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Crotalus cerastes HALLOWELL, 1854

IUCN Red List - Crotalus cerastes - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaViperidae, Crotalinae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
SubspeciesCrotalus cerastes cerastes HALLOWELL 1854
Crotalus cerastes cercobombus SAVAGE & CLIFF 1953
Crotalus cerastes laterorepens KLAUBER 1944 
Common NamesE: Sidewinder (cerastes: Mjave desert sidewinder; cercobombus: Sonoran desert sidewinder; laterorepens: Colorado desert sidewinder)
G: Seitenwinder, Gehörnte Klapperschlange
S: Vibora Cornuda 
SynonymCrotalus cerastes cerastes HALLOWELL 1854
Crotalus cerastes HALLOWELL 1854: 95
Crotalus cerastes cerastes KLAUBER 1944
Crotalus cerastes — STEBBINS 1985: 229
Crotalus cerastes — LINER 1994
Crotalus cerastes — MCDIARMID, CAMPBELL & TOURÉ 1999: 279
Crotalus crastes [sic] — ALDRIDGE & DUVALL 2002 (in error)
Crotalus cerastes — ERNST & ERNST 2003: 498
Aechmophrys cerastes — HOSER 2009
Crotalus cerastes cerastes — BEAMAN & HAYES 2008
Crotalus cerastes — WALLACH et al. 2014: 189
Crotalus cerastes — MEIRI et al. 2019
Croatalus cerastes — HANSCOM et al. 2023 (in error)

Crotalus cerastes cercobombus SAVAGE & CLIFF 1953
Crotalus cerastes cercobombus — BEAMAN & HAYES 2008
Crotalus cerastes cercobombus — SKUBOWIUS 2012

Crotalus cerastes laterorepens KLAUBER 1944
Crotalus cerastes laterorepens — KLAUBER 1952: 112
Crotalus cerastes laterorepens — BEAMAN & HAYES 2008 
DistributionUSA (SE California, S Nevada, SW Arizona, SW Utah),
Mexico (Baja California Norte, NW Sonora)

cerastes: USA (E California, W Nevada, SW Utah, NW Arizona); Type locality: bank of the Mojave River and Mojave Desert, California, USA.

cercobombus: Mexico (NW Sonora), USA (Arizona); Type locality: near Gila Bend, Maricopa County, Arizona, USA.

laterorepens: USA (California, Arizona), Mexico (NE Baja California, NW Sonora); Type locality: The Narrows, San Diego County, California, USA.  
Reproductionovovivparous 
TypesHolotype: ANSP 7098
Holotype: CAS 7287, formerly Natural History Museum Stanford University; Paratypes SDNHM = SDSNH 979-981, 2324, 2325, 17068-17071, 17072, 17073, 22410-22412, 23879, 23888-23890, 25499, 25553-25555, 25854-25857, 26915, 38660, 39082, 39088, 40893, 41110, 41116, 41362, 41363, 41241 [cercobombus]
Holotype: SDNHM = SDSNH 34074; paratypes SDNHM = SDSNH [laterorepens] 
DiagnosisAdditional details, e.g. a detailed description or comparisons (3664 characters), are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. 
CommentVenomous!

Hybridization: Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus and Crotalus cerastes laterorepens hybridized in captivity.

Subspecies: The validity of the subspecies of C. cerastes is questioned by CROTHER (2000).

Nomenclature: Hoser’s 2009 classification and nomenclature has been rejected as unnecessary and unavailable by WÜSTER & BERNILS 2011.

Longevity: II years 8 months (Perkins, Gen., 1954).
 
EtymologyNamed after Greek kerastes = horned, referring to the "horns" on its head.

The genus name is also derived from Greek kerastes = horned. 
References
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