Protobothrops is a genus of venomous pit vipers found in Asia.[1]

Protobothrops
Protobothrops cornutus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Subfamily: Crotalinae
Genus: Protobothrops
Hoge & Romano-Hoge, 1983
Type species
Bothrops flavoviridis
Hallowell, 1861

The venom of Protobothrops can be diverse and unique across individual organisms of the same and differing species and has demonstrated the ability to evolve in an accelerated manner.[2][3] One possible explanation for these traits is that the habitat in which Protobothrops reside contains a large variety of prey which may have prompted the diversification of the venom related genes.[2][3]

Species edit

Image Scientific name Distribution
  Protobothrops cornutus (M.A. Smith, 1930) Vietnam and Southern China.
Protobothrops dabieshanensis Huang, T. Pan, Han, L. Zhang, Hou, Yu, Zheng & B. Zhang, 2012 China
  Protobothrops elegans (Gray, 1849) Ryukyu Islands, specifically the Yaeyama Islands.
  Protobothrops flavoviridis (Hallowell, 1861) Ryukyu Islands, including Okinawa and the Amami Islands.
Protobothrops himalayanus H. Pan, Chettri, D. Yang, K. Jiang, K. Wang, L. Zhang & Vogel, 2013 China (southern Tibet), Nepal, Bhutan, India (Sikkim)
  Protobothrops jerdonii (Günther, 1875) India, Nepal, Myanmar, China, and Vietnam.
Protobothrops kaulbacki (M.A. Smith, 1940) Myanmar, China
Protobothrops kelomohy Sumontha, Vasaruchapong, Chomngam, Suntrarachun, Pawangkhanant, Sompan, Smit, Kunya & Chanhome, 2020 Northern Thailand
  Protobothrops mangshanensis (Zhao, 1990) China (Guangdong, Hunan)
Protobothrops maolanensis J. Yang, Orlov & Y. Wang, 2011 China (Guizhou)
  Protobothrops mucrosquamatus (Cantor, 1839) India (Assam and Mizoram) and Bangladesh, to Myanmar, China (including Hainan, and as far north as Gansu and as far east as Zhejiang), Laos, northern and central Vietnam, also found in northern Thailand as well as in Taiwan
Protobothrops sieversorum (Ziegler, Herrmann, David, Orlov & Pauwels, 2000) Vietnam
  Protobothrops tokarensis (Nagai, 1928) Kagoshima, Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands
Protobothrops trungkhanhensis Orlov, Ryabov & Nguyen, 2009 Vietnam, China
Protobothrops xiangchengensis (Zhao, Y. Jiang & Huang, 1979) China (Yunnan, Sichuan)

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Protobothrops.

References edit

  1. ^ Protobothrops at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 13 August 2022..
  2. ^ a b Shibata, Hiroki; Chijiwa, Takahito; Oda-Ueda, Naoko; Nakamura, Hitomi; Yamaguchi, Kazuaki; Hattori, Shousaku; Matsubara, Kazumi; Matsuda, Yoichi; Yamashita, Akifumi; Isomoto, Akiko; Mori, Kazuki (2018-07-26). "The habu genome reveals accelerated evolution of venom protein genes". Scientific Reports. 8 (1): 11300. Bibcode:2018NatSR...811300S. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-28749-4. PMC 6062510. PMID 30050104.
  3. ^ a b Inamaru, Kento; Takeuchi, Ami; Maeda, Marie; Shibata, Hiroki; Fukumaki, Yasuyuki; Oda-Ueda, Naoko; Hattori, Shosaku; Ohno, Motonori; Chijiwa, Takahito (2020-03-12). "Discovery of the Gene Encoding a Novel Small Serum Protein (SSP) of Protobothrops flavoviridis and the Evolution of SSPs". Toxins. 12 (3): 177. doi:10.3390/toxins12030177. PMC 7150969. PMID 32178380.