''Gloydius brevicauda'' is a
venomous
Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...
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 subf ...
species
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
to
China and the
Korean Peninsula
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
.
:''Common names: short-tailed pit viper
,short-tailed mamushi.
[ Gloyd HK, Conant R. 1990. ''Snakes of the'' Agkistrodon ''Complex: A Monographic Review''. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 614 pp. 52 plates. LCCN 89-50342. .]''
Description
Adults are relatively stout with a broad head and a short tail. (The
subspecific name
In zoological nomenclature, a subspecific name is the third part of a trinomen. In zoology there is only one rank below that of species, namely "subspecies".
In botanical nomenclature, there are several levels of subspecific names, such as ''var ...
, ''brevicaudus'', is Latin for "short tail".)
The largest male examined by
Gloyd and
Conant (1990) was in total length of which the tail was ; the largest female, with an tail. On average, male specimens had a tail that was 12–15% (13.5%) of total length, while in females this was 11–13% (11.7%).
The scalation usually includes 21 rows of
dorsal scales
In snakes, the dorsal scales are the longitudinal series of plates that encircle the body, but do not include the ventral scales
In snakes, the ventral scales or gastrosteges are the enlarged and transversely elongated scales that extend down t ...
at midbody, all of which are
keeled except the lowermost on the anterior part of the body. There are 135–149
ventral scales
In snakes, the ventral scales or gastrosteges are the enlarged and transversely elongated scales that extend down the underside of the body from the neck to the anal scale. When counting them, the first is the anteriormost ventral scale that cont ...
, and 30–44 mostly paired
subcaudal scales. 95% of all specimens have 7
supralabial scales.
The color pattern consists of a light brown or gray ground color, overlaid with a pattern of 23–36 pairs of dorsolateral blotches or half-bands that oppose or alternate on either side of the middorsal line. These blotches are subelliptical in shape and brown in color with pale centers and dark brown to grayish brown borders. The pairs of blotches may or may not contact each other at the midline. They are separated laterally by light areas that are about one scale wide and extend downwards to the third or second scale rows. The head includes a dark and clearly defined postocular stripe that is sharply bordered above and below by yellow or white. The tip of the tail is yellow.
Geographic range
Found in
China (
Manchuria
Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym " Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East (Outer M ...
) and the
Korean Peninsula
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
. The
type locality given is "Busan, Korea" (
Pusan
Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, ...
,
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
).
References
Further reading
*
Stejneger, L. 1907. ''Herpetology of Japan and Adjacent Territory''. United States National Museum Bulletin 58. Smithsonian Institution. Washington, District of Columbia. xx + 577 pp. ("''Agkistrodon blomhoffii brevicaudus'', new subspecies", pp. 463–464.)
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3109274
brevicauda
Reptiles of Korea
Snakes of Asia