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Cantils (genus Agkistrodon) are some of the most feared snakes in Mesoamerica, as their bite and powerful venom have caused numerous human fatalities. Equipped with a large and strikingly-marked head, a stout body, and a nervous attitude that often is mistaken for aggression, these snakes usually are killed on sight. Cantils primarily are found in tropical forests that undergo a prolonged dry season, but occasionally inhabit savannas and areas that flood seasonally after heavy rains. Pictured here is a cantil from Parque Nacional Santa Rosa, in northwestern Costa Rica. Photo by Louis W. Porras. Amphib. Reptile Conserv. | http://amphibian-reptile-conservation.org 048 June 2013 | Volume 7 | Number 1 | e63
Copyright: © 2013 Porras et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License, which permits unrestricted use for non-commercial and education purposes only provided the original author and source are credited. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation 7(1): 48–73. A taxonomic reevaluation and conservation assessment of the common cantil, Agkistrodon bilineatus (Squamata: Viperidae): a race against time 1 Louis W. Porras, 2 Larry David Wilson, 3,4 Gordon W. Schuett, and 4 Randall S. Reiserer 1 7705 Wyatt Earp Avenue, Eagle Mountain, Utah, 84005, USA 2 Centro Zamorano de Biodiversidad, Escuela Agrícola Panamericana Zamorano, Francisco Morazán, HONDURAS; 16010 S.W. 207th Avenue, Miami, Florida, 33187, USA 3 Department of Biology and Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, 30303, USA 4 The Copperhead Institute, P.O. Box 6755, Spartanburg, South Carolina 29304, USA Abstract.—Several lines of evidence suggest that numerous populations of cantils (Agkistrodon bilineatus, A. taylori), New World pitvipers with a distribution in Mesoamerica, are in rapid decline. We examined the IUCN conservation status for A. bilineatus, assessed for the entire range of the species, as well as the Environmental Vulnerability Scores (EVS) provided for certain countries along its distribution. Because of pronounced disparities in these conservation assessments and notable phenotypic differences that coincide with the geographic distribution of certain cantil populations, we conduct a taxonomic reassessment of the common cantil, Agkistrodon bilineatus (Günther 1863), to determine if the recognized subspecies of A. bilineatus merit specific status. Based on our morphological assessment, biogeographical evidence, and the results of previous DNA-based studies, we elevate the three previously recognized subspecies of A. bilineatus to full species (A. bilineatus, A. russeolus, and A. howardgloydi). Given this taxonomic reassessment, we examine the conservation status of the newly elevated taxa, suggest avenues for future studies within this complex of pitvipers, and provide conservation recommendations. Key words. Character evolution, evolutionary species, Mesoamerica, subspecies concept Resumen.—Varias líneas de evidencia sugieren que numerosas poblaciones de cantiles (Agkistrodon bilineatus, A. taylori), víboras de foseta del Nuevo Mundo con una distribución en Mesoamérica, están en rápido declive. Examinamos los resultados sobre el estado de conservación propuestos por la UICN para A. bilineatus, que fueron evaluados para la distribución total de la especie, así como los resultados de los Índices de Vulnerabilidad Ambiental (en inglés, Environmental Vulnerability Scores [EVS]) que fueron determinados para esta especie en algunos países a lo largo de su distribución. Por haber disparidades pronunciadas en estas evaluaciones de conservación y diferencias fenotípicas notables que coinciden con la distribución geográfica de ciertas poblaciones de cantiles, en este trabajo realizamos una reevaluación taxonómica del cantil común, Agkistrodon bilineatus (Günther 1863), para determinar si las subespecies reconocidas de A. bilineatus merecen el estatus de especie. Basado en nuestro análisis morfológico, evidencia biogeográfica y los resultados de anteriores estudios basados en ADN, elevamos las tres subespecies de A. bilineatus previamente reconocidas al nivel de especie (A. bilineatus, A. russeolus y A. howardgloydi). Tomando en cuenta esta nueva evaluación taxonómica, examinamos el estado de conservación de los taxones aquí elevados, hacemos sugerencias para estudios futuros dentro de este complejo de víboras de foseta y ofrecemos recomendaciones para su conservación. Palabras claves. Evolución de caracteres, especies evolutivas, Mesoamérica, concepto de subespecies Citation: Porras LW, Wilson LD, Schuett GW, Reiserer RS. 2013. A taxonomic reevaluation and conservation assessment of the common cantil, Agkistrodon bilineatus (Squamata: Viperidae): a race against time. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation 7(1): 48–73 (e63). Correspondence. Emails: 1 empub@msn.com (Corresponding author) 2 bufodoc@aol.com 3,4 gwschuett@yahoo.com 4 rreiserer@gmail.com Amphib. Reptile Conserv. | http://amphibian-reptile-conservation.org 049 June 2013 | Volume 7 | Number 1 | e63
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Published in the United States of A
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Species Wilson et al. Appendix 1. C
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