Common names: Montane pitvipers.[1]
Cerrophidion is a genus of pit vipers which are endemic to southern Mexico, Central America, and western Panama. The generic name, Cerrophidion, is derived from the Spanish word cerro, which means "mountain", and the Greek word ophidion, which means "small snake".[1] Five species are recognized as being valid, but no subspecies are.
Species in the genus Cerrophidion grow to a maximum total length (including tail) of (for C. godmani), but usually do not exceed . The head scalation is highly variable, with some scales being enlarged, especially in the frontal region. The fact that the prelacunal is not fused with any of the supralabial scales is characteristic for this genus. The rest of the scalation is as follows: 1-7 intersupraoculars, 7-11 supralabials, 8-12 sublabials, 120-150 ventral scales, 22-36 subcaudal scales (undivided), and 17-21 rows (rarely 23) of dorsal scales at midbody.[1]
Cerrophidion species are found in southern Mexico (in the highlands of the Mexican states of Guerrero and southeastern Oaxaca), southward though the highlands of Central America (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, northern Nicaragua and Costa Rica) to western Panama.
| Image | Species | Taxon author | Common name | Geographic range | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C. godmaniT | (Günther, 1863) | Godman's montane pitviper | Southeastern Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico, through Central America to western Panama at moderate to high elevations. | ||
| C. petlalcalensis | López-Luna, Vogt & de la Torre-Loranca, 1999 | Cerro Petlalcala montane pitviper | Veracruz in Mexico. | ||
| C. sasai | Jadin, Townsend, Castoe & Campbell, 2012 | Costa Rica montane pitviper | Costa Rica and western Panama. | ||
| C. tzotzilorum | (Campbell, 1985) | Tzotzil montane pitviper | Meseta Central of Chiapas, Mexico. | ||
| C. wilsoni | Jadin, Townsend, Castoe & Campbell, 2012 | Honduras montane pitviper | Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. |