Appendix E

DESCRIPTIONS OF VENOMOUS SNAKES

Eyelash pit viper

Eyelash pit viper
Bothrops schlegeli

Description: Identified by several spiny scales over each eye. Color is highly variable, from bright yellow over its entire body to reddish-yellow spots throughout the body.

Characteristics: Arboreal snake that seldom comes to the ground. It feels more secure in low-hanging trees where it looks for tree frogs and birds. It is a dangerous species because most of its bites occur on the upper extremities. It has an irritable disposition. It will strike with little provocation. Its venom is hemotoxic, causing severe tissue damage. Deaths have occurred from the bites of these snakes.

Habitat: Tree-loving species found in rain forests; common on plantations and in palm trees.

Length: Average 45 centimeters (18 inches), maximum 75 centimeters (30 inches).

Distribution: Southern Mexico, throughout Central America, Columbia, Ecuador, and Venezuela (Figure E-12).

Figure E-12. Eyelash Pit Viper Habitat