Like all pit vipers, B. schlegelii has a pair of heat-sensitive pits set between its eyes and nostrils. They have well-developed binocular vision and pupils with long vertical slits that increase their visual perception. Eyelash pit vipers, like most other viper species, rely on "heat imaging" to sense their environment, particularly sensing danger and prey. Like most other snakes, they also have a long tongue which they "flick" in order to sense chemical changes in the air around them. Because of their illusive nature, not much is known about the communication between members of the same species or potential mates. Males utilize visual intimidation in their competitive "dances" to secure mates during the breeding season. Like all snakes, eyelash pit vipers have primitive ear structures that sense nearby vibrations rather than sound.
Communication Channels: visual ; chemical
Perception Channels: visual ; infrared/heat ; vibrations ; chemical
Eyelash pit vipers were removed from CITIES Appendix III in December of 2002. They are no longer listed as threatened on any endangered species list. Like many arboreal, tropical species, eyelash pit vipers are likely threatened by habitat loss as a result of increased deforestation for the timber industry, agriculture, or urbanization.
CITES: no special status
Aside from their small size, eyelash pit vipers are born fully developed and do not undergo any type of metamorphosis. Young snakes are capable of injecting venom, although they typically do not feed until after their first molt. Small frogs are common as early prey. Perhaps because of their diet, young pit vipers generally to spend greater amounts of time on the ground than adults. However, this trend seems less pronounced in eyelash pit vipers than other species. Like most snakes, eyelash pit vipers exhibit indeterminate growth and will increase in size throughout their lives.
Development - Life Cycle: indeterminate growth
Eyelash pit vipers are relatively docile unless threatened. It is not uncommon for people encounter this ambush predator unexpectedly in their natural habitat. Although no fatalities from eyelash pit viper bites have been reported, they are venomous and potentially harmful. Because of their relatively small size and ability to become camouflaged among bright yellow fruit, yellow eyelash pit vipers have been accidentally shipped throughout the world in boxes of bananas.
Negative Impacts: injures humans (bites or stings, venomous )
Because of their colorful appearance, eyelash pit vipers are one of the most common arboreal vipers collected and kept in captivity.
Positive Impacts: pet trade
Eyelash pit vipers are important predators of small vertebrate animals in their moist, wooded tropical environments.
Eyelash pit vipers feed on a wide variety of small vertebrate animals, including (but not limited to) frogs, lizards, birds, bats, rodents, and marsupials. In most cases, these snakes will prey upon any animal small enough to be subdued and ingested without confrontation. While they are not considered an aggressive species, eyelash pit vipers have been known to bite humans who venture too close.
Eyelash pit vipers are primarily nocturnal predators, although they also capture moving prey from the safety of their diurnal perch. They typically use a "sit-and-wait" form of predation to surprise and ambush their prey. After capture, they paralyze their prey by injecting hemotoxic venom (toxins capable of destroying red blood cells). This venom contains procoagulants and haemorrhagins, and affects both the central nervous system and the cardiovascular system, making it highly toxic.
Animal Foods: birds; mammals; amphibians; reptiles
Primary Diet: carnivore (Eats terrestrial vertebrates)
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. In Central America and northern South America, they occur in portions of Costa Rica, Panama, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. This species is considered to be one of the most widely distributed of the arboreal vipers.
Biogeographic Regions: neotropical (Native )
Eyelash pit vipers occupy a wide range of wooded or shrubby habitats, particularly in moist tropical forests. They occur in near sea-level and streamside vegetation in moist lowlands and mountain foothills to high-elevation montane and cloud forests. They have been found at elevations ranging from 860 to 2500 m. Habitats in close proximity to water appear to provide them with a large number and diversity of prey, particularly small birds, amphibians, and reptiles.
Eyelash pit vipers spend very little time on the forest floor, where predation rates are generally higher than in areas lacking thick vegetation for camouflage. Instead, they are found most often in dense shrub thickets, low hanging tree branches, vines, or in the coarse bark of various palm species. They also are frequently reported in plantations, on the branches of coffee trees.
Range elevation: 860 to 2500 m.
Habitat Regions: tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: forest ; rainforest
Other Habitat Features: agricultural
Because eyelash pit vipers are arboreal and relatively reclusive, they have been difficult to study in their natural habitat. Instead, most lifespan records are for animals in captivity. Estimated lifespan for wild eyelash pit vipers is approximately 10 years.
Many zoos keep eyelash pit vipers because of their aesthetic qualities. Zoos have reported ages of eyelash pit vipers in captivity ranging from 16 to over 20 years. This is due to the lack of predation and consistent food supply.
Range lifespan
Status: captivity: 20 (high) years.
Typical lifespan
Status: wild: 6 to 10 years.
Average lifespan
Status: wild: 10 years.
Typical lifespan
Status: captivity: 16 to 20 years.
Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 16 years.
