Bothriechis lateralis

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Bothriechis lateralis
Groengele-groefkopadder-2.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Genus: Bothriechis
Species:
B. lateralis
Binomial name
Bothriechis lateralis
Peters, 1862
Synonyms
  • Bothriechis lateralisPeters, 1862
  • B[othrops]. (Bothriechis) lateralisMüller, 1877
  • Lachesis lateralisBoulenger, 1896
  • Bothrops lateralisAmaral, 1930
  • Bothriechis lateralisCampbell & Lamar, 1979 [2]
Common names: side-striped palm pitviper [3] side-striped palm viper, [4] more.

Bothriechis lateralis is a venomous pit viper species found in the mountains of Costa Rica and western Panama. [2] No subspecies are currently recognized. [5]

Contents

Description

Adult specimens may exceed 100 centimetres (39 in), but are usually less than 80 centimetres (31 in) in length. These are relatively slender snakes and have a prehensile tail. [3]

B. lateralis Groengele-groefkopadder-5.jpg
B. lateralis

The color pattern consists of an emerald green to bluish green ground color, overlaid with a series of yellow alternating paravertebral vertical bars. Some of the scales adjacent to the yellow in this pattern may be blue or black-tipped. The belly is a uniform yellowing-green, bordered on either side by a pale yellow stripe running along the lower portion of the paraventral scales and the extreme lateral part of the ventral scales. The head is uniformly green on top and a blue or blue-gray postocular stripe may be present. If a postocular stripe is present, it is weakly defined, especially in large adults. The iris is yellow. [3] [6]

Juvenile specimens are usually brown with dark brown markings on the head, bronze irises, postocular stripes, paravertebral makings that are edged with yellow, and a tail tip that is yellow or chartreuse. Captive juveniles retain this color pattern for about six months, after which the ground color starts to become a dull lime green and the yellow edges of the paravertebral vertical bars more prominent. It is thought that the shift to adult coloration takes about 18–24 months to complete. [3]

Like many green snakes, captive adults tend to become blue over time, although blue specimens are sometimes found in the wild. [3]

Common names

Side-striped palm-pitviper, [3] side-striped palm viper, [4] green palm viper, [7] yellow-lined palm viper and parrot viper [6]

Geographic range

Found in the mountains of Costa Rica and western Panama, including the Cordillera de Tilarán, the Cordillera Central and the Cordillera de Talamanca to the provinces of Chiriquí Province and Veraguas. Occurs at 850–980 m altitude. The type locality is listed as "Costa Rica vom Vulcan Barbo [Volcán Barba] ... und .. Veragua" [Panama]. [2]

Habitat

Occurs in lower montane forest, lower montane wet forest, and lower montane rainforest. Although this species is able to survive is some areas that have been altered for agricultural purposes, such as coffee plantations, it seems they are slowly disappearing from these places. On the other hand, it is common in some protected areas, where populations appear to be doing quite well. [3]

Behavior

This is an arboreal species that spends its time in the thick foliage of forest trees and shrubbery. It is often found at the base of palm fronds. These snakes prefer to remain coiled and still, relying on their camouflage to avoid detection, rather than defending themselves aggressively. However, they will strike quickly if touched. [6]

Feeding

The prehensile tail is not only used as an anchor when resting, but also when it strikes out to grasp its prey, which consists of small birds, rodents, lizards and frogs. [6]

Venom

Bites can be serious, but fatalities are rare. [7] A polyvalent antivenin that covers this species is produced by the Instituto Clodomiro in Costa Rica. [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Metlapilcoatlus</i>

Metlapilcoatlus is a genus of venomous pit vipers endemic to Mexico and Central America. Five species are currently recognized. The common names suggest they are able to leap at an attacker, but this is likely exaggerated. Common names for the species include jumping pitvipers and jumping vipers.

<i>Bothriechis schlegelii</i> Species of reptile

Bothriechis schlegelii, known commonly as the eyelash viper, is a species of venomous pit viper in the family Viperidae. The species is native to Central and South America. Small and arboreal, this species is characterized by a wide array of color variations, as well as the superciliary scales above the eyes. It is the most common of the green palm-pitvipers, and is often present in zoological exhibits. The specific name schlegelii honors Hermann Schlegel, who was a German ornithologist and herpetologist. For other common names see below. No subspecies are currently recognized as being valid.

<i>Bothriechis</i>

Bothriechis is a genus of venomous pit vipers, commonly called palm vipers or palm-pitvipers found predominantly in Mexico and Central America, although the most common species, B. schlegelii, ranges as far south as Colombia and Peru. All members are relatively slender and arboreal. The name Bothriechis is derived from the Greek words bothros and echis that mean "pit" and "viper" respectively. Ten species and no subspecies are currently generally recognized.

