South America and the West Indies 



up of a broad middle black band, \yith narrow bands 

 laterally. Yellow rings narrowed dorsallj*. Dorsals 17- 

 19 anteriorly, 15 at midbody and posteriorly. 



Ventrals 162-206; anal plate divided (occasionally 

 entire) ; subcaudals 30-40. 



Distribution: Apparently a .semiaquatic snake (one 

 specimen had eaten an eel) that inhabits the rim of 

 the Amazon region : the Guianas. Rrazil, \'enezuela. 

 Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. 



Rriiiarks: This is another of the large coral snakes. 

 Its red head and the broad median band of the triad 

 ni.'ikcs it distinctive. 



CROTALIDAE: Genus Bothrops Wagler, 1824. 



large number of bites each year. Ordinarily the bite is 

 not lethal, but it causes .severe local effects. 



Aiiu'rii-m lance-lieaded vipers. 



Between 40 and ."0 species are currently recognized; 

 all are found in tropical America and southern South 

 .\mcrica. There are three general groups: 1. Large, 

 long-tailed terrestrial species, usmtlly wilh paired sub- 

 caud.ils: 2. Small, short-tailed Icrrcsi ri:il siiecies witli 

 single subcaudals; and 3. Small to moderate-sized ar- 

 boreal species with prehensile tail, most of which have 

 at least the anterior subcaudals single. The large ter- 

 restrial species are very dangerous, the others less so. 



Drfiiiitidii: Head broad. Ilatteued. very distinct from 

 narrow neck; a sharpl.v-dislinguished canthus. Body 

 cylindrical or moderately compressed, modoralely slender 

 (o stout ; tail short to moderately long. 



Eyes small lo moderate in size; pu|iils vertically el- 

 liptical. 



Head scales: Suiu'Hoculars geucrall.v present, inter- 

 nasals often distinct, sometimes seiiaratcd by small 

 scales; reniaiiuler of crown covered with small imbricate 

 scales; enlarged canthals sometimes present. Laterally, 

 second supralabial ma.v make up anteriiu- border of 

 loreal pit or may be separated from it. Loreal scales 

 present or absent. 



Body scales; Dorsals keeled, in 10 ,'?."i nonobliiiue 

 rows at midbody. Ventrals rJl-J.-iS : subc'iudals single 

 or paired, 22-S3. 



Urutu, Botliropx altenyitiix ( Dtunei-il, liihfoii, 

 and Dninei'il). 



Iilciitificdiidii: A brown laiicehead wilh rounded 

 blotches which are narrowly edged with yellow. AdtUts 

 average 3 to 4 feet ; occasional individuals exceed 5 feet. 



Head brown with a distinctive marking on the crown. 

 About 20 pairs of rounded lateral luMikings shaped like 



a French telephone ^^^^^^^^B whose 



apices 



nearly meet on the dorsal midline. (Iround cohu- brown, 

 slightly lighter than blotches which have lighter centers. 

 Belly white, spotted with brown or black. 



Dorsals strongly keeled, in 29-3.5 rows at midliody. 

 Ventrals 167-lSl ; subcaudals paired. 34-.">l. 



Distrilnitidii : Along watercourses through .southern 

 Brazil, T'ruguay, Paraguay, and n(U-tliern Argentina. 



Ifcinarks: Thi.s is a dangerous snake and it causes a 



FiGtRE 37. — Irutu. liiithnips (illmiatKs. Photo by New 

 York Zoological Society. (See also plate IL fig. 2.) 



A polyvalent antlvenin "Anlibolropico" is produced 

 by the Instituto Butantan. and by the Instituto Pinliieros 

 I Brazil ». 



Amazonian Tree Viper, h'othra/>s h/'/hirdftis 

 (Wied). 



Iilciilifirnlioii: A green tree vli)er with a yellow 

 lateral stripe. Adults average 24 to 30 inches; maxi- 

 mum length alxuit 3 feet. 



filiform bright green above, speckled with black in 

 some individuals : a narrow yellow stripe or series of 

 yellow spots on fir.st row of dorsal.s. Tip of tail usually 

 red or red-brown. Belly white, without markings. 



Snout rounded: canthus rostralis slmrp and slightly 

 raised. Internasals large and in contact with one 

 another: canthals large: ."i-S rows of .scales between 

 large supraoculars. Dorsals strongly keeled, in 27-3.J 

 nonoblic|ue rows at midbody, fewer posteriorly. Ven- 

 trals 1!)8-218: subcaudals ."0-71, all or nearly all paired. 



Di-ttritxition: The Amazonian regions of Brazil, Brit- 

 ish Guinea. Colomliia, Bolivia. Peru. Ecuador, and 

 \enezuela. 



Rcmarlcit: This is one of the most widely distril>uted 

 of the prehensile-tailed tree vipers of Sotith America. 

 However, it does not appear to be a serious hazard any- 

 where and no specific antivenin is produced for the 

 treatment of its liite. 



St. Lucia Serpent, Bothvops canbhaeus Garman. 



Ideiitifiriiliiiii: A pale gray or yellowish gray pit 

 viper; the only venomous smike on the West Indian 

 island of St. Lucia. Adults average 3 to 4 feet in 

 length: occasional individuals are recorded at about 7 

 feet. 



Head dark gray witli a piist(U-bital band that extends 

 across the upper edge of the supralabials. Body 

 blotches obscure, little darker than the ground color 

 which is light gray, often with nist-red suffusion. Chin 

 white or cream, bell.v yellowish with a few gray mark- 



65 



