Taylor's cantils have prominent light and dark stripes on the head, with a pattern of black and gray-brown bands on the body, accented with white, yellow, and orange.

The name is thought to have first entered herpetological literature in the publication of Albert Günther's Reptilia and Batrachia in Biologia Centrali-Americana,[14]: 186 p.  and later popularized in the writings of Raymond L.

[3]: 263 p. Recent molecular studies[16][17][18] have produced strong evidence indicating that pitvipers made a single invasion into the New World, presumably via the Bering Land Bridge in the early Tertiary or late Cretaceous, with a subsequent divergence resulting in a northern temperate group (including Agkistrodon, Crotalus, and Sistrurus) and a Neotropical group.

[16]: 416 p. The taxonomic history of Taylor's cantil (Agkistrodon taylori) is relatively simple and straight forward compared to many species.

Agkistrodon bilineatus, In part: Edward H. Taylor collected what was to become the holotype of A. taylori, on June 9, 1938, "crawling on the highway pavement about dark" very near the Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon state line.

[19]: 486 p. Agkistrodon bilineatus taylori, Nomen nudum: Taylor and Hobart Smith published the name in a checklist of type localities of Mexican herpetofauna.

The authors acknowledged "Our attention was first called to this interesting situation by Dr. Edward H. Taylor.....to whom we are indebted for permission to study it", and Hobart Smith for his "advice and assistance".

[10]: 213 p. Agkistrodon bilineatus taylori: Formally described as subspecies in 1951, the holotype is in the collection of the University of Illinois Museum of Natural History (UIMNH 10002).

[5]: 97 p. Agkistrodon taylori: Taylor's cantil was elevated to species status in research published in 2000, based on a combination of mitochondrial DNA sequences, its geographic isolation (allopatry), unique aspects of head and body colour pattern, and sexual dichromatism (sexual dimorphism) in adults.

The tails of adult A. taylori are proportionately shorter than other species of cantils, 16–19% of the total length in males, and 13–18% in females.

[3]: 266 p. [5]: 98–100 p. [8]: 216–217 p. Taylor's cantil can be distinguished from other members of the genus Agkistrodon by the presence of a loreal scale (loreal scale absent in A. piscivorus and A. conanti), two bold and distinctive white or yellowish stripes on each side of the face (absent in A. contortrix and A. laticinctus), and a lower number of subcaudals: 45 to 56 in males, 40 to 47 in females (55 to 71 in male, 46 to 67 in female A. bilineatus, A. howardgloydi, and A. russeolus).

[10] It has been speculated that A. taylori occurs in the Sierra de San Carlos, based on the local inhabitants identifying photographs,[23] however no confirmed records from the mountain range are available.

These include a number of records from Nuevo Leon as far north as Monterrey,[23] south to the vicinity of El Naranjo, San Luis Potosi,[5]: 100 p.  Atlapexco[25] and Huejutla de Reyes, Hidalgo, and near Tantoyuca, Verecruz.

[10] Paul S. Martin's work in Tamaulipas from 1948 to1953 encompassed 12 collectors and 14 months of fieldwork yielding only three specimens, and he noted interviews with two lifelong resident farmers that indicated they had seen "only one other snake of this type".

[29]: 8 & 77 p.  Likewise, a six year field survey in the 1970s noted "A few woodcutters we queried had encountered A. b. taylori and they concurred that it is rare in the area.

[10]: 213 p.  In western areas of the range Paul S. Martin reported on three specimens removed from a "den" in palm forest north of Chamal (Adolfo López Mateos), Tamaulipas.

[29]: 77 p.  and it has been found in the riparian zones at the bottom of canyons of the eastern sloops Sierra Madre Oriental (393 meters elevation).

[25] Field surveys conducted in the 1970s noted that collecting in riparian zones failed to yield specimens, indicating that Taylor's cantil is not closely associated with wetlands.

), armed with sharp spines, grow in the understory, in some areas forming dense, impenetrable thickets providing shelter for the snakes.

One study found fecal analysis of recently collected snakes contained grasshopper remains and hair from unidentified mammals.

[34]: 128 p.  However in at least one case in captivity, a male Taylor's cantil was unable to escape its opponent in confinement, and after 12 days was ultimately killed by its cage mate.

"Post-mortem revealed a bite puncture wound in the heart area with severe hemorrhaging in the tissue"[23]: 381 p. Courtship and copulation have been observed in captivity mostly from November to February (rarely as early as mid September).

[8]: 219–220 p. Neonates are patterned like adults, including characters of sexual dimorphism, but much lighter in color (comparable to Agkistrodon piscivorus).

[8]: 219 p. The Bronx Zoo reported an unusual incidence of twinning in Taylor's cantil, when two snakes were observed in one egg sac membrane at birth.

[36] No comprehensive studies have been made of A. taylori populations in the wild however, assessments of its conservation status elicit statements such as "this species faces a bleak future due to habitat destruction for agriculture"[8]: 221 p.  and "urgent measures may be required to ensure continued existence of the biogeographically important and spectacularly coloured Taylor's cantil.

[37]: 93 p. [38]: 616 p. Paul S. Martin wrote that the name "cantil" was unknown in the Gómez Farías region of southwest Tamaulipas and that "metapil" was occasionally used by residents, and might refer to A.

[38]: 604 p. Because of its attractive coloration and relatively small size, A. taylori are occasionally seen in the exotic pet trade, with captive bred individuals sometimes available.

The venom of A. taylori is significantly stronger than that of A. contortrix and can cause severe tissue damage and potentially death if untreated.