The Tokara habu (Protobothrops tokarensis)[2] is a venomous pit viper species endemic to the Tokara Islands of Japan. No subspecies are currently recognized.[3]

Tokara habu
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Genus: Protobothrops
Species:
P. tokarensis
Binomial name
Protobothrops tokarensis
Nagai, 1928
Synonyms
  • Trimeresurus tokarensis Nagai, 1928
  • Trimeresurus flavoviridis tokarensis Maki, 1931
  • Protobothrops tokarensis
    – Welch, 1988
  • Trimeresurus tokarensis
    – Golay et al., 1993
  • P[rotobothrops]. tokarensis
    – Kraus, Mink & Brown, 1996[1]

Description edit

Scalation includes 31 (31-33) rows of dorsal scales at midbody, 199-210 ventral scales, 72-84 subcaudal scales, and 8 (7-9) supralabial scales.[2]

Geographic range edit

Found in Japan on the islands of Takara-jima and Kotakara-jima. According to Golay et al. (1993), the type locality is "Takara-jima, province of Kagoshima, Ryukyu Islands".[1]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b McDiarmid 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).
  2. ^ a b Gumprecht A, Tillack F, Orlov NL, Captain A, Ryabov S. 2004. Asian Pitvipers. Geitje Books. Berlin. 1st Edition. 368 pp. ISBN 3-937975-00-4.
  3. ^ "Protobothrops tokarensis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 25 July 2008.

Further reading edit

  • Nagai, Kamehiko. 1928. Tokara-Habu & Erabu-unagi. Kagoshimaken Hakubutsu-Chosa (Report on the Natural History of the Province of Kagoshima - Society for the Education and Survey of the Kagoshima Prefecture) 3: 1-64. (Trimeresurus tokarensis, p. 6.) National Diet Library Digital Collections

External links edit