Common names: fer-de-lance, Martinican pit viper, Martinique lancehead.

Bothrops lanceolatus is a 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...

 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...

 generally considered endemic to the island of Martinique

Martinique

Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...

. No one has satisfactorily explained why it has flourished there and is unknown on nearly all other Caribbean islands. Some reserve the name fer-de-lance

Fer-de-Lance

Fer-de-Lance is French for spearhead , and may refer to:Snakes:*Bothrops lanceolatus, the Martinique lancehead *B. caribbaeus, the Saint Lucia lancehead...

 for this species, while others apply that name to other Bothrops

Bothrops

Bothrops is a genus of venomous pitvipers found in Central and South America. The generic name is derived from the Greek words bothros and ops that mean "pit" and "eye" or "face"; an allusion to the heat-sensitive loreal pit organs. Members of this genus are responsible for more human deaths in the...

 species as well. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Geographic range

Bothrops lanceolatus is generally considered endemic to the island of Martinique

Martinique

Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...

 in the Lesser Antilles

Lesser Antilles

The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...

. However, the British Museum of Natural History has two specimens from Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...

. The type locality according to Bonnaterre (1790:11) is "La Martinique".

Vexillological trivia

The species is depicted on the unofficial flag of Martinique

Flag of Martinique

The snake flag of Martinique has no official status on the island. It is a historical flag dating from an edict issued 4 August 1766, specifying that vessels of the French Colony of Martinique and Saint Lucia should fly a version of the French ensign, which at the time was a white cross on a blue...

, one of the few examples (the First Navy Jack

First Navy Jack

The First Navy Jack is the current U.S. jack authorized by the United States Navy. The design is traditionally regarded as that of first U.S. naval jack flown in the earliest years of the republic.-History:...

 of the United States

United States

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

being another) of snakes being depicted on flags.