Bothriechis aurifer

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	REPTILIA	SQUAMATA	VIPERIDAE

Scientific Name:

Bothriechis aurifer

Species Authority:

(Salvin, 1860)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Yellow-blotched Palm Pit Viper

Synonym/s:

Thamnocenchris aurifer Salvin, 1860

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Vulnerable B1ab(iii,v) ver 3.1
Year Published:	2007
Assessor/s:	Campbell, J.A. & Muñoz-Alonso, A.
Reviewer/s:	Cox, N., Chanson, J.S. & Stuart, S.N. (Global Reptile Assessment Coordinating Team)
Contributor/s:
Justification: Listed as Vulnerable because its extent of occurrence is less than 20,000 km², its range is severely fragmented, and because there is ongoing severe habitat destruction, combined with extensive collection for the pet trade.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species has a disjunct distribution in highland regions: moderate and intermediate elevations of extreme west-central Chiapas, Mexico (vicinity of Lagunas de Montebello, higher tributaries of the Río Lacantum); the Atlantic drainages of the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes, Sierra de Chuacús, and Sierra de las Minas in Guatemala. The elevational range is generally from 1,200 to 2,300 m asl, but a few specimens have been reported from lower elevations on the north face of the Sierra de las Minas.
Countries:	Native: Guatemala; Mexico
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	The population is probably declining substantially due to habitat destruction and overcollecting. It has been recorded as recently as 2003 in Guatemala.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This species is most abundant in lower montane cloud forest, but it enters subtropical wet forest (pine-oak forest) along mesic ravines. It requires old growth forest although occasionally it is found in small patches of secondary growth and coffee plantations bordering more intact forest.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	It is threatened by the destruction of cloud forest habitat for agriculture (coffee and ornamental fern plantations) and by collecting for the international pet trade.

Major Threat(s):

It is threatened by the destruction of cloud forest habitat for agriculture (coffee and ornamental fern plantations) and by collecting for the international pet trade.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	This species is protected by Mexican law under the category A (Threatened). It occurs in the Biotopo Mario Dary Rivera protected area and in a protected area in the Sierra de las Minas.

Conservation Actions:

This species is protected by Mexican law under the category A (Threatened). It occurs in the Biotopo Mario Dary Rivera protected area and in a protected area in the Sierra de las Minas.

Citation:	Campbell, J.A. & Muñoz-Alonso, A. 2007. Bothriechis aurifer. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 20 May 2013.
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