Common names: palm vipers, palm-pitvipers.

Bothriechis is a genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of venomous

Venomous snake

"Poisonous snake" redirects here. For true poisonous snakes, see Rhabdophis.Venomous snakes are snakes which have venom glands and specialized teeth for the injection of venom...

 pitviper

Crotalinae

The Crotalinae, commonly known as "pit vipers" or crotaline snakes, are a subfamily of venomous vipers found in Asia and the Americas. They are distinguished by the presence of a heat-sensing pit organ located between the eye and the nostril on either side of the head...

s found predominantly in Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 and Central America

Central America

Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...

, although one species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

, B. schlegelii

Bothriechis schlegelii

The Eyelash Viper is a venomous pitviper species found in Central and South America. Small and arboreal, these snakes are characterized by their wide array of color variations, as well as the superciliary scales over the eyes. Often present in zoological exhibits. Named after the German...

, ranges as far south as Colombia

Colombia

Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...

 and Peru

Peru

Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

. All members are relatively slender and arboreal. The name Bothriechis is derived from the Greek

Greek language

Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...

 words bothros and echis that mean "pit" and "viper" respectively. Nine species are currently recognized and no subspecies.

Description

Species that belong to this genus typically reach lengths of 60-80 cm, while B. aurifer

Bothriechis aurifer

Bothriechis aurifer is a venomous pitviper species found in Mexico and Guatemala. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description: Adults generally grow to less than 70 cm in length, but sometimes to over 1 m...

, B. bicolor

Bothriechis bicolor

Bothriechis bicolor is a venomous pitviper species found in southern Mexico and Guatemala. The specific name refers to the contrasting ventral and dorsal colors. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:...

 and B. lateralis are known to grow to 1 m or more.

General characteristics include a sharply defined canthus rostralis

Canthus (snake)

In snakes and amphibians, the canthus, canthal ridge or canthus rostralis, is the angle between the flat crown of the head and the side of the head between the eye and the snout. More specifically, between the supraocular scale and the rostral scale. It is defined as a sharp ridge in many viperids,...

, an unelevated snout, a rostral scale that is not as high as it is broad, and a prehensile tail that accounts for at least 15% of the body length.

The color pattern usually consists of a green ground color that may or may not include pale or dark markings. B. schlegelii

Bothriechis schlegelii

The Eyelash Viper is a venomous pitviper species found in Central and South America. Small and arboreal, these snakes are characterized by their wide array of color variations, as well as the superciliary scales over the eyes. Often present in zoological exhibits. Named after the German...

 is an exception to this rule.

Geographic range

Occurs in southern Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 (southeastern Oaxaca

Oaxaca

Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...

 and the northern highlands of Chiapas

Chiapas

Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...

), through Central America to northern South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

 (Colombia

Colombia

Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...

, western Venezuela

Venezuela

Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...

, Ecuador

Ecuador

Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...

 and northern Peru

Peru

Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

.

Behavior

As a general rule, species found above 1,500 m altitude tend to be diurnal, while those found below 1,000 m tend to be active at night. Those found between 1,000 and 1,500 m may be active at any time of the day.

Venom

Bothriechis venom is primarily a haemotoxin which causes severe pain, swelling, bleb

Bleb (medicine)

In medicine, a bleb is a large blister filled with serous fluid. Blebs can form in a number of tissues due to different pathologies, including frostbitten tissues, and as a cause of spontaneous pneumothorax. In the lungs, a bleb is a collection of air within the layers of the visceral pleura...

 formation, bruising

Bruise

A bruise, also called a contusion, is a type of relatively minor hematoma of tissue in which capillaries and sometimes venules are damaged by trauma, allowing blood to seep into the surrounding interstitial tissues. Bruises can involve capillaries at the level of skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle,...

, and quite often necrosis

Necrosis

Necrosis is the premature death of cells in living tissue. Necrosis is caused by factors external to the cell or tissue, such as infection, toxins, or trauma. This is in contrast to apoptosis, which is a naturally occurring cause of cellular death...

. If untreated it can lead to loss of a limb, or even death. Each year several farmers and plantation workers are bitten by eyelash vipers, sometimes resulting in fatalities. Wyeth

Wyeth

Wyeth, formerly one of the companies owned by American Home Products Corporation , was a pharmaceutical company. The company was based in Madison, New Jersey, USA...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and Instituto Clodomiro Picado in Costa Rica

Costa Rica

Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....

 both manufacture different polyvalent antivenin

Antivenin

Antivenom is a biological product used in the treatment of venomous bites or stings. Antivenom is created by milking venom from the desired snake, spider or insect. The venom is then diluted and injected into a horse, sheep or goat...

s which can be used to treat eyelash viper envenomations.

Species

Species	Taxon author	Common name	Geographic range
B. aurifer Bothriechis aurifer Bothriechis aurifer is a venomous pitviper species found in Mexico and Guatemala. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description: Adults generally grow to less than 70 cm in length, but sometimes to over 1 m...	(Salvin Osbert Salvin Osbert Salvin FRS was an English naturalist, best known for co-authoring Biologia Centrali-Americana with Frederick DuCane Godman. This was a 52 volume encyclopedia on the natural history of Central America.... , 1860)	Yellow-blotched palm-pitviper	Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... , in the mountains of eastern Chiapas Chiapas Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las... , in northern Guatemala Guatemala Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast... . Occurs in cloud forest at 1200-2300 m altitude.
B. bicolor Bothriechis bicolor Bothriechis bicolor is a venomous pitviper species found in southern Mexico and Guatemala. The specific name refers to the contrasting ventral and dorsal colors. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:...	(Boucourt Marie Firmin Bocourt Marie Firmin Bocourt was a French zoologist and artist.In zoology, Bocourt collaborated with Auguste Duméril. In 1861, he was sent to Thailand , where he explored the fauna and brought back an important collection of specimens... , 1868)	Guatemalan palm-pitviper	The Pacific slope of southeastern Chiapas in Mexico, eastward to south-central Guatemala. Also known from several locations in Honduras Honduras Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize... , including the southern part of the Sierra del Merendón Sierra del Merendón Sierra del Merendón is a mountain range extending on the eastern border of Guatemala and Honduras. Its south-western border is marked by the Lempa River valley, its northern border by the Motagua River valley...  and Cerro Santa Bárbara. Occurs in cloud forests at 500-2000 m altitude.
B. lateralis	Peters Wilhelm Peters Wilhelm Karl Hartwich Peters was a German naturalist and explorer.He was assistant to Johannes Peter Müller and later curator of the Berlin Zoological Museum. In September 1842 he travelled to Mozambique via Angola. He returned to Berlin with an enormous collection of natural history specimens... , 1862	Side-striped palm-pitviper	The mountains of Costa Rica Costa Rica Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....  and western Panama Panama Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The... , including the Cordillera de Tilarán, the Cordillera Central and the Cordillera de Talamanca Cordillera de Talamanca The Cordillera de Talamanca is a mountain range that lies on the border between Costa Rica and Panama. Much of the range and the area around it is included in the La Amistad International Park, which also is shared between the two countries....  to the provinces of Chiriquí Province Chiriquí Province Chiriquí is a province of Panama, it is located on the western coast of Panama, and it is also the second most developed province in the country, after the Panamá Province. Its capital is the city of David. It has a total area of 6,490.9 km², with a population of 416,873 as of the year 2010...  and Veraguas. Occurs at 850-980 m altitude.
B. marchi Bothriechis marchi Bothriechis marchi is a venomous pitviper species found in Central America. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:Adults often grow to more than 80 cm in length. The largest specimen on record was 96.8 cm. Green and relatively slender with a prehensile tail.-Geographic range:Found on...	(Barbour Thomas Barbour Thomas Barbour was an American herpetologist. From 1927 until 1946, he was director of the Museum of Comparative Zoology founded in 1859 by Louis Agassiz at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts....  & Loveridge, 1929)	Honduran palm-pitviper	The Atlantic versant of northwestern Honduras and eastern Guatemala. Occurs in mesic forest at elevations of 500-1500 m altitude.
B. nigroviridis Bothriechis nigroviridis Bothriechis nigroviridis is a venomous pitviper species found in the mountains of Costa Rica and Panama. No subspecies are currently recognized... T	Peters Wilhelm Peters Wilhelm Karl Hartwich Peters was a German naturalist and explorer.He was assistant to Johannes Peter Müller and later curator of the Berlin Zoological Museum. In September 1842 he travelled to Mozambique via Angola. He returned to Berlin with an enormous collection of natural history specimens... , 1859	Black-speckled palm-pitviper	The mountains of Costa Rica and Panama. Also found in the cloud forests of the Cordillera Central and the Cordillera de Talamanca at 1150-2400 m altitude.
B. rowleyi Bothriechis rowleyi Bothriechis rowleyi is a venomous pitviper species found in Mexico. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Geographic range:Found in Mexico in southeastern Oaxaca and northern Chiapas. Occurs in cloud forests at 1500-1830 m altitude...	(Bogert, 1968)	Mexican palm-pitviper	Mexico in southeastern Oaxaca Oaxaca Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...  and northern Chiapas. Occurs in cloud forests at 1500-1830 m altitude.
B. schlegelii Bothriechis schlegelii The Eyelash Viper is a venomous pitviper species found in Central and South America. Small and arboreal, these snakes are characterized by their wide array of color variations, as well as the superciliary scales over the eyes. Often present in zoological exhibits. Named after the German...	(Berthold, 1846)	Eyelash palm-pitviper	From southern Mexico (northern Chiapas), southeastward on the Atlantic slope and lowlands through Central America Central America Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...  to northern South America South America South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...  in Colombia Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...  and Venezuela Venezuela Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south... . Also found on the Pacific versant and lowlands in parts of Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador Ecuador Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...  and Peru Peru Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.... . Occurs in mesic forest at elevations almost from sea level to 2640 m altitude.
B. supraciliaris Bothriechis supraciliaris Bothriechis supraciliaris, or the Blotched palm-pitviper, is a species of snake in the Viperidae family. It is endemic to Costa Rica....	(Taylor, 1954)	Blotched palm-pitviper	Only found in a mountainous area in southwestern Costa Rica. Occurs in lower montane wet forest and cloud forest at elevations from 800 m M M is the thirteenth letter of the basic modern Latin alphabet.-History:The letter M is derived from the Phoenician Mem, via the Greek Mu . Semitic Mem probably originally pictured water...  to 1,700 m.
B. thalassinus Bothriechis thalassinus The Merendon palm-pitviper is a venomous pitviper species found in Guatemala and Honduras.- Description :...	Campbell Jonathan A. Campbell Jonathan A. Campbell is an American herpetologist.He is currently professor of Biology and Chair of the Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas.- Books :...  & Smith, 2000	Merendon palm-pitviper	Guatemala Guatemala Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast... , Honduras Honduras Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...  at 1370–1750 m altitude.

^T type species

Type species

In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...

Taxonomy

A new species from Guatemala

Guatemala

Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...

 and Honduras

Honduras

Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...

, B. thalassinus

Bothriechis thalassinus

The Merendon palm-pitviper is a venomous pitviper species found in Guatemala and Honduras.- Description :...

, was described by Campbell

Jonathan A. Campbell

Jonathan A. Campbell is an American herpetologist.He is currently professor of Biology and Chair of the Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas.- Books :...

 & Smith (2000). Campbell and Lamar (2004) recognize this species, as well as a ninth addition to the genus: B. supraciliaris

Bothriechis supraciliaris

Bothriechis supraciliaris, or the Blotched palm-pitviper, is a species of snake in the Viperidae family. It is endemic to Costa Rica....

, which was first described by Taylor (1954) as a subspecies of B. schlegelii, and is found in southwestern Costa Rica

Costa Rica

Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....

.