis melanocephala is a species of venomous pit viper in the family Viperidae. The species is native to Costa Rica and Panama. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.[3][4]
Common names[edit]
Common names for L. melanocephala include black-headed bushmaster,[5] as well as cascabel muda ("silent rattlesnake") and matabuey in Spanish.
Description[edit]
Adults of L. melanocephala frequently grow to 1.9–2 m (6.2–6.6 ft) in total length (including tail). The largest reported specimens were 2.3 m (7.5 ft) by Solórzano (2004), and 2.4 m (7.9 ft) by Ripa (2001).
The top of the head is uniform black in color,[5] to which the specific name, melanocephala, and common name refer.
Geographic range[edit]
L. melanocephala is found in Costa Rica on the Pacific versant of southeastern Puntarenas province from near sea level to about 1500 m (about 4,900 feet). It is also found in Finca Hartmann in Panama's Chiriqui Province. The type locality given is "tropical rainforest 9 km northern of Ciudad Neily in southeastern Provincia de Puntarenas, Costa Rica."[2]
Campbell and Lamar (2004) describe its range as southwestern Costa Rica and possibly extreme western Panama, but state that almost all locality records are from Puntarenas province.[5][6] Savage (2002) and Dwyer & Perez (2009) confirmed its existence in Panama.[1]
Diet[edit]
L. melanocephala preys predominately upon small rodents, especially spiny rats.[1]
Reproduction[edit]
L. melanocephala is oviparous.[3]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Solórzano, A., Porras, L.W., Chaves, G., Acosta Chaves, V. & Dwyer, Q. (2021). "Lachesis melanocephala". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T203668A2769585. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré TA (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
- ^ a b Lachesis melanocephala at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 19 March 2015.
- ^ "Lachesis melanocephala". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 5 August 2008.
- ^ a b c Campbell JA, Lamar WW (2004). The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere. 2 volumes. Ithaca and London: Comstock Publishing Associates. 870 pp., 1,500 plates. ISBN 0-8014-4141-2.
- ^ Fernandez, Ileana (2022-09-01). "Rare "Plato Negro" Snake Species Rescued in Costa Rica". The Tico Times | Costa Rica News | Travel | Real Estate. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
Further reading[edit]
- Savage JM (2002). The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica: A Herpetofauna between Two Continents, between Two Seas. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. xx + 945 pp. ISBN 0-226-73537-0.
- Solórzano, Alejandro; Cerdas, Luis (1986). "A New Subspecies of the Bushmaster, Lachesis muta, from Southeastern Costa Rica". Journal of Herpetology 20 (3): 463–466. (Lachesis muta melanocephala, new subspecies).
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