Trimeresurus gracilis
{{Short description|Species of snake}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Trimeresurus gracilis.jpg
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| genus = Trimeresurus
| species = gracilis
| authority = Ōshima, 1920McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. {{ISBN|1-893777-00-6}} (series). {{ISBN|1-893777-01-4}} (volume).
}}
Trimeresurus gracilis, commonly known as the Taiwan pit viper or Taiwan mountain pitviper, is a venomous pit viper species endemic to Taiwan. No subspecies are currently recognized.{{ITIS |id=634914 |taxon=Trimeresurus gracilis |access-date=23 August 2021}} The species is known as {{lang|ja|kikushi habu}} in Japanese.Gumprecht A, Tillack F, Orlov NL, Captain A, Ryabov S. 2004. Asian Pitvipers. GeitjeBooks. Berlin. 1st Edition. 368 pp. {{ISBN|3-937975-00-4}}.
Description
Trimeresurus gracilis is a small snake with a total length up to {{convert|60|cm|in|abbr=on}}.{{cite web |author=Hans Breuer |author2=William Christopher Murphy |name-list-style=amp |date=2009–2010|url= https://www.snakesoftaiwan.com/trimeresurus-gracilis.html |title=Trimeresurus gracilis Taiwan Mountain Pitviper |work=Snakes of Taiwan |access-date=23 August 2021}} Scalation includes 19 (or 21) rows of dorsal scales at midbody, 144–149 ventral scales, 43–53 subcaudal scales, and 7–8 supralabial scales.
Geographic range
It is found only in Taiwan, above {{convert|2,000|m|ft|abbr=on}} above sea level. The type locality given is "Mt. Noko, Nanto". According to Zhao and Adler (1993), this would be "Mt. Nôkô, Nanto Co., central Formosa" (Mount Nengkaoshan, Nantou County, Taiwan).
In a study were results that negated a commonly believed inference relating to the close affinity of T. monticola and T. okinawensis, and also suggested a sister relationship between T. okinawensis and T. gracilis. Phylogenetic relationships revealed in this study suggested that the genus Trimeresurus dispersed into the Ryukyu region at least three times, and that T. flavoviridis and T. tularensis from the central Ryukyus use to be more widespread and diverse in the past surrounding regions.{{cite journal |author1=Ming-Chung Tu |author2=Hurng-Yi Wang |author3=Mung-Pei Tsai |author4=Mamoru Toda |author5=Wen-Jen Lee |author6=Fu-Ji Zhang |author7=Hidetoshi Ota |title="Phylogeny, Taxonomy, and Biogeography of the Oriental Pitvipers of the Genus Trimeresurus (Reptilia: Viperidae: Crotalinae): A Molecular Perspective" |journal=Zoological Science |date= 1 November 2000 |volume=17 |issue=8 |pages=1147–1157 |doi=10.2108/zsj.17.1147|pmid=18522471 |s2cid=207286072 |hdl=2433/108613 |hdl-access=free }}
References
Further reading
- Ōshima, M. 1920. Notes on the Venomous Snakes from the Islands of Formosa and Riu Kiu. Annual Report of the Institute of Science, Government of Formosa. 8 (2): 1-99. ("Trimeresurus gracilis sp. nov.", pp. 10–11 + Plate XII, Figures 5 & 6.)
- Zhao, Er-mi, and Kraig Adler. 1993. Herpetology of China. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR). Oxford, Ohio. 522 pp. {{ISBN|978-0916984281}}.
{{Trimeresurus}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1037129}}
Category:Endemic fauna of Taiwan
Category:Reptiles described in 1920
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