Bothrops lutzi

Bothrops lutzi
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Viperidae
Genus:	Bothrops
Species:	B. lutzi
Binomial name
Bothrops lutzi (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1915)
Synonyms [2]
Lachesis lutzi Miranda-Ribeiro Bothrops iglesiasi Amaral, 1923 Bothrops neuwiedi bahiensis Amaral, 1925 Bothrops neuwiedi piauhyensis Amaral, 1925 Bothrops neuwiedi lutzi — Amaral, 1929 Bothrops lutzi — Silva in Campbell & Lamar, 2004 Bothropoides lutzi — Fenwick et al., 2009 Bothrops lutzi — Carrasco et al., 2012

Bothrops lutzi, also known commonly as the Cerrado lancehead, is a species of venomous snake in the family Viperidae. ^[3] The species is native to central eastern Brazil. ^[4]

Geographic range

Bothrop lutzi can be found in the Brazilian states of Bahia, Ceará, Goiás, Minas  Gerais, Piauí, and Tocantins. ^[5]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of Bothrops lutzi is savanna, at altitudes from sea level to 800 m (2,600 ft). ^[1]

Venom

Bothrops lutzi has sparked an interest from the scientific community due to its venom, as it is believed to have some therapeutic potential. Scientists have found that the venom carried by B. lutzi has antibacterial and antiparasitic effects, which can help fight against microbial resistance by medical patients, as well as parasitic diseases like Leishmaniasis and Chagas disease. ^[6]

Reproduction

Bothrops lutzi is ovoviviparous. ^[2]

Etymology

The specific name, lutzi, is in honor of Adolfo Lutz of the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, who collected the type specimen, upon which Miranda-Ribeiro based his new species description. Adolfo Lutz was the father of Brazilian herpetologist Bertha Lutz. ^[7]

References

1. Costa, G.C. (2010). "Bothrops lutzi ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2010: e.T178493A7558158. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T178493A7558158.en . Retrieved 18 November 2021.
2. Species Bothrops lutzi at The Reptile Database . www.reptile-database.org.
3. McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré TA (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN   1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN   1-893777-01-4 (volume).
4. "Bothrops". Integrated Taxonomic Information System . Retrieved 3 November 2006.
5. Loebmann, Daniel (2009-01-07). "Reptilia, Squamata, Serpentes, Viperidae, Bothrops lutzi: distribution extension, geographic distribution map". Check List. 5 (3): 373–375. doi: 10.15560/5.3.373 . hdl: 11449/40101 . ISSN   1809-127X.
6. de Menezes, Ramon R.P.P.B.; Torres, Alba F. C.; da Silva, Thiala S. J.; de Sousa, Daniel F.; Lima, Danya B.; Norjosa, Dive B.; Nogueira, Nádia A. P.; Oliveira, Maria F.; de Oliveira, Márcia R.; Monteiro, Helena S. A.; Martins, Alice M. C. (January 2012). "Antibacterial and Antiparasitic Effects of Bothropoides lutzi venom". Natural Product Communications. 7 (1): 1934578X1200700. doi: 10.1177/1934578X1200700125 . ISSN   1934-578X.
7. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN   978-1-4214-0135-5. (Bothrops lutzi, p. 163).

Further reading

• Amaral A (1923). "New Genera and Species of Snakes". Proceedings of the New England Zoölogical Club8: 85–105. (Bothrops iglesiasi, new species, pp. 97–99).
• Miranda Ribeiro [sic] A (1915). "Lachesis lutzi, Uma variedade de L. pictus Tschudi ". Archivos do Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro17 (3): 3–4. (Lachesis lutzi, new species). (in Portuguese).