Crotalus morulus

Crotalus morulus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Viperidae
Genus:	Crotalus
Species:	C. morulus
Binomial name
	Crotalus morulus; Klauber, 1952
Synonyms
	Crotalus lepidus subsp. morulus Klauber, 1952;

Crotalus morulus, or the Tamaulipan rock rattlesnake, is a species of rattlesnake from Mexico, closely related to and previously considered a subspecies of Crotalus lepidus.²³ The name morulus comes from the Latin word morus for mulberry in reference to their mottled patterns. As with all rattlesnakes, it is venomous.⁴

Description

As juveniles, Crotalus morulus has a dark pattern with black blotches dorsally on a grey base, the dark colours blending between the patterns. Adults are also grey with dark-brown blotches.⁴ They are distinguished from Crotalus lepidus by this dark colouration and higher number of blotches.³

Their rattle is also known to be fluorescent, although more dull in adults than neonates.⁵

Reproduction

Crotalus morulus is known to be ovoviviparous.⁴

References

"Crotalus morulus". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 2025-01-02.
Blair, Christopher; Bryson Jr, Robert W.; Linkem, Charles W.; Lazcano, David; Klicka, John; McCormack, John E. (2019). "Cryptic diversity in the Mexican highlands: Thousands of UCE loci help illuminate phylogenetic relationships, species limits and divergence times of montane rattlesnakes (Viperidae: Crotalus)". Molecular Ecology Resources. 19 (2): 349–365. Bibcode:2019MolER..19..349B. doi:10.1111/1755-0998.12970. ISSN 1755-0998. PMID 30565862.
Klauber, Laurence Monroe; Klauber, Laurence Monroe (1952). Taxonomic studies of the rattlesnakes of mainland Mexico. Vol. 26. San Diego, Calif: Zoological Society of San Diego.
"Crotalus morulus". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 2025-01-01.
"Glow and Behold: Biofluorescence and New Insights on the Tails of Pitvipers (Viperidae: Crotalinae) and Other Snakes". ResearchGate. Archived from the original on 2023-09-22. Retrieved 2025-01-01.

[1] "Crotalus morulus". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 2025-01-02.

[2] Blair, Christopher; Bryson Jr, Robert W.; Linkem, Charles W.; Lazcano, David; Klicka, John; McCormack, John E. (2019). "Cryptic diversity in the Mexican highlands: Thousands of UCE loci help illuminate phylogenetic relationships, species limits and divergence times of montane rattlesnakes (Viperidae: Crotalus)". Molecular Ecology Resources. 19 (2): 349–365. Bibcode:2019MolER..19..349B. doi:10.1111/1755-0998.12970. ISSN 1755-0998. PMID 30565862.

[:0-3] Klauber, Laurence Monroe; Klauber, Laurence Monroe (1952). Taxonomic studies of the rattlesnakes of mainland Mexico. Vol. 26. San Diego, Calif: Zoological Society of San Diego.

[:1-4] "Crotalus morulus". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 2025-01-01.

[5] "Glow and Behold: Biofluorescence and New Insights on the Tails of Pitvipers (Viperidae: Crotalinae) and Other Snakes". ResearchGate. Archived from the original on 2023-09-22. Retrieved 2025-01-01.

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