Brazil's Lancehead

About the Brazil's Lancehead

Brazil's lancehead (Bothrops brazili) is a venomous pitviper species endemic to South America. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid. The specific name, brazili, is in honor of Dr. Vital Brazil, a Brazilian physician and founder of the Instituto Butantan in São Paulo.

Stoutly built and terrestrial, adults of B. brazili are usually 70–90 cm (28–35 in) in total length (including tail), but may exceed 140 cm (55 in). The largest specimen on record is 149.3 cm (58+3⁄4 in). The available evidence would indicate that, among adult specimens, females are much larger than males.

The scalation includes 23-29 (usually 25–27) rows of dorsal scales at midbody, 151-180 ventral scales in males and 159-202 (usually less than 190) in females, and 44-68/42-56 usually paired subcaudal scales in males/females. On the head there are 3-10 (usually 5–8) intersupraocular scales, 7-9 (usually 8) supralabial scales, the second of which is fused with the prelacunal, and 10-12 sublabial scales.

The color pattern consists of a pinkish tan to pinkish or reddish gray ground color overlaid with a series of 9-19 dark ash gray dorsolateral blotches. These may alternate... Wikipedia →