Protobothrops xiangchengensis

Protobothrops xiangchengensis, commonly known as the Szechwan pit viper, Kham Plateau pit viper,^[1][3][5] or Sichuan lancehead,^[1] is a pit viper species endemic to the Hengduan Mountains in south-central China.^[1][5] No subspecies are currently recognized.^[5][6]

Protobothrops xiangchengensis
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Viperidae
Genus:	Protobothrops
Species:	P. xiangchengensis
Binomial name
Protobothrops xiangchengensis (Zhao, Jiang & Huang, 1978)
Synonyms
Trimeresurus Xiangchengensis Zhao, 1978 Trimeresurus xiangchengensis Zhao, Jiang & Huang, 1978 Trimeresurus xiangchengensis – Zhao, 1979[2] Protobothrops xiangchengensis – Gumprecht et al., 2004,[3] Protobothrops xiangchengensis – Malhotra & Thorpe, 2004[4]

Taxonomy

Originally described as a member of the genus Trimeresurus, it was later reassigned to Protobothrops.^[1][4][5]

Description

Scalation includes 25 (23, 24) rows of dorsal scales at midbody, 175–194/181–194 ventral scales in males/females, 54–66/44–62 subcaudal scales and 7–8 (9 or 10) supralabial scales.^[3]

Geographic range

Protobothrops xiangchengensis is endemic to the Hengduan Mountains in the provinces of Yunnan and western Sichuan, China.^[1] According to David & Tong (1997), the type locality given is "Sichuan Province, Xiangcheng, altitude 3100 m [10,200 ft]".^[2]

See also

• Snakebite