Classification of Agkistrodon species in China

Abstract

The wide geographical distribution and the slight morphological differences among the snakes of the genus Agkistrodon in China have posed a problem to taxonomists. We have employed polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunological diffusion techniques for comparison of the venoms of different species and subspecies of Agkistrodon from various localities. The electrophoretic patterns of the proteins of the venoms were different from each other, but showed certain relations within species and subspecies. We used Ouchterlony double diffusion of a rabbit antiserum against the purified “neurotoxin” from the venom of Agkistrodon blomhoffii brevicaudaus (from the Zhejiang Province of China) on the various venoms of Agkistrodon. Precipitin lines formed with immunological identity between the same species, partial identity between closely related species and no precipitin line between different species. Combining experimental data, morphological characteristics and geographical distribution, we propose that the genus Agkistrodon ( sensu stricto) in China consists of seven species and subspecies: (1) Agkistrodon blomhoffii brevicaudus Stejneger, (2) A. b. ussuriensis Emelianov, (3) A. intermedius (Strauch), (4) A. saxatilis Emelianov, (5) A. shedaoensis Zhao, (6) A. strauchii Bedriaga, (7) A. monticola Werner. Agkistrodon acutus (Guenther) has recently been changed to a new genus, Deinagkistrodon, established by Gloyd in 1978.