The genus Bothriechis is represented by nine species, each characterized by the presence of a prehensile tail (used for climbing) and typically bright green or yellow dorsal coloration. Eyelash pit vipers are extremely variable in appearance, displaying a wide range of color morphs within populations and even within litters. This species is unusual, as its dorsal ground color is most often olive green. Other color morphs common in eyelash pit vipers are bright yellow, pink, green, silver or dark grey, or brown. Yellow eyelash pit vipers typically show little additional coloration, whereas other morphs typically have speckled markings or crossbands of black, green, red, orange, yellow, and/or silver or pale green. In all morphs, the tip of the tail is yellow or green and the ventral body surface pale yellow, sometimes with darker mottles or stripes.
Habitat plays an important role in eyelash pit viper coloration, as they rely heavily on camouflage when ambushing prey. Yellow eyelash pit vipers often inhabit areas where bananas are plentiful, as they are capable of blending in with the brightly colored fruits. Here they wait to ambush bats or other organisms that visit to feed on the bananas. Similarly, eyelash pit vipers with red coloration will camouflage themselves within red-colored bromeliads, where they ambush and feed on small amphibians.
Bothriechis schlegelii is considered a small- to medium-sized pit viper. Adult body length ranges from 55 to 82 cm, with females (35 to 82 cm) typically longer and more variable in size than males (37 to 69 cm). The tail is short to moderate, comprising 13 to 19% of total body length.
Because of their arboreal habit, eyelash pit vipers weigh less and are considerably shorter than most terrestrial pit vipers (in comparison to fer-de-lances or bushmasters). This size difference has been attributed to the habitats in which they live and the manner in which they feed. In particular, these snakes must be small and light to effectively maneuver through shrubs and trees and avoid perception by prey.
Eyelash pit vipers are named for the small, bristly, keeled scales just above each eye. The function of these "eyelashes" or horn-like modified scales is not clear, but it has been suggested that they protect the eyes as the snake moves through dense vegetation. In contrast to the lance-shaped heads of closely related vipers in the genus Bothrops, eyelash pit vipers have relatively wide, triangular heads. Their fangs are relatively long and can deliver a venomous bite to prey.
The scales of eyelash pit vipers are rough to the touch or keeled. This distinguishes eyelash pit vipers from other snake species such as 'fer-de-lances Bothrops asper' and 'bushmasters Lachesis muta' that have smooth scales. The smooth scales of other species allow them to glide quickly over a wide variety of surfaces. Instead, the rough scales of eyelash pit vipers provide protection from rough branches and allow for a "velcro-like" grip that aids in moving and anchoring on vines in their arboreal habitat.
Range length: 35 to 82 cm.
Other Physical Features: heterothermic ; venomous
Sexual Dimorphism: female larger
Eyelash pit vipers are slow-moving ambush predators. Because of their predatory habits, they are vulnerable to predation themselves. In response to this, eyelash vipers have developed unique adaptations to avoid being attacked or eaten. The "eyelashes" actually break up the shape of the head and allow it to be easily camouflaged. The patterns found on eyelash pit vipers vary greatly and allow them to blend in with their surrounding environment. Along with camouflage, they also rely on a hemotoxic and neurotoxic venom, which affects the blood stream and central nervous system to deter potential predators. Common predators include hedgehogs, badgers, foxes, humans, and cats.
Known Predators:
Anti-predator Adaptations: cryptic
Eyelash pit vipers reach sexual maturity at approximately two years of age. These snakes have a keen sense of smell and chemical sensing pits that are used to locate potential mates. Courtship behavior is an important part of mating. Males participate in a “dance of the adders” which is a courtship ritual in which two males face one another in an upright, cobra-like stance. Through posturing, males attempt to intimidate one another, often until one is pushed away or falls to the ground. This courtship ritual typically does not harm either participant, as biting does not occur. This ritual may continue for many hours. Like most snakes, eyelash pit vipers are polygynous.
Mating System: polygynous
Eyelash pit vipers reproduce throughout the year in warm environments. Mating typically occurs at night. Pregnant females show an enlarged lower abdomen, with continued anterior expansion over time. Females often stop feeding in the final stages of pregnancy.
Females incubate eggs internally for an approximately six month gestation period. Eyelash pit vipers are ovoviviparous, meaning that after gestation, the eggs hatch inside the mother's body, where they complete their development. These vipers typically bear 2 to 20 live young per brood. Except for body size (15 to 20 cm), the young are physically similar to adults.
Breeding interval: Eyelash vipers appear to have no specific breeding season and usually breed once to twice per year.
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.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; year-round breeding ; sexual ; fertilization ; ovoviviparous
Male eyelash pit vipers are present only during fertilization. Females eyelash pit vipers have a significantly greater investment, as the eggs hatch and the young develop inside of her for 3 to 5 months. As she gains body mass while pregnant, she may be at greater risk of predation. Females invest very little time in the young once they are born as they are fully equipped for immediate independence.
