![]() schlegelii (especially juveniles) will employ what is known as “ caudal luring”, wiggling the tail in worm-like motions to encourage potential prey to move within striking range. schlegeli learns to improve strike accuracy over time. ![]() Sometimes, it is known to select a specific ambush site and return to it every year in time for the spring migration of birds. It is not known to be an aggressive snake, but will not hesitate to strike if harassed.Ī typical ambush predator, it waits patiently for unsuspecting prey to wander by. It is largely nocturnal, consuming small rodents, frogs, lizards and small birds. schlegelii is arboreal and has a strong prehensile tail. ![]() These snakes thrive in habitats near water sources, which offer abundant and varied prey, including small birds, amphibians, and reptiles. Their presence has been documented at altitudes spanning from 860 to 2500 meters. They can be found in diverse locations, ranging from near sea level and streamside vegetation in moist lowlands to the foothills of mountains and the elevated realms of montane and cloud forests. Įyelash pit vipers inhabit a wide array of forested or shrubby environments. They are rarely found on the forest floor and prefer to spend most of their time on tree branches or vines. schlegelii prefers lower altitude, humid, tropical areas with dense foliage, generally not far from a permanent water source. The type locality is “Popayan” ( Popayán, Colombia). It occurs in mesic forest at elevations almost from sea level to 2,640 m (8,660 ft) altitude. It is also found on the Pacific versant and lowlands in parts of Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. schlegelii extends from southern Mexico (northern Chiapas), southeastward on the Atlantic plains and lowlands through Central America to northern South America in Colombia and Venezuela. In Spanish, the primary language of countries comprising its distribution, common names include bocaracá, oropel (golden morph), víbora bocaracá, toboba pestañas, víbora de pestañas (eyelash viper), and serpiente loro (parrot snake). schlegelii include the eyelash viper, eyelash pit viper, eyelash palm viper, eyelash palm-pitviper, Schlegel's viper, Schlegel's pit viper, Schlegel's palm viper, eyelash snake, eyelash lancehead, eyelash mountain viper, and horned palm viper. No external features distinguish the two sexes. It often has black or brown speckling on the base color. TheĮyelash viper occurs in a wide range of colors, including red, yellow, brown, green, even pink, as well as various combinations thereof. The eyelashes are thought to aid in camouflage, breaking up the snake's outline among the foliage where it hides. Its most distinguishing feature, and origin of its common name, is the set of modified scales above the eyes that look much like eyelashes. Like all pit vipers, it is solenoglyphous, having large, hypodermic needle-like fangs in the front of the upper jaw that fold back when not in use, and has heat sensitive organs, or pits, located on either side of the head between the eye and nostril. ![]() It has a wide, triangular-shaped head, and eyes with vertical pupils. The eyelash viper is a relatively small species of pitviper, with adults ranging from 55–82 cm (22–32 in) long, and females being longer and more variable in size than males, which can grow to 69 cm (27 in) long. No subspecies are currently recognized as being valid. The specific name schlegelii honors Hermann Schlegel, who was a German ornithologist and herpetologist. It is the most common of the green palm-pitvipers (genus Bothriechis), and is often present in zoological exhibits. Small and arboreal, this species is characterized by a wide array of color variations, as well as the superciliary scales above the eyes. The species is native to Central and South America. Bothriechis schlegelii, known commonly as the eyelash viper, is a species of venomous pit viper in the family Viperidae. ![]()
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