:''Common names: Central American jumping pitviper.Campbell JA, Lamar WW. 2004. ''The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere''. 2 volumes. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca and London. 870 pp. 1500 plates. .'' ''Metlapilcoatlus mexicanus'' is a venomous

pitviper The Crotalinae, commonly known as pit vipers,Mehrtens JM (1987). ''Living Snakes of the World in Color''. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. . crotaline snakes (from grc, κρόταλον ''krotalon'' castanet), or pit adders, are a subfa ...

species endemic to Mexico and Central America.

Description

Adults grow to an average of 50–70 cm (about 20-28 inches) in total length. The maximum total length is for males and for females. The body is extremely stout.

Geographic range

Found in the Atlantic drainage from Mexico (in the Mexican states of Tabasco and

Chiapas Chiapas (; Tzotzil language, Tzotzil and Tzeltal language, Tzeltal: ''Chyapas'' ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas), is one of the states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, ...

) south to the Canal Zone in Panama, both slopes of

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

and Panama. Occurs at elevations of . The type locality given is "Coban, capitale de la province de la Véra-Paz, (République de Guatemala, Amérique centrale)" ( Cobán,

Alta Verapaz Alta Verapaz () is a Departments of Guatemala, department in the north central part of Guatemala. The capital and chief city of the department is Cobán. Verapaz is bordered to the north by Petén (department), El Petén, to the east by Izabal ...

, Guatemala).

Taxonomy

Regarded as a full species, ''Metlapilcoatlus mexicanus'', by Campbell and Lamar (2004).

References

External links

* mexicanus Reptiles of Mexico Snakes of Central America Reptiles of Guatemala Reptiles described in 1854 Taxa named by André Marie Constant Duméril Taxa named by Gabriel Bibron Taxa named by Auguste Duméril Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN {{Alethinophidia-stub