Parental Investment: no parental involvement; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female)
The Eyelash Viper (Bothriechis schlegelii), known as “bocaracá” in Costa Rica, is a medium-sized (maximum total length ~80 cm) arboreal and highly venomous pit viper that feeds on a variety of small vertebrates including frogs, lizards, birds, bats, rodents, and marsupials. It is found in lowland and premontane wet forests from almost sea level to 2640 m (across most of its distribution, it occurs mostly at the lower end of this range; other Bothriechis species are generally not found at low elevations). The range of the Eyelash Viper extends from Chiapas, Mexico, to northwestern Ecuador and western Venezuela. (Lomonte et al. 2008 and references therein; Sorrell 2009 and references therein)
Eyelash Vipers may be found in a range of colors, including green, brown, rust, gray, light blue, and (in Costa Rica) golden yellow. The "eyelashes" that give this snake its name are actually hoodlike scales over each eye. These snakes are responsible for a number of human fatalities each year, generally resulting from people overlooking these motionless, well camouflaged vipers when climbing trees or reaching into tree branches or clusters of fruit. (Henderson et al. 2010) The facial pits of pit vipers such as the Eyelash Viper and many others were at one time believed to be used only for locating warm-blooded prey, but these heat-sensing structures have now been shown to play an important role in facilitating behavioral thermoregulation (Krochmal et al. 2004).
Sorrell (2009) studied diel patterns of movement and predatory behavior of Eyelash Vipers in an Atlantic lowland tropical moist forest in Panama. During the day, Eyelash Vipers were most frequently found motionless in a hunting posture (i.e., with the body positioned for a strike and facing an object that could serve as a prey runway such as a branch, liana, tree bole, or tree buttress). Individuals were significantly more likely to move between perches at night than during the day. Sorrell was able to identify ten prey items representing seven taxa; five of these prey species had not previously been reported as Eyelash Viper food items. Combined with literature records, Sorrell tallied a total of 15 prey categories (mostly identified to species), seven of them mainly diurnal and eight mainly nocturnal. He notes that the list of Eyelash Viper prey items includes frogs, indicating that this species actively forages at night because sedentary, nocturnal prey items (e.g., Eleutherodactylus frogs) are unlikely to be encountered by a snake using only ambush methods. (Lomonte et al. (2008) and references therein; Sorrell 2009 and references therein)
Castoe et. al. (2009) studied the phylogeographic and biogeographic history of New World pitvipers, focusing on three genera (Atropoides [the jumping pitvipers], Bothriechis [the palm pitvipers], and Cerrophidion [the montane pitvipers]) that are broadly co-distributed across the highlands of Middle America. According to their analyses, the extant sister species to B. schlegelii is B. supraciliaris of southwestern Costa Rica (a formerly synonymized species [Werman 1984 and references therein] restored to species rank by Solorzano et al. 1998). This supports the finding by Taggart et al. (2001).
Antonio (1980) described the courtship and copulatory behavior of a pair of captive Eyelash Vipers from Honduras, as well as some preliminary data on the genetics of coloration in this species.
Lomonte et al. (2008) characterized the venoms of B. schlegelii and B. lateralis with respect to their protein composition and investigated which protein species within these snake venoms are effectively recognized and immunoprecipitated by the polyvalent antivenom manufactured at the Instituto Clodomiro Picado (University of Costa Rica), which is made using a mixture of venoms from three different three pitvipers (B. asper, Crotalus durissus durissus, and Lachesis stenophrys).
Bothriechis schlegelii, known commonly as the eyelash viper, is a species of venomous pit viper in the family Viperidae. The species is native to Central and South America. Small and arboreal, this species is characterized by a wide array of color variations, as well as the superciliary scales above the eyes. It is the most common of the green palm-pitvipers (genus Bothriechis),[2] and is often present in zoological exhibits. The specific name schlegelii honors Hermann Schlegel, who was a German ornithologist and herpetologist.[3] For other common names see below. No subspecies are currently recognized as being valid.[4]
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.[5] It has a wide, triangular-shaped head, and eyes with vertical pupils. 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.
Its most distinguishing feature, and origin of its common name, is the set of modified scales above the eyes that look much like eyelashes. The eyelashes are thought to aid in camouflage, breaking up the snake's outline among the foliage where it hides. The eyelash viper occurs in a wide range of colors, including red, yellow, brown, green, even pink, as well as various combinations thereof. It often has black or brown speckling on the base color. No external features distinguish the two sexes.[6]
Common names of B. schlegelii include the eyelash viper,[7] eyelash pit viper, eyelash palm viper, eyelash palm-pitviper,[8][6] Schlegel's viper,[7] Schlegel's pit viper,[9] Schlegel's palm viper,[10] eyelash snake,[2] eyelash lancehead,[11] eyelash mountain viper,[7] and horned palm viper.[2] In Spanish, the primary language of countries