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Savage, J. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Sorrell, G. Diel movement and predation activity patterns of the eyelash palm-pitviper Bothriechis schlegelii. Taylor, E. A brief review of the snakes of Costa Rica. Vitt, L. Missouri: Academic Press. Whiting, M. Review: serpentine mystique unravelled. Wuster, W. The venomous reptiles of the western hemisphere. International Journal of Toxicology , To cite this page: Sinnett, K.
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Bothriechis schlegelii Eyelash Viper Facebook. Geographic Range Eyelash pit vipers, also known as eyelash palm pit vipers Bothriechis schlegelii , are widely distributed throughout moist lowland and montane forests from Chiapas, Mexico the southernmost state in Mexico , through northwestern Ecuador and western Venezuela.
Parkinson, ; Berthold, ; O'Shea, ; Parkinson, Biogeographic Regions neotropical native Habitat Eyelash pit vipers occupy a wide range of wooded or shrubby habitats, particularly in moist tropical forests. Berthold, ; Berthold, ; O'Shea, ; Savage, Bothriechis schlegelii is considered a small- to medium-sized pit viper. Guyer and Donnelly, ; Guyer and Donnelly, ; O'Shea, ; Savage, Eyelash pit vipers are named for the small, bristly, keeled scales just above each eye.
Hunziker, Development - Life Cycle indeterminate growth Reproduction Eyelash pit vipers reach sexual maturity at approximately two years of age. Antonio, ; "Eyelash Viper Bothriechis Schlegelli ", ; Vitt and Caldwell, Mating System polygynous Eyelash pit vipers reproduce throughout the year in warm environments. Breeding season Gestation lasts approximately six months. After giving birth, females are immediately ready to reproduce again. Range number of offspring 2 to 25 Average number of offspring 6 to 20 Range gestation period 3 to 5 low months Average gestation period 6 months Average time to independence 0 days Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity female 2 years Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity male 2 years Male eyelash pit vipers are present only during fertilization.
Communication and Perception Like all pit vipers, B. O'Shea, ; Sorrell, Primary Diet carnivore eats terrestrial vertebrates Animal Foods birds mammals amphibians reptiles Predation Eyelash pit vipers are slow-moving ambush predators. All viper bites should be treated seriously and medical attention should be paid. In addition to killing prey and injuring predators, viper venom helps vipers digest their food, according to Sfetcu.
Since they swallow their prey whole, digesting it is a big job not helped by vipers' generally inefficient digestive systems.
The venom breaks down lipids, acids and proteins in the prey during the digestive process. Most vipers are ovoviviparous, Savitzky said. That means the eggs are fertilized and incubate inside the mother and she gives birth to live young. And all New World pit vipers but one have live birth. That one is the Bushmaster viper and it has re-evolved egg laying.
The taxonomy of vipers is:. Gaboon vipers are the largest vipers in the world, reaching lengths of up to 7 feet cm and more than 22 lbs. Females are significantly longer than males.
Though the South American Bushmaster is longer, the Gaboon viper is heavier. Savitzky noted that Gaboon vipers are of the adder lineage, so referring to them as Gaboon adders is also correct.
They live throughout sub-Saharan Africa in rainforests and other tropical areas. They spend most of their time lying in wait among leaf litter. Gaboon vipers' real claims to fame are their extraordinary long fangs — the longest of any snake, said Savitzky. Gaboon vipers' fangs can be up to 2 inches 5 cm long. They also have potent venom. They mostly eat small mammals, birds and amphibians, but have been recorded eating small antelopes and giant rats, according to the ADW.
Pit vipers are a subfamily Crotalinae of vipers. There are about species, according to ITIS. Pit vipers are found throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. All vipers in the Americas are pit vipers, according to The University of Pittsburgh. They detect heat energy.
Pit vipers see the world in a combination of heat and light. The receptors detect warm blooded prey but also can detect cold blooded prey, though they're more responsive to warm. Some species of pit vipers include rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, copperheads, lanceheads and bushmasters. Several types of snakes are referred to as green vipers due to their coloring. They include the Chinese green viper Trimeresurus stejnegeri , the green night adder Causus resimus , the Great Lakes bush viper Atheris nitschei and the newly discovered ruby-eyed green pit viper Cryptelytrops rubeus.
These are all Old World snakes, found in Africa and Asia. Probably the most famous of the green vipers is Trimeresurus albolabris , also called green pit viper or white-lipped viper. These vibrant vipers are a bright Kelly green and have vivid yellow eyes. Their jaws are white or yellow, presumably giving rise to their white-lipped name. All exhibit similarities, inculding fusion of the the supralabial scales anterior to the temporal scales.
This species is smaller and lighter than the jaracacussa Bothrops jararacussa , also exhibiting more intersuprascapular and ventral scales than this snake. Distinguishable differences between Brazilian pit vipers and Brazilian lanceheads Bothrops moojeni include size Brazilian pit vipers being smaller and coloration; Brazilian pit vipers have a darker, lower residing canthus with a wider postorbital stripe, and lack a sinuous marking on the nape.
Campbell and Lamar, ; Grazziotin, et al. Brazilian pit vipers are ovovivoparous; neonates are venomous upon birth and hunt on their own. At birth, females measure Both sexes grow at similar rates until reaching approximately one year of age, at which point females grow significantly faster; within three years, females are significantly larger and heavier than males.
Venom of juveniles has a greater anticoagulant effect than that of adults. As young develop, the differences in venom composition and complexity discussed above become more pronounced. Males have been observed to mate with more than one female. Generally, male-male fighting occurs in viperids, activated by the presence of sex steroids such as androgens and estrogens, prior to copulation. Male-male fighting, as well as any other establishment of dominance, may be less likely in this species than other viperids, however, as females are significantly larger than males.
Courtship and mating occur between April and May. Females have been found with uterine muscular twisting from April through September, indicating that they store sperm in order to delay fertilization. Females demonstrate secondary vitellogenesis and this, along with ovulation and fertilization, occurs in the spring October through December or January. Parturition time ranges between February and April, as evidenced by a greater presence of juveniles during these months. Long-term sperm storage ensures that development and birth occur during more suitable resource conditions; birth is correlated with high food availability and seasonal rainy periods.
Male testes reach their largest size in the summer, although they possess mobile spermatozoa year round contained within the ductus deferens. It is believed that individuals of both sexes reach sexual maturity by two years of age. On average, offspring are produced per season. Females may only reproduce biennially, depending in part on their own nutritional status, as they must have sufficient nutritional resources to produce egg yolk.
Females create yolks to nourish developing embryos. Following partution, young are independent. Campbell and Lamar, ; Martins, et al. There is little information currently available on the life expectancy for this species. They are known to live for at least 6. Brazilian pit vipers are encountered most frequently in a coiled, hunting state at night. During the day, they are often found in foliage, in sites at higher elevations. Young spend much more time in trees or other off-ground cover, to avoid predators, while adults are predominantly terrestrial.
There is no current information available on any average home range of Brazilian pit vipers. Campbell and Lamar, Brazilian pit vipers assess their environments by interpreting tactile, infrared, chemical, and visual stimuli.
They have highly acute olfactory organs and can sense sexual chemical cues. They also possess the defining feature of pit vipers: infrared sensory pits located on both sides of the head, between the eyes and nostrils.
These pits are externally comparable to nostrils, but house organs that detect a range of infrared wavelengths. They also house heat-detecting nerves and are highly vascularized. This enables the snakes to use this sensory information not only for prey detection, but also for thermoregulation. The location of the pits on either side of their heads allow these snakes to sense small deviations in infrared wavelengths, informing them of a potential prey item's location, as well as the distance of prey while hunting at night.
Another common feature of pit vipers is refined binocular vision for depth perception, aided by vertical slits in their pupils. They are ambush predators, and are equipped with intricate camouflage and very toxic venom. Juveniles often employ caudal luring to attract prey, coiling up and moving the tip of the tail, which is light in color, across their bodies. The tip of the tail looks very similar to an insect larva, which serves to lure in prey.
These snakes tend to feed infrequently, likely due to their sedentary habits and occurrence in moderate climates. When they do feed, two different strike strategies have been observed.
One strategy tends to be used with prey that an individual is less familiar with: a snake envenomates its prey and then retracts its head, allowing their venom to take effect and later retrieving and swallowing its prey. With prey that they are habituated to, their strategy for attack is to bite and hold prey in their mouths, without retracting their fangs, while the venom takes effect. Brazilian pit vipers are prey to many larger animals, likely including mammals, snakes, and birds. In particular, white eared oppossums Didelphis albiventris have been observed to systematically attack and kill these snakes with a lethal bite to their neck or head.
In order to avoid predation, Brazilian pit vipers have developed base colorations similar to local substrate.
They may also use cryptic and escape behaviors such as head hiding and body compression. These snakes may vary their defensive behaviors based on predator type. In addition to their roles as predator and prey, Brazilian pit vipers may serve as hosts to a variety of endoparasites. Even heavily infested individuals do not appear to be severely affected, with only minor lesions apparent. This species was the focus of pioneering work on the use of venom in drug development and discovery.
Researchers found the venom of Brazilian pit vipers to contain a peptide that caused a severe drop in blood pressure in mice; it was used in the development of the first angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, for treatment of people with hypertension and congestive heart failure. The venom also possesses haemocoagulase enzyme, which is used as an antihemorrhagic drug. These snakes may also help to keep populations of agricultural pests, such as rodents, in check. Bothrops species account for the most human deaths in the New World, and Brazilian pit vipers pose a significant risk to humans.
Encounter rates are high because the species is abundant within its geographical range and its preferred habitats include agricultural fields.
The toxins present in their venom cause swelling at the envenomation site, necrosis, blistering, hemorrhagic blebs, systemic bleeding into the skin, gums, and nose, and subconjunctival hemorrhage.
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