Crotalus triseriatus

{{Speciesbox

| image = Crotalus triseriatus in Morelia zoo.jpg

| image_caption = Crotalus triseriatus in Morelia Zoo

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=Canseco-Márquez, L. |author2=Mendoza-Quijano, F. |date=2007 |title=Crotalus triseriatus |volume=2007 |page=e.T64338A12771768 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T64338A12771768.en |access-date=18 November 2021}}

| genus = Crotalus

| species = triseriatus

| authority = (Wagler, 1830)

| range_map = Crotalus triseriatus distribution.png

| synonyms = *Uropsophus triseriatus
{{small|Wagler, 1830}}

Crot[alus]. triseriatus
{{small|— Gray, 1831}}
Crotalus lugubris (part)
{{small|Jan, 1859}}
Caudisona lugubris
{{small|— Cope, 1860}}
C[audisona]. triseriata
{{small|— Cope, 1867}}
Crotalus pallidus
{{small|Günther, 1895}}
Crotalus triseriatus
{{small|— Boulenger, 1896}}
Crotalus triseriatus triseriatus
{{small|— Klauber In Githens & George, 1931}}
Crotalus triseriatus anahuacus
{{small|— Gloyd, 1940}}McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré TA (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. {{ISBN|1-893777-00-6}} (series). {{ISBN|1-893777-01-4}} (volume).

}}

:Common names: Mexican dusky rattlesnake,Campbell JA, Lamar WW (2004). The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere. Ithaca and London: Comstock Publishing Associates. 870 pp. 1500 plates. {{ISBN|0-8014-4141-2}}. dusky rattlesnakeMehrtens JM (1987). Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. {{ISBN|0-8069-6460-X}}.

Crotalus triseriatus is a venomous pit viper species found in Mexico. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.{{ITIS |id=585832 |taxon=Crotalus triseriatus |accessdate=1 August 2007}}

Description

Adult male specimens of C. triseriatus commonly grow to a total length (including tail) greater than {{convert|60|cm|in|abbr=on}}, with females somewhat smaller. The maximum recorded total length is {{convert|68.3|cm|in|abbr=on}}.

Geographic range

The species C. triseriatus is found in Mexico, along the southern edge of the Mexican Plateau in the highlands of the Transverse Volcanic Cordillera, including the states of Jalisco, México, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Puebla, Tlaxcala, and Veracruz. The type locality given by Wagler in 1830 is "Mexico". A restriction to "Alvarez, San Luis Potosí, Mexico" was proposed by H.M. Smith and Taylor (1950).

Habitat

Crotalus triseriatus occurs in pine-oak forest, boreal forest, coniferous forest and, bunchgrass grasslands. On Volcán Orizaba, it is found at very high altitudes. There, the snow line comes down to about {{cvt|4,572|m|ft|-1}}, while green plants can be found up to {{cvt|4,573|m|ft|-1}}: the species has been found within this zone. However, it is most common at {{convert|2700|to|3350|m|ft|-1}} in elevation.

Conservation status

The species C. triseriatus is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Species are listed as such due to their wide distribution, presumed large population, or because they are unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category. The population trend was stable when assessed in 2007.

Feeding

Prey reportedly found in stomachs of C. triseriatus include a frog, a murid rodent (Neotomodon alstoni), lizards, other small mammals, crickets, and salamanders.

Venom

Bite symptoms from C. triseriatus are reported to include intense pain, swelling, faintness, and cold perspiration.

Subspecies

cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2 border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;"

!bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|Subspecies

!bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|Taxon author

!bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|Common name

!bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|Geographic range

C. t. armstrongi

|Campbell, 1979

|western dusky rattlesnake

|style="width:40%"|Mexico: Jalisco and Nayarit

C. t. triseriatus

|(Wagler, 1830)

|dusky rattlesnake

|Mexico: Michoacán, Morelos, México, Puebla, Tlaxcala and Veracruz

Etymology

The subspecific name, armstrongi, is in honor of American herpetologist Barry L. Armstrong.Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. {{ISBN|978-1-4214-0135-5}}. (Crotalus triseriatus armstrongi, p. 11).

Taxonomy

In the relatively recent past, two additional subspecies were described:

C. t. anahuacus {{small|Gloyd, 1940}} - currently regarded as a junior synonym of C. t. triseriatus
C. t. quadrangularis {{small|Harris & Simmons, 1978}} - currently regarded as a junior synonym of C. aquilus