Bothriechis thalassinus

Merendon palm-pitviper
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Viperidae
Genus:	Bothriechis
Species:	B. thalassinus
Binomial name
	Bothriechis thalassinus; Campbell & Smith, 2000 [1]

Last updated September 15, 2019

Common names: Merendon palm-pitviper, Yax chan, culebra verde.^[2]

Bothriechis thalassinus is a venomous pit viper species native to Guatemala and Honduras.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Venomous snakes are species of the suborder Serpentes that are capable of producing venom, which they use for killing prey, for defense, and to assist with digestion of their prey. The venom is typically delivered by injection using hollow or grooved fangs, although some venomous snakes lack well-developed fangs. Common venomous snakes include the families Elapidae, Viperidae, Atractaspididae, and some of the Colubridae. The toxicity of venom is mainly indicated by murine LD₅₀, while multiple factors are considered to judge the potential danger to humans. Other important factors for risk assessment include the likelihood that a snake will bite, the quantity of venom delivered with the bite, the efficiency of the delivery mechanism, and the location of a bite on the body of the victim. Snake venom may have both neurotoxic and hemotoxic properties.

The Crotalinae, commonly known as pit vipers, crotaline snakes, or pit adders, are a subfamily of venomous vipers found in Eurasia and the Americas. They are distinguished by the presence of a heat-sensing pit organ located between the eye and the nostril on both sides of the head. Currently, 18 genera and 151 species are recognized: seven genera and 54 species in the Old World, against a greater diversity of 11 genera and 97 species in the New World. These are also the only viperids found in the Americas. The groups of snakes represented here include rattlesnakes, lanceheads, and Asian pit vipers. The type genus for this subfamily is Crotalus, of which the type species is the timber rattlesnake, C. horridus.

Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, Belize and the Caribbean to the northeast, Honduras to the east, El Salvador to the southeast and the Pacific Ocean to the south. With an estimated population of around 16.6 million, it is the most populated country in Central America. Guatemala is a representative democracy; its capital and largest city is Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción, also known as Guatemala City.

Description

This is a medium-sized pitviper with a slender body and strong prehensile tail. Adults are usually 60–80 centimetres (24–31 in) long, with a maximum recorded length of 97 centimetres (38 in). It has 21-23 dorsal scale rows at mid-body. The head and body usually have a greenish dorsal color, shading to yellow-greenish along the sides. The belly is generally lighter in color: cream, yellow-green or pale green. The dorsal pattern may have irregular blotches, turquoise to black, or speckling that doesn't reach very far down the sides.^[1]^[2] The head has two black stripes and black speckling on top, which are less visible towards the tail. Like all other pitvipers, B. thalassinus has heat sensitive organs, or loreal pits, located on either side of the head between the eye and the nostril.

A prehensile tail is the tail of an animal that has adapted to be able to grasp or hold objects. Fully prehensile tails can be used to hold and manipulate objects, and in particular to aid arboreal creatures in finding and eating food in the trees. If the tail cannot be used for this it is considered only partially prehensile - such tails are often used to anchor an animal's body to dangle from a branch, or as an aid for climbing. The term prehensile means "able to grasp".

The loreal pit is the deep depression, or fossa, in the loreal area on either side of the head in crotaline snakes. It is located behind the nostril and in front of the eye, but below the line that runs between the centers of each. It is the external opening to an extremely sensitive infrared detecting organ. The loreal pit is bordered by lacunal scales. The loreal pit is a thermal regulating system. Pitvipers maintain their temperature of body through loreal pit.

Geographic range

Its range extends from eastern Guatemala to western Honduras. In eastern Guatemala it is found in several mountain ranges, including Sierra de Caral in Izabal and the Sierra del Merendón in Zacapa.^[1]^[2]

Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, and to the north by the Gulf of Honduras, a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea.

Izabal is one of the 22 departments of Guatemala. Its coastal areas form part of the homeland of the Garifuna people.

Sierra del Merendón is a mountain range extending on the eastern border of Guatemala and Honduras. Its south-western border is marked by the Lempa River valley, its northern border by the Motagua River valley. The mountain range has several different biomes and habitats, including cloud forests.

Habitat

Occurs in lower montane wet forest and lower montane moist forest at elevations of 885–1,730 metres (2,904–5,676 ft).^[1]^[2]

Behavior

Like other Bothriechis members, this species appears to be mainly nocturnal and arboreal.^[1] It preys mostly on frogs, lizards, and sometimes small mammals or birds. B. thalassinus is not known to be an aggressive species, but may strike quickly when surprised or disturbed.^[2]

Reproduction

Like most other pitvipers, B. thalassinus is ovoviviparous. Average litter size is probably less than 10–12 young per litter.^[2]

Ovoviviparity, ovovivipary, ovivipary, or aplacental viviparity is a mode of reproduction in animals in which embryos that develop inside eggs remain in the mother's body until they are ready to hatch. This method of reproduction is similar to viviparity, but the embryos have no placental connection with the mother and generally receive their nourishment from a yolk sac. In some species, yolk sac supplies are supplemented, or largely replaced by, uterine secretions or other maternal provisioning. Examples include trophic eggs in the uterus, or even intrauterine cannibalism.

Venom

The characteristics of its venom are not yet well known. It is mainly hemotoxic, and possibly contains mild neurotoxic or myotoxic factors. Seldom encountered by humans, there are very few reported bites of humans. Typical envenomation symptoms include local pain, swelling, mild local tissue necrosis, nausea, "tingling" of a digit or limb, and nausea. No confirmed deaths of humans have been reported for this species.^[2]

Related Research Articles

Atropoides is a genus of venomous pit vipers endemic to Mexico and Central America. Six 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.

Bothriechis schlegelii, the eyelash viper, is a venomous pit viper species found in 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.

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.

<i>Bothriechis lateralis</i> species of reptile

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

Bothriechis nigroviridis 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.

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.

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

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.

Mixcoatlus barbouri is a venomous pit viper species endemic to Mexico. No subspecies are currently recognized.

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.

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.

Bothrops bilineatus is a venomous pitviper species found in the Amazon region of South America. 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. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

Bothrops pulcher is a venomous pitviper species found in South America. The specific name is Latin, meaning "beautiful", in reference to the color pattern. No subspecies are currently recognized.

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

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.

Ophryacus smaragdinus is a venomous pitviper species endemic to the mountains of eastern Mexico. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Ophryacus sphenophrys is a venomous pitviper species endemic to the mountains of eastern Mexico. No subspecies are currently recognized.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 Campbell, Jonathan A.; Smith, Eric N. (2000). "A new species of arboreal pitviper from the Atlantic versant of northern Central America". Revista de Biología Tropical. 48 (4): 1001–1013. ISSN 0034-7744 . Retrieved 2 August 2010.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 AFBMP. "Bothriechis thalassinus". AFBMP Living Hazards Database. AFBMP. Archived from the original on 2012-01-09. Retrieved 2010-08-01.
↑ Bothriechis thalassinus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database . Accessed 11 July 2014.

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[Campbell_2000-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Campbell, Jonathan A.; Smith, Eric N. (2000). "A new species of arboreal pitviper from the Atlantic versant of northern Central America". Revista de Biología Tropical. 48 (4): 1001–1013. ISSN 0034-7744 . Retrieved 2 August 2010.

[AFPMB-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 AFBMP. "Bothriechis thalassinus". AFBMP Living Hazards Database. AFBMP. Archived from the original on 2012-01-09. Retrieved 2010-08-01.

[RDB-3] Bothriechis thalassinus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database . Accessed 11 July 2014.

v t e Snake families
Chordata Reptilia Squamata Serpentes
Alethinophidia	Acrochordidae Aniliidae Anomochilidae Atractaspididae Boidae Bolyeriidae Colubridae Cylindrophiidae Elapidae Loxocemidae Pythonidae Tropidophiidae Uropeltidae Viperidae Xenopeltidae
Scolecophidia	Anomalepididae Gerrhopilidae Leptotyphlopidae Typhlopidae Xenotyphlopidae