Bothrops jonathani

Taxonomy

Bothrops jonanthani was first formally described in 1994 by the American herpetologist Michael Brown Harvey with its type locality given as roughly 35km north of El Empalme on Highway 4 in Carrasco Province, Cochabamba Department, form an elevation of around 2800 m at 7° 45'S, 65°00'W, Bolivia. This species is classified in the genus Bothrops which is classified within the subfamily Crotalinae, the pit-vipers within the viper family Viperidae.

Etymology

Bothrops jonathani is classified within the genus Bothrops, a name which is derived from the Greek bothros, which means "pit", a reference to the heat-sensing pits located between the eyes and the nostrils of these snakes. The specific name honours Jonathan A. Campbell, the American herpetologist, for his contribution to the study of Neotropical pitvipers.

Description

Bothrops jonathani has a maximum know svl of 800 mm. It has a complex facial pattern which is made up of a wide, black edged, dark brown bands with white and tan stripes between them. The ventral scales have a white ground colour patterned with grey becoming greyer towards the grey undertail. The dorsal pattern has a tan ground colour with large cream blotches on the back and smaller brown blotches on the sides, these blotches vary in shape and between individuals.

Distribution and habitat

Bothrops jonathani is found at altitudes between 1600 and along the eastern edge of the Altiplano in the Bolivian departments of Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, Tarija and probably Chuquisaca and in the Argentine provinces of Jujuy and Salta. It is found among tall grass, shrubs and cacti, typically on steep rocky slopes.

References

References

1. Aguayo, R.. (2019). "''Bothrops jonathani''".
2. {{EMBL species
3. (1994). "A New Species Of Montane Pitviper (Serpentes, Viperidae, Bothrops) From Cochabamba, Bolivia". Biological Society of Washington.
4. "Common Lancehead".
5. Carrasco, Paola. (2009). "The rare Andean pitviper ''Rhinocerophis jonathani'' (Serpentes: Viperidae: Crotalinae): redescription with comments on its systematics and biogeography". Zootaxa.