:''Common names: El Muerto Island speckled rattlesnake.
[ Klauber LM. 1997. ''Rattlesnakes: Their Habitats, Life Histories, and Influence on Mankind''. Second Edition. 2 volumes. Reprint, University of California Press, Berkeley. .]''
''Crotalus mitchellii muertensis'' 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 ...
subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
to
El Muerto Island,
Mexico. It is sometimes treated as a full species, ''Crotalus muertensis''.
[
]
Description
A dwarfed form, adults grow to a maximum length of .
Geographic range
Known only from the type locality,
Habitat
It is common in all habitats within the El Muerto Island: rocks and rubble of talus slopes, scrub, hill ridges, and the intertidal zone.[
]
Conservation status
This species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
Red List of Threatened Species.[ Species are listed as such due to their wide distribution, presumed large population, or because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.]
References
Further reading
* Klauber, L.M. 1949. Some new and revived subspecies of rattlesnakes. Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist. 11(6): 61-116.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5188954
mitchellii muertensis
Endemic reptiles of Mexico
Endemic fauna of the Baja California Peninsula
Fauna of Gulf of California islands