Crotalus lepidus klauberi

Edit links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Crotalus lepidus klauberi
A Banded Rock Rattlesnake is a Crotalus lepidus klauberi
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Genus: Crotalus
Species:
C. lepidus
Subspecies:
C. l. klauberi
Trinomial name
Crotalus lepidus klauberi
Gloyd, 1936[1]
Common names: banded rock rattlesnake,[2] green rattlesnake, green rock rattlesnake,[3] more.

Crotalus lepidus klauberi is a

pitviper subspecies[4] endemic to the southwestern United States and adjacent northern Mexico
.

Geographic range

In the United States C. l. klauberi is found in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

In Mexico it is found in the Mexican states of Baja California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Jalisco, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Sonora, Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas.

Etymology

The specific name or epithet, klauberi, is in honor of American herpetologist and rattlesnake expert Laurence M. Klauber.[5]

Description

Crotalus lepidus klauberi

Adults rarely grow to more than 24 inches (610 mm) in length. The color pattern is typically a light grey with darker grey banding that varies greatly from habitat to habitat. The background color may be green to purple in some locations. Those found in the Franklin Mountain range of El Paso County in Texas are unique, having a striking pearl silver background and well defined black crossbands.

The characters used to distinguish the various

intergrade
in the areas where their ranges overlap.

Common names

Banded rock rattlesnake,[2] blue rattlesnake, green rattlesnake, green rock rattlesnake, rock rattlesnake.[3]

Behavior

These are

nocturnal, secretive snakes. They spend most of their time hiding in rock crevices. Often found in canyons, scree slopes, or man-made road cuts. Research has shown that they do not typically travel far, and often spend their entire lives on one particular slope or ridge. Their diet consists of primarily lizards and rodents. They are quite shy snakes, often not even rattling if approached, relying instead on their camouflage
to blend into the rocky habitat. They are most likely to be seen after a summer afternoon thunderstorm, or rain shower, when they come out to bask and search for food.

In contrast to the shyness described above, Banded Rock Rattlesnake specimens found high (>7000 ft) in the Organ Mountains of southern New Mexico are usually highly confident and defensive, rattling incessantly at the mere sight of humans. One often has to search carefully for the source of the rattling, because they are indeed expert at hiding themselves in small caves and cracks in rocky terrain.

Reproduction

gravid
females hibernate during the winter months.

References

  1. ISBN 1-893777-01-4
    (volume).
  2. ^
    ISBN 0-394-50824-6
    . (Crotalus lepidus klauberi, p. 689 + Plate 640).
  3. ^
    ISBN 0-8014-0463-0
    . (Crotalus lepidus klauberi, pp. 969-973, Figure 277, Map 68).
  4. ^ "Crotalus lepidus klauberi". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 16 May 2007.
  5. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5
    . (Crotalus lepidus klauberi, p. 143).

Further reading

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Crotalus_lepidus_klauberi&oldid=1192549265"