Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Can anyone tell me what the correct genus name for the Southern Pacific Rattlesnake is? I was always under the assumption that it was Viridis Helleri. Today I was at the website of Texas A&M University, and noticed that they had the Helleri listed as Oreganus ( www.ntri.tamuk.edu/specieshtm/cohelleri.htm ).
Any insight towards this matter would be much appreciated.
Thanks;
Jason Mc

Viridis now consists of C.v viridis and nuntius which is no longer a distinct ssp.

C. oreganus includes all the rest but at some point many or all may be elevated to full species. (M. Douglas et.al already consider them full species) ie. C. cerberus, C. concolor, etc. but for now most are going by C.o.cerberus, etc.

On a canadian perspective, we have C.viridus in Alberta and Saskatchewan, and C. Oreganus in B.C. (called the northern pacific rattler). Where is the nuntias subspecies located, I've never heard of it before?

I assumed that the southern pacific rattler was C.oreganus helleri or C. helleri. What is the rattler refered to as helleri then?

Ian

Helleri would refer to the southern pacific...The "official" taxonomic name for it currently is C. oreganus helleri, but of course "official" depends on who you ask Some still refer to it as C. v. helleri and I've seen others who consider it to be a species on it's own, C. helleri. Anyway you look at it though, "helleri" in the genus Crotalus always refers to the southern pacific.

Crotalus viridus nuntias is the hopi rattler

"Can anyone tell me what the correct genus name for the Southern Pacific Rattlesnake is?"

The correct genus name is Crotalus.

Hey thanks HKM.