Protobothrops sieversorum (ZIEGLER, HERRMANN, DAVID, ORLOV & PAUWELS, 2000)
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Protobothrops sieversorum
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| Higher Taxa | Viperidae, Crotalinae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Sievers’ Three horned-scaled pitviper F: Triceratolepidophide des Sievers G: Sievers Dreihornschuppen-Grubenotter |
| Synonym | Triceratolepidophis sieversorum ZIEGLER, HERRMANN, DAVID, ORLOV & PAUWELS 2000 Triceratolepidophis sieversorum — GUMPRECHT et al. 2004 Protobothrops sieversorum — ORLOV et al. 2009 Protobothrops sieversorum — MALHOTRA et al. 2011 Triceratolepidophis sieversorum — WALLACH et al. 2014: 722 |
| Distribution | Vietnam (Quang Binh) Type locality: Phong Nha (village), Phong Nha Nature Reserve, Prov. Quang Binh, Vietnam, 100 m elevation. Only known from the type locality. |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: ZFMK 71262 |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis (Triceratolepidophis): A genus of Asian pitviper belonging to the Trimeresurus group, characterized by a large size, reaching at least 1255 mm; elongated head and body; the presence of a nasal pore; strongly keeled dorsal scales, bearing an elongated longitudinal keel covering at least two thirds of the length of the scale, made o f a series o f three consecutive horns or crests, high and wide, rising progressively from front to back, separated by two lower but distinctively elevated parts (Fig.7a d), producing very strongly keeled dorsal scales; a tessellate fimbriate microdermatoglyphic pattern of dorsal scales with distinctly raised fimbriae; raised, hom-like multiple supraoculars; cephalic scales on upper head surface between supraoculars distinctly keeled for a part, all becoming progressively strongly keeled towards the occipital region; and a grayish brown ground color with a blotched dorsal pattern. Triceratolepidophis, although sharing several morphological similarities with other members ofthe genera Trimeresurus and Protobothrops, such as the ground color, blotched dorsal pattern, the upraised supraoculars. and head scalation, differs from all other Asian crotaline genera currently recognized in David and Ineich (1999), namely Calloselasma Cope, 1860, Deinagkistrodon Gloyd, 1979, Ermia Zhang, 1993, Gloydius Hoge and Romano Hoge, 1981, Hypnale Fitzinger, 1843, Ovophis Burger in Hoge and Romano Hoge, 1981, Protobothrops Hoge and Romano Hoge, 1983, Trimeresurus Lacepecte, 1804, and Tropidolaemus Wagler, 1830, by the unique autapomorph scale structure as well as the unique microdermatoglyphic pattern of the Oberhautchen, which is tessellate fimbriate due to the upraising of the fimbriae. This structure is unique in the Trimeresurus group, in which other species have only the tessellate pattern typical of the Crotalinae (Ziegler et al. 2000: 201). |
| Comment | Venomous! Distribution: see map in Guo et a. 2016: 383 (Fig. 1). |
| Etymology | The generic nomen Triceratolepidophis is derived from the Greek words tri meaning "three," keras meaning "hom," lepis meaning "scale," and ophis, meaning "snake." It describes the unique structure of the dorsal scales, ornated with a strong keel composed of three consecutive horn/crest-like ornamentations, found in different degrees of pronounciation in all dorsal parts of the body except the head and the neck region. This generic nomen is masculine in gender. Named after Moritz and Julian SIevers (Blinningstedt) in recognition of the efforts of their father Dr. J.H. Sievers in financially supporting zoological research and nature conservation in the Phong Nha Nature Reserve, Vietnam. |
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