.::::: Snakes of the World - Viperidae - Agkistrodon :::::.
Last update: 10 May, 2004

The genus contains four species of North to Central American species of crotalid snakes.

Agkistrodon Beauvois, 1799
(Type = Agkistrodon mokasen)
Acontias Troost, 1836
(Type = Acontias leucostoma)
Ancistrodon Lapsus
Cenchris Daudin, 1803
(Type = Cenchris mokeson)
Scytale Latreille, 1802
(Type = Boa contortrix)
Scytalus Lapsus
Tisiphone Fitzinger, 1826
(Type = Tisiphone cuprea)
Toxicophis Troost, 1836
(Type = Acontias leucostoma)
Agkistrodon bilineatus (Günther, 1863)
  • bilineatus (Günther, 1863)
    Ancistrodon bilineatus Günther, 1863
    Trigonocephalus bilineatus (Günther, 1863)
    Trigonocephalus specialis Recinos, 1954
  • howadgloydi Conant, 1984
  • lemosespinali Smith & Chiszar, 2001
  • russeolus Gloyd, 1972

  • Distribution: Belize (russeolus), Costa Rica (howardgloydi), El Salvador (bilineatus), Guatemala (bilineatus), Honduras (howardgloydi), Mexico (bilineatus, russeolus) and Nicaragua (howardgloydi)
    Agkistrodon contortrix (Linnaeus, 1766)
  • contortrix (Linnaeus, 1766)
    Acontias atrofuscus Troost, 1836
    Agkistrodon contortrix var. atrofuscus (Troost, 1836)
    Agkistrodon mokeson cupreus (Rafinesque, 1818)
    Boa contortrix Linnaeus, 1766
    Cenchris atrofuscus (Troost, 1836)
    Cenchris contortrix (Linnaeus, 1766)
    Cenchris marmorata Boie, 1827
    Scytale contortrix (Linnaeus, 1766)
    Scytale cupreus Rafinesque, 1818
    Tisiphone cuprea (Rafinesque, 1818)
    Toxicophis atrofuscus (Troost, 1836)
    Trigonocephalus atrofuscus (Troost, 1836)
    Trigonocephalus cenchris Schlegel, 1837
    Trigonocephalus contortrix (Linnaeus, 1766)
    Trigonocephalus histrionicus Duméril, 1853
  • laticinctus Gloyd & Conant, 1934
  • Agkistrodon mokasen laticinctus Gloyd & Conant, 1934
  • mokasen (Daudin, 1803)
    Agkistrodon mokasen austrinus Gloyd & Conant, 1943
    Agkistrodon mokasen Beauvois, 1799
    Agkistrodon mokasen mokasen Beauvois, 1799
    Ancistrodon controtrix mokeson (Daudin, 1803)
    Cenchris mokeson Daudin, 1803
    Scytale mockeson (Daudin, 1803)
  • phaeogaster Gloyd, 1969
  • pictigaster Gloyd & Conant, 1943
    Agkistrodon mokeson pictigaster Gloyd & Conant, 1943
  • Distribution: Canada (mokasen), Mexico (pictigaster), USA (contortrix, laticinctus, mokasen, phaeogaster, pictigaster).
    Agkistrodon piscivorus (Lacépède, 1789)
  • piscivorus (Lacépède, 1789)
    Ancistrodon piscivorus (Lacépède, 1789)
    Ancistrodon pugnax (Baird & Girard, 1853)
    Cenchris piscivorus (Lacépède, 1789)
    Coluber aquaticus (Bonnaterre, 1789)
    Coluber piscivorus (Lacépède, 1789)
    Coluber tisiphone Shaw, 1802
    Crotalus aquaticus Bonnaterre, 1789
    Crotalus piscivorus Lacépède, 1789
    Scytale piscivora (Lacépède, 1789)
    Toxicophis piscivorus (Lacépède, 1789)
    Toxicophis pugnax Baird & Girard, 1853
    Trigonocephalus piscivorus (Lacépède, 1789)
    Trigonocephalus piscivorus var. pugnax (Baird & Girard, 1853)
    Trigonocephalus tisiphone (Shaw, 1802)
  • conanti Gloyd, 1969
  • leucostoma (Troost, 1836)
    Acontias leucostoma Troost, 1836
    Toxicophis leucostoma (Troost, 1836)
  • Distribution: USA
    Agkistrodon taylori Burger & Robertson, 1951
    Agkistrodon bilineatus taylori Burger & Robertson, 1951
    Distribution: Mexico
    Literature
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