Black-speckled palm pit viper

The black-speckled palm pit viper is a venomous pit viper species found in the mountains of Costa Rica and Panama. No subspecies are currently recognized. The specific name is derived from the Latin niger (black) and viridis (green) in reference to its distinctive color pattern.

<i>Bothriechis bicolor</i>

Bothriechis bicolor is a venomous pit viper species found in southern Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. The specific name refers to the contrasting ventral and dorsal colors. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Atropoides picadoi is a species of venomous snake, a pitviper in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to Central America. There are no subspecies that are recognised as being valid. It is monotypic in the genus Atropoides.

<i>Bothriechis aurifer</i>

Bothriechis aurifer is a venomous pit viper species found in Mexico and Guatemala. No subspecies are currently recognized.

<i>Bothriechis rowleyi</i>

Bothriechis rowleyi is a species of pit viper, a venomous snake in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to Mexico. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.

Bothriechis marchi is a species of pitviper, a venomous snake in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to Central America. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.

<i>Trimeresurus trigonocephalus</i>

Trimeresurus trigonocephalus, the Sri Lankan pit viper, Ceylon pit viper, Sri Lankan green pitviper or locally, pala polonga, is a venomous pit viper species endemic to Sri Lanka. No subspecies are currently recognized.

<i>Trimeresurus puniceus</i>

Trimeresurus puniceus is a venomous pitviper species endemic to Southeast Asia. Common names include: flat-nosed pitviper, flat-nosed pit viper, and ashy pit viper. No subspecies are currently recognized.

<i>Trimeresurus sumatranus</i>

Trimeresurus sumatranus is a venomous pitviper species found in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Arboreal, its coloration is pale green with a red tail. Common names include Sumatran pitviper, Sumatran tree viper, and Sumatran pit viper.

<i>Bothrops bilineatus</i> Species of pit viper

Bothrops bilineatus, also known as the two-striped forest-pitviper, parrotsnake, Amazonian palm viper, or green jararaca, is a highly venomous species of pit viper found in the Amazon region of South America. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here. A pale green arboreal species that may reach 1 m (3.3 ft) in length, it is an important cause of snakebite throughout the entire Amazon region.

<i>Porthidium ophryomegas</i>

Porthidium ophryomegas is a venomous pitviper species found in Central America. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Bothrops medusa is a venomous pitviper species found in Venezuela. No subspecies are currently recognized.

<i>Bothrops oligolepis</i>

Bothrops oligolepis is a venomous pitviper species found in Peru and Bolivia. The specific name is derived from the Greek words oligo and lepis, meaning "few scales"; probably an allusion to the lower numbers of dorsal and ventral scales that it has compared to B. bilineatus. No subspecies are currently recognized.

<i>Bothriechis thalassinus</i>

Bothriechis thalassinus is a venomous pitviper species native to Guatemala and Honduras.

<i>Bothriechis supraciliaris</i>

Bothriechis supraciliaris, the blotched palm-pit viper, is a species of venomous snake in the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to Costa Rica.

<i>Bothriechis guifarroi</i>

Bothriechis guifarroi is a species of venomous green palm pitvipers discovered in 2010 in the Texiguat Wildlife Refuge, in Northern Honduras. Bothriechis guifarroi joins two other species of the genus Bothriechis, B. marchi and B. thalassinus, found in Chortís Highlands of Honduras.

References

  1. ↑ Acosta Chaves, V.; Batista, A.; García Rodríguez, A.; Saborío, G.; Vargas Álvarez, J. (2014). "Bothriechis lateralis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2014: e.T203658A2769431. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T203658A2769431.en . Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN   1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN   1-893777-01-4 (volume).
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Campbell JA, Lamar WW (2004). The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere. Ithaca and London: Comstock Publishing Associates. plate 1500. ISBN   0-8014-4141-2.
  4. 1 2 Bothriechis lateralis Archived January 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine at Herps of Panama Archived November 1, 2006, at the Wayback Machine . Accessed 27 November 2006.
  5. ↑ "Bothriechis lateralis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System . Retrieved 27 November 2006.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Mehrtens JM. 1987. Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. ISBN   0-8069-6460-X.
  7. 1 2 Green Palm Viper (Bothriechis lateralis) Archived September 28, 2006, at the Wayback Machine at Cloud Forest Alive Archived 2006-11-18 at the Wayback Machine . Accessed 27 November 2006.
  8. ↑ Bothriechis lateralis at Munich AntiVenom INdex. Accessed 27 November 2006.
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