Bothrops

Bothrops
	Bothrops alternatus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Viperidae
Subfamily:	Crotalinae
Genus:	Bothrops ; Wagler, 1824
Synonyms
	BothropsWagler, 1824; Rhinocerophis Garman, 1881;

Last updated April 28, 2024

Bothrops is a genus of highly venomous pit vipers endemic to the Neotropics.^[1] The generic name, Bothrops, is derived from the Greek words βόθρος, bothros , meaning "pit", and ὄψ, ops, meaning "eye" or "face", together an allusion to the heat-sensitive loreal pit organs. Members of this genus are responsible for more human deaths in the Americas than any other group of venomous snakes.^[2] Currently, 48 species are recognized.^[3]

Description

These snakes range from small, never growing to more than 50–70 cm (19.5–27.5 in), to large at over 200 cm (6.6 ft) in total length. Most are characterized by having a sharp canthus rostralis and an unelevated snout.^[2]

The arrangement of the scales on top of the head is extremely variable; the number of interorbital scales may be 3–14. Usually there are 7-9 supralabials and 9-11 sublabials. There are 21-29 rows of dorsal scales at midbody, 139-240 ventral scales, and 30-86 subcaudals, which are generally divided.^[2]

Common names

Lacépède originally applied the name "lanceheads"^[2] to all of these snakes, which he considered conspecific. Thus, older writings, as well as popular and sometimes scientific writings (including the American Heritage, Merriam-Webster, and New Shorter Oxford dictionaries), still often call them fer-de-lance (French, "spearhead"). However, many scientists and hobbyists now restrict this name to the Martinican species, B. lanceolatus . Other common names include American lanceheads and American lance-headed vipers.^[4]

Geographic range

Bothrops species are found in northeastern Mexico (Tamaulipas) southward through Central and South America to Argentina. They also occur on the islands of Saint Lucia and Martinique in the Lesser Antilles, as well as on Ilha da Queimada Grande off the coast of Brazil.^[1]B. atrox is also found on the island of Trinidad in the Caribbean off the eastern coast of Venezuela.

Behavior

Most species are nocturnal, although a few found at higher altitudes are active during the day. Otherwise, they may be seen on cloudy days or during periods of rain. Most are terrestrial, though all are capable of climbing. One species, B. insularis, which is endemic to Ilha da Queimada Grande, is considered to be semi arboreal. This species, unlike most Bothrops, preys primarily on birds, due to the absence of native mammal species on Queimada Grande. This feeding habit probably accounts for their more arboreal lifestyle compared with their mainland cousins.^[2] Many species of Bothrops exhibit tail vibration behavior when disturbed.^[5]

Venom

Members of this genus are responsible for more fatalities in the Americas than any other group of venomous snakes. In this regard, the most important species are B. asper , B. atrox , and B. jararaca . Without treatment, the fatality rate is estimated to be about 7%, but with treatment this is reduced to 0.5-3%.^[2]

Typical symptoms of bothropic envenomation include immediate burning pain, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, sweating, headache, massive swelling of the bitten extremity, hemorrhagic blebs, local necrosis, bleeding from the nose and gums, ecchymosis, erythemia, hypotension, tachycardia, coagulopathy with hypofibrinogenemia and thrombocytopenia, hematemesis, melena, epistaxis, hematuria, intracerebral hemorrhage, and kidney failure, secondary to hypotension and bilateral cortical necrosis. There is usually some discoloration around the bite site, and rashes may develop on the torso or the extremities.^[2]

In general, death results from hypotension secondary to blood loss, kidney failure, and intracranial hemorrhage. Common complications include necrosis and kidney failure secondary to shock and the toxic effects of the venom.^[2]

Species

Species^[3]	Subsp.*^[3]	Common name^[2]	Geographic range^[1]
B. alcatraz Marques, Martins, & Sazima, 2002	0	Alcatrazes lancehead	Alcatrazes Island, São Paulo state, Southeastern Brazil.
B. alternatus A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854	0	Urutu, yarará, víbora de la cruz	Southeastern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and northern Argentina (in the provinces of Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Córdoba, Corrientes, Chaco, Entre Ríos, Formosa, La Pampa, Misiones, San Luis, Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero and Tucumán.
B. ammodytoides Leybold, 1873	0	Patagonian lancehead	Argentina in the provinces of Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Córdoba, Chubut, La Pampa, La Rioja, Mendoza, Neuquén, Río Negro, San Juan, San Luis, Santa Cruz and Tucumán
B. asper (Garman, 1884)	0	terciopelo (preferred), Fer-de-lance (commonly used, but incorrect)	Atlantic lowlands of eastern Mexico and Central America, including Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, a disjunct population occurs in southeastern Chiapas (Mexico) and southwestern Guatemala, northern South America in Colombia and Ecuador West of the Andes, westernmost Venezuela, and Tumbes, Peru.^[2]
B. atrox (Linnaeus, 1758)	0	Common lancehead	Tropical lowlands of South America east of the Andes, including southeastern Colombia, southern and eastern Venezuela, Trinidad, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, northern Bolivia and the northern half of Brazil
B. ayerbei Folleco-Fernandez, 2010	0	Patian lancehead, Ayerbe's lancehead	Cauca, Colombia
B. barnetti Parker, 1938	0	Barnett's lancehead	Along the Pacific coast of northern Peru at low elevations in arid, tropical scrub
B. bilineatus (Wied-Neuwied, 1825)	2	Two-striped forest-pitviper	Amazon region of South America: Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. An isolated population is known from the Atlantic versant of southeastern Brazil.
B. brazili Hoge, 1954	0	Brazil's lancehead	Equatorial forests of eastern Peru, eastern Ecuador, Brazil and northern Bolivia
B. caribbaeus (Garman, 1887)	0	Saint Lucia lancehead	St. Lucia, Lesser Antilles, apparently restricted to the low elevation periphery of all but the southern third and extreme northern tip of the island
B. chloromelas (Boulenger, 1912)	0	Inca forest-pitviper	central Andes of Peru
B. cotiara (Gomes, 1913)	0	Cotiara	Araucaria forests of southern Brazil in the states of São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, northeastern Argentina in Misiones Province
B. diporus Cope, 1862	0	Painted Lancehead	Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia
B. erythromelas Amaral, 1923	0	Caatinga lancehead	Northeastern Brazil in the states of Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, extreme eastern Maranhão, Minas Gerais, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte and Sergipe
B. fonsecai Hoge & Belluomini, 1959	0	Fonseca's lancehead	Southeastern Brazil in the states of northeastern São Paulo, southern Rio de Jeneiro and extreme southern Minas Gerais
B. germanoi Barbo, Booker, Duarte, Chaluppe, Portes-Junior, Franco, & Grazziotin, 2022	0	Moela's lancehead	Ilha da Moela, Brazil
B. insularis (Amaral, 1922)	0	Golden lancehead	Queimada Grande Island, São Paulo State, Brazil
B. itapetiningae (Boulenger, 1907)	0	São Paulo lancehead	Southeastern Brazil in the states of Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso, São Paulo, and on the Paraná Plateau
B. jabrensis Barbo, Grazziotin, Pereira-Filho, Freitas, Abrantes, & Kokubum. 2022	0	Jabre's lancehead	Paraíba, Brazil
B. jararaca (Wied-Neuwied, 1824)	0	Jararaca	Southern Brazil, northeastern Paraguay and northern Argentina (Misiones)
B. jararacussu Lacerda, 1884	0	Jararacussu	Eastern Brazil (from Bahia to Santa Catarina), Paraguay, southeastern Bolivia and northeastern Argentina (Misiones Province)
B. jonathani (Harvey, 1994)	0	Jonathan's lancehead, Cochabamba lancehead	The Altiplano of central Bolivia in the departments of Cochabamba, Santa Cruz and Tarija, and in northwestern Argentina in the departments of Jujuy and Salta, occurring at elevations of 2000–3500 m in dry, rocky grassland
B. lanceolatus ^T(Bonnaterre, 1790)	0	Fer-de-lance, Martinique lancehead	Martinique, Lesser Antilles
B. leucurus Wagler, 1824	0	Whitetail lancehead, Bahia lancehead	Eastern Brazil along the Atlantic coast from northern Espírito Santo north to Alagoas and Ceará, occurs more inland in several parts of Bahia, uncertain identity of disjunct populations west of the Rio São Francisco
B. lutzi (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1915)	0	Cerrado lancehead	Northeastern Brazil in northern Piaui state
B. marajoensis Hoge, 1966	0	Marajó lancehead	Northern Brazil in the coastal lowlands of the Amazon Delta
B. marmoratus Da Silva & Rodrigues, 2008	0	Marbled lancehead	Goiás, Brazil
B. mattogrossensis Amaral, 1925	0	Mato Grosso lancehead	Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, Peru
B. medusa (Sternfeld, 1920)	0	Venezuelan forest-pitviper	Venezuela, including the Cordillera de la Costa (coastal range), the Federal District and the states of Aragua, Bolívar and Carabobo.
B. monsignifer Timms, Chaparro, Venegas, Salazar-Valenzuela, Scrocchi, Cuevas, Leynaud, & Carrasco, 2019	0		Eastern slopes of the Andes of Bolivia and southern Peru
B. moojeni Hoge, 1966	0	Brazilian lancehead	Central and southeastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, northeastern Argentina (Misiones) and likely eastern Bolivia
B. muriciensis Ferrarezzi & Freire, 2001	0		Mata de Murici, Alagoas state, Northeastern Brazil
B. neuwiedi Wagler, 1824	7	Neuwied's lancehead	South America east of the Andes and south of 5°S, including Brazil (southern Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Bahia, Goiás, Mato Grosso, an isolated population in Amazonas, Rondônia and all southern states), Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina (Catamarca, Córdoba, Corrientes, Chaco, Entre Ríos, Formosa, Jujuy, La Pampa, La Rioja, Mendoza, Misiones, Salta, San Juan, San Luis, Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero and Tucumán) and Uruguay
B. oligobalius Dal Vechio, Prates, Grazziotin, Graboski & Rodrigues, 2021	0		Amazonian forests of southern Colombia, southern Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and Brazil north of the Amazon/Solimões
B. oligolepis (F. Werner, 1901)	0	Peruvian forest-pitviper	Eastern slopes of the Andes in Peru and Bolivia.
B. osbornei Freire-Lascano, 1991	0		Western Ecuador, Northwestern Peru
B. otavioi Barbo, Grazziotin, Sazima, Martins, & Sawaya, 2012	0		Vitória Island, São Paulo, Brazil
B. pauloensis Amaral, 1925	0		Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia
B. pictus (Tschudi, 1845)	0	Desert lancehead	Peru on the hills of the Pacific coastal region and versant up to about 1800 m elevation
B. pirajai Amaral, 1923	0	Piraja's lancehead	Brazil in central and southern Bahia state and possibly also Minas Gerais
B. pubescens (Cope, 1870)	0		Brazil, Uruguay
B. pulcher (W. Peters, 1862)	0	Andean forest-pitviper	Eastern slopes of the Andes from south-central Colombia to southern Ecuador.
B. punctatus (García, 1896)	0	Chocoan lancehead	From the Darién of Panama along the Pacific slope of Colombia and Ecuador.
B. sanctaecrucis Hoge, 1966	0	Bolivian lancehead	Bolivia in the Amazonian lowlands from the departments of El Beni to Santa Cruz
B. sazimai Barbo, Gasparini, Almeida, Zaher, Grazziotin, Gusmão, Ferrarini, & Sawaya, 2016	0	Franceses Island lancehead	Ilha dos Franceses, Espírito Santo, Brazil
B. sonene Carrasco, Grazziotin, Cruz-Farfan, Koch, Ochoa, Scrocchi, Leynaud, & Chaparro, 2019	0		Madre de Dios, Peru
B. taeniatus (Wagler, 1824)	2	Speckled forest-pitviper	Widespread in the equatorial forests of Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil, Peru and Bolivia.
B. venezuelensis Sandner-Montilla, 1952	0	Venezuelan lancehead	Northern and central Venezuela, including the Cordillera de la Costa (coast range) and the states of Aragua, Carabobo, the Federal District, Miranda, Mérida, Trujillo, Lara, Falcón, Yaracuy and Sucre, and Colombia (Norte de Santander and Boyacá departments

*) Not including the nominate subspecies.
^T) Type species ^[1]

Related Research Articles

Lachesis is a genus of venomous pit vipers in the family Viperidae. Member species are found in forested areas of the Neotropics. The generic name refers to one of the Three Fates, Lachesis, who determined the length of the thread of life. Four species are currently recognized as being valid.

The Crotalinae, commonly known as pit vipers, or pit adders, are a subfamily of vipers found in Asia and the Americas. Like all other vipers, they are venomous. 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, 23 genera and 155 species are recognized: 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.

Bothrops atrox — also known as the common lancehead, fer-de-lance, barba amarilla and mapepire balsain — is a highly venomous pit viper species found in the tropical lowlands of northern South America east of the Andes, as well as the Caribbean island of Trinidad. No subspecies are currently recognized.

<i>Bothrops lanceolatus</i> Species of snake

Bothrops lanceolatus — known as the fer-de-lance, Martinican pit viper, and Martinique lancehead — is a species of pit viper endemic to the Caribbean island of Martinique. Some reserve the common name fer-de-lance for this species, while others apply that name to other Bothrops species as well. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Ilha da Queimada Grande, more commonly referred to as Snake Island, is an island off the coast of Brazil in the Atlantic Ocean. The island became famous for its abundant snakes, hence the name "Snake Island". It is administered as part of the municipality of Itanhaém in the State of São Paulo. The island is small, with an area of only 43 hectares, and has a temperate climate. Its terrain varies from bare rock to rainforest.

Lachesis muta, also known as the Southern American bushmaster or Atlantic bushmaster, is a venomous pit viper species found in South America, as well as the island of Trinidad in the Caribbean. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

The terciopelo is a highly venomous species of New World pit viper, found at low to moderate elevations, from northeastern Mexico through Central and South America, where it is known to inhabit elevations as high as 2600 meters above sea level in the Colombian and Ecuadorian Andes, as well as Venezuela. With a mass of up to 6 kilograms (13 lb), and a maximal length of 2.5 metres (8.2 ft), the terciopelo is among the largest of the pit vipers. It is light to dark brown in color, often with yellowish, zig-zag patterning on either side of its body. Dubbed "the ultimate pit-viper" for its large size, fangs and potent venom yield, it has a fearsome reputation, and is one of the species responsible for the most envenomated snakebites within its range, largely due to its proximity to humans, livestock and pets. Nonetheless, like all venomous snakes, the terciopelo actively avoids all contact with humans and larger animals, with bites generally only occurring when the snake is cornered, pursued, or otherwise threatened in some capacity. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Bothrops leucurus, commonly known as the whitetail lancehead or the Bahia lancehead, is a species of venomous snake, a pit viper in the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to Brazil. There are no subspecies which are recognized as being valid. A female owned by YouTuber Venom Central is over six feet long.

<i>Bothrops barnetti</i> Species of snake

Bothrops barnetti, also known commonly as Barnett's lancehead and Barnett's pit viper, is a species of venomous snake, a pit viper in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to Peru. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.

Bothrops ammodytoides is a venomous pit viper species endemic to Argentina. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Crotalus simus is a venomous pit viper species found in Mexico and Central America. The specific epithet is Latin for "flat-nosed", likely because its head is blunt compared with lanceheads (Bothrops). Three subspecies are recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

Bothrops jararaca—known as the jararaca or yarara—is a highly venomous pit viper species endemic to South America in southern Brazil, Paraguay, and northern Argentina. The specific name, jararaca, is derived from the Tupi words yarará and ca, which mean 'large snake'. Within its geographic range, it is often abundant and is an important cause of snakebite. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Bothrops insularis, commonly known as the golden lancehead, is a highly venomous pit viper species found exclusively on the Ilha da Queimada Grande, off the coast of São Paulo state, in Brazil. The species is named for the light yellowish-brown color of its underside and for its head shape that is characteristic of the genus Bothrops. No subspecies of Bothrops insularis are currently recognized. It is one of the most venomous snakes in Latin America.

Bothriechis marchi, also known as Honduran palm pit viper and March's palm pit viper, 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.

Bothrops neuwiedi is a highly venomous pit viper species endemic to South America. This relatively small snake has a wide range and is a major source of snakebite in Argentina. It was named after German naturalist Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied (1782-1867), who made important collections in Brazil (1815-1817). Seven subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

Bothrops jararacussu, commonly known in English as the jararacussu, is a highly venomous pit viper species endemic to South America. It is one of the most dreaded snakes in South America and can grow up to 2.2 metres (7.2 ft).

The Saint Lucia lancehead or Saint Lucia pit viper is an endangered species of pit viper endemic to the island of Saint Lucia in the Lesser Antilles.

Bothrops jonathani, known commonly as Jonathan's lancehead or the Cochabamba lancehead, is a species of venomous snake, a pit viper in the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to South America.

Bothrocophias lojanus, also known commonly as the Lojan lancehead in English, and macanchi or macaucho in Spanish, is a species of venomous pit viper in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. The species is native to northwestern South America.

Snakebite envenomation is considered a public health problem in Latin America, with an estimated 70,000 cases annually, but due to underreporting, these numbers may be even higher.

References

1 2 3 4 5 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).
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Campbell JA, Lamar WW. 2004. The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca and London. 870 pp. 1500 plates. ISBN 0-8014-4141-2.
1 2 3 4 "Bothrops". Integrated Taxonomic Information System . Retrieved 3 November 2006.
↑ U.S. Navy. 1991. Poisonous Snakes of the World. US Govt. New York: Dover Publications Inc. 203 pp. ISBN 0-486-26629-X.
↑ Allf, Bradley C., Paul AP Durst, and David W. Pfennig. "Behavioral Plasticity and the Origins of Novelty: The Evolution of the Rattlesnake Rattle." The American Naturalist 188.4 (2016): 475-483

External links

Bothrops at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database . Accessed 6 December 2007.

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Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
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[McD99-1] 1 2 3 4 5 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).

[C&L04-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Campbell JA, Lamar WW. 2004. The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca and London. 870 pp. 1500 plates. ISBN 0-8014-4141-2.

[ITIS-3] 1 2 3 4 "Bothrops". Integrated Taxonomic Information System . Retrieved 3 November 2006.

[USN91-4] U.S. Navy. 1991. Poisonous Snakes of the World. US Govt. New York: Dover Publications Inc. 203 pp. ISBN 0-486-26629-X.

[allf-5] Allf, Bradley C., Paul AP Durst, and David W. Pfennig. "Behavioral Plasticity and the Origins of Novelty: The Evolution of the Rattlesnake Rattle." The American Naturalist 188.4 (2016): 475-483

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Bothrops

Bothrops alternatus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Viperidae
Subfamily:	Crotalinae
Genus:	Bothrops Wagler, 1824
Synonyms
BothropsWagler, 1824 Rhinocerophis Garman, 1881^[1]