Any new timber/canebrake developments?

[shaggybill]

Does anyone know if they are any closer to making the timber and canebrake separate subspecies? Or have they abandoned that? Are there any up to date links you could point me to that discusses this? Thanks.

[BWSmith]

You mean making them ssp AGAIN. ;) Last I heard there was conflicting gentic evidence. Officially, there are no ssp of horridus. But give it time, the powers that be will come to their senses ;) i wonder how long before Cottonmouth subspecies are removed. Latin will continue to change as long as someone in acadamia has to write a paper.

[SCReptiles]

Actually, Dr Gordon has intentions of breaking the cane and timber into different species. He laid out is research for us about a year ago when he was over at my lab. He has since left Zoo Atlanta and is back in AZ. I have not talked to him since he left. How that works is a little odd, there is no standard. A researcher, such as Gordon, will publish his research and claim the cane should be a separate species. It will go in peer review literature and people will accept or reject it. Many years ago it was accepted that the cane was its own sub-species. Then some researcher decided it wasn’t and he published his opinions and most agreed with him. Almost everyone in the hobby never accepted the change. We still call a cane a cane and a timber a timber. I imagine after Gordon has published his new work, most people will call the cane its own species. He is generally considered the foremost authority on pit-vipers.

[shaggybill]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

Thats good news Chuck. I hope it happens soon. Do you know if this is looking like years and years of work, or is this something that could happen within the next year or so?