Pitviper diversity: where are we, where have we come from, and where are we going?

Wüster, Wolfgang

School of Environmental and Natural Sciences

Bangor University

Wales, United Kingdom

Southeastern Arizona and adjoining New Mexico constitute a Mecca of pitviper diversity, with 11 species of pitviper to be found within two hours’ drive of the Conference venue. This gives us the impetus to reflect on the diversity of pitvipers in general, and how our understanding has developed and continues to develop. The number of recognised species of pitvipers has more than doubled over the last 60 years, from around 120 to over 300 species, aided by the advent of molecular genetic data as well as extensive exploration of previously under-collected parts of the world. At the same time, over-reliance on certain markers, especially mitochondrial DNA, leads to the potential for taxonomic inflation. The Cochise Filter Barrier is also a good place to explore our concepts of species and their speciation, with multiple contact zones between closely related species offering widely varying levels of admixture and new challenges to species delimitation.