Crotalus pusillus
| Crotalus pusillus | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Crotalus pusillus | ||||||||||||
| Klauber , 1952 |
Crotalus pusillus is a kind of rattlesnake ( Crotalus ) within the vipers (Viperidae). Their distribution area is limited to a few mountain regions in southern Jalisco and western to central Michoacin in Mexico .
features
Crotalus pusillus is one of the smallest species of rattlesnake with a maximum body length of around 50 centimeters. It has a gray to gray-brown basic color with a series of dark spots on the back, the spaces between which are reddish-brown. The snake can have other dark spots on the flanks. A very wide, black or dark gray band runs from the eyes to the corners of the mouth. Above and below this band there are narrower, light gray bands that increase the contrast.
distribution and habitat
The range of the snake is limited to a few mountain regions at altitudes of 1,500 to 2,400 m in southern Jalisco and western to central Michoacin in Mexico . It mainly stays in clear areas, for example in clearings in the pine and oak forests of the region.
Snake venom
There is no information about the specific effects and composition of the poison of this species.
Hazard and protection
Crotalus pusillus is classified as endangered in the IUCN Red List (EN B1ab (iii)). Loss of habitat due to agricultural use and urbanization is viewed as the main risk factor. However, more precise information on the population development is not known.
supporting documents
Evidence cited
Most of the information in this article has been taken from the sources given under literature; the following sources are also cited:
- ↑ Crotalus pusillus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2007. Posted by: Ponce Campos, P. & García Aguayo, A., 2007. Accessed on 7 April of 2008.
literature
- Chris Mattison: Rattlers! - A natural history of rattlesnakes. Blandford, London 1996. ISBN 0-7137-2534-6