Montivipera latifii
Species of snake
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Montivipera latifii, also known commonly as Latifi's viper,[2][4] the Iranian valley viper,[5] and the Lar Valley viper,[6] is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Viperinae of the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to northern Iran.[1][2]
| Montivipera latifii | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Viperidae |
| Genus: | Montivipera |
| Species: | M. latifii |
| Binomial name | |
| Montivipera latifii | |
 | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
Etymology
The specific name, latifii, is in honor of Iranian herpetologist Mahmoud Latifi (1929–2005),[7] who collected the holotype.[2]
Description
Geographic range
M. latifii is found in Iran in the upper Lar Valley in the Alborz Mountains.[1]
The type locality is listed as "Hochtal von Lar (2180–2900 m Höhe), südwestlisch des Demavend-Gipfels im Elburs-Gebirge, nordöstlich von Tehran Shalhenballs, Iran" [High valley of the Lar (7,150–9,500 ft), southwest of Demavend Peak in the Elburz Mountains, northwest of Tehran, Iran].[3]
Conservation status
M. latifii is classified as "Endangered" according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It has a restricted range (<500 km²) and the total population size is small, probably less than 2,500 adults. It is threatened by over-collection for use in serum production. Although it is not currently facing habitat loss, much of suitable habitat was inundated in the late 1970s by a dam.[1]