# Metlapilcoatlus

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Genus of snakes

Metlapilcoatlus Metlapilcoatlus mexicanus Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Suborder: Serpentes Family: Viperidae Subfamily: Crotalinae Genus: Metlapilcoatlus Campbell, Frost, & Castoe, 2019

***Metlapilcoatlus*** is a [genus](/source/Genus) of [pit vipers](/source/Pit_viper) [endemic](/source/Endemism) to [Mexico](/source/Mexico) and [Central America](/source/Central_America). Six [species](/source/Species) are currently recognized. The common names suggest they are able to leap at an attacker, but this is likely exaggerated. Common names for the species include jumping pitvipers[1] and jumping vipers.[2] The genus name comes from the [Nahuatl](/source/Nahuatl) name *metlapilcohuatl*, which means of the oblong grindstone held in the hand when grinding corn—alluding to the (edit "shape of its head which looks like the shape and size of the grindstone") (original "snake's short, stocky body.") I live in Costa Rica, and 2 different groups of herpetologist describe it that way online

## Description

All of these snakes are extremely thick-bodied, with *[M. nummifer](/source/Metlapilcoatlus_nummifer)* being the most stout. The head is large, with small eyes and a broadly rounded snout. The tail is short, not prehensile, and accounts for only 15% of the total length.[1]

The color pattern usually consists of a gray-brown or reddish brown ground color (sometimes yellow, cream, purplish brown or black), overlaid with a series of lateral and dorsal blotches. The shape of these blotches is subject to some variation, but is sometimes still helpful for identification.[1]

## Geographic range

Found in the mountains of eastern [Mexico](/source/Mexico) southeastward on the Atlantic versant and lowlands though [Central America](/source/Central_America) to central [Panama](/source/Panama). On the Pacific versant, they occur in isolated populations in east-central and southern Mexico, [Guatemala](/source/Guatemala), [El Salvador](/source/El_Salvador), [Costa Rica](/source/Costa_Rica) and Panama.[3]

## Behavior

The common name alludes to the supposed ability these snakes have to launch themselves at an attacker during a strike, thereby bridging a distance that is equal to or greater than the length of the body.[1] Mehrtens (1987) states that they live up to their name, striking at their assailants with such force that they actually leave the ground.[2] [Campbell](/source/Jonathan_A._Campbell) and Lamar (2004), on the other hand, describe this as greatly exaggerated, saying that actually these snakes are only able to strike about half of their own body length. In addition, they describe them as slow moving and non-aggressive. However, when provoked all species will put on a rather dramatic open-mouthed threat display.[1]

These snakes may be active both during the day and at night. On the other hand, populations found at higher altitudes seem to be active only during daylight hours and never at night.[1]

## Feeding

Adults feed mainly on small [mammals](/source/Mammal) and [lizards](/source/Lizard), while juveniles feed on [orthopterans](/source/Orthopterans) and [skinks](/source/Skink).[1]

## Venom

Unlike most [vipers](/source/Viperidae), members of this genus will strike and then hold on and chew. In one case, a machete was used to pry off the jaws. March (1929) wrote that *M. mexicanus* (*M. nummifer*) will hang on and make half a dozen punctures unless quickly and forcibly removed. However, the effects of the venom include only transient pain and mild swelling. In one part of Honduras the locals even insist that the snake (*M. nummifer*) is not venomous. Laboratory studies suggest that *Metlapilcoatlus* venoms are unlikely to lead to consumption coagulopathy and incoagulable blood in humans.

## Species

Image Species[4] Taxon author[4] Subsp.*[4] Common name[1] Geographic range[3] M. borealis[5] Tepos-Ramírez et al., 2021 0 Boreal jumping pit viper Mexico on the Sierra Madre Oriental, South of San Luis Potosí to Hidalgo and North of Veracruz. M. indomitus Smith & Ferrari-Castro, 2008 0 Botaderos jumping pit viper Sierra de Botaderos and La Muralla of Honduras. M. mexicanus Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854 0 Central American jumping pit viper Southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Panama. M. nummifer Rüppell, 1845 0 Mexican jumping pit viper Mexico, South of Veracruz to Oaxaca, Chiapas, Puebla. M. occiduus Hoge, 1966 0 Guatemalan jumping pit viper Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador. M. olmec Pérez-Higareda, H.M. Smith & Juliá-Zertuche, 1985 0 Tuxtlan jumping pit viper Mexico on the upper slopes of the Sierra de Los Tuxtlas in southern Veracruz.

**) Not including the [nominate subspecies](/source/Nominate_subspecies).* T) [Type species](/source/Type_species).[3]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-C&L04_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-C&L04_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-C&L04_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-C&L04_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-C&L04_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-C&L04_1-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-C&L04_1-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-C&L04_1-7) Campbell JA, Lamar WW. 2004. *The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere*. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca and London. 870 pp. 1500 plates. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-8014-4141-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8014-4141-2).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Meh87_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Meh87_2-1) Mehrtens JM. 1987. *Living Snakes of the World in Color*. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-8069-6460-X](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8069-6460-X).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-McD99_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-McD99_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-McD99_3-2) McDiarmid RW, [Campbell JA](/source/Jonathan_A._Campbell), Touré T. 1999. *Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1*. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-893777-00-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-893777-00-6) (series). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-893777-01-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-893777-01-4) (volume).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ITIS_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ITIS_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-ITIS_4-2) ["Atropoides"](https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=585648). [Integrated Taxonomic Information System](/source/Integrated_Taxonomic_Information_System). Retrieved 2 November 2006.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Tepos-Ramírez M, Flores-Villela F, Velasco JA, Pedraza-Lara P, García-Rubio OR, Jadin RJ. 2021. *Molecular Phylogenetics and Morphometrics Reveal a New Endemic Jumping Pitviper (Serpentes: Viperidae: Metlapilcoatlus) from the Sierra Madre Oriental of Mexico*. Journal of Herpetology. 55(2): 81-191. June 2021

## Further reading

- [March DDH](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Douglas_D._H._March&action=edit&redlink=1). 1929. Notes on *Bothrops nummifera*, mano de piedra or timbo. Bulletin of the Antivenin Institute of America. 2(3): 58.

- [Müller JW von](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Wilhelm_von_M%C3%BCller). 1865. *Vol. 3. Reisen in den Vereinigten Staten, Canada und Mexico. Beitrage zur geschichte, statistik und zoologie von Mexico*. F.A. Brockhaus, Leipzig. xiv, pp. 595–619[613].

- [Rüppell E.](/source/Eduard_R%C3%BCppell) 1845. *Verzeichnis der in dem Museum der Senckenbergischen naturforschenden Gesellschaft aufgestellten Sammlungen. Dritte Abteilung: Amphibien*. Museum Senckenbergianum 3: 293-318[313].

- [Werman SD](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Steven_D._Werman&action=edit&redlink=1). 1992. Phylogenetic relationships of Central and South American pitvipers of the genus *Bothrops* (sensu lato): cladistic analyses of biochemical and anatomical characters. pp. 21–40[21, 34]. *In* Campbell JA, Brodie Jr. ED. 1992. Biology of the Pitvipers. Texas: Selva. 467 pp. 17 plates. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-9630537-0-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-9630537-0-1).

## External links

- *[Metlapilcoatlus](http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/search.php?submit=Search&genus=Metlapilcoatlus)* at the [Reptarium.cz Reptile Database](http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/). Accessed 7 December 2007.

- Video: Herpetologist [Austin Stevens](/source/Austin_Stevens) [shares his canteen with a jumping pit viper](http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/austinstevens/videogallery/videooftheweek_103.html) at [Austin Stevens: Snakemaster](https://web.archive.org/web/20061102185149/http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/austinstevens/austinstevens.html). Accessed 2 November 2006.

Taxon identifiers Atropoides Wikidata: Q670278 Wikispecies: Atropoides ADW: Atropoides CoL: 62DW7 EoL: 80198 GBIF: 2444129 iNaturalist: 1120057 IRMNG: 1276194 ITIS: 585648 NCBI: 44728 Open Tree of Life: 1024786

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Metlapilcoatlus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metlapilcoatlus) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metlapilcoatlus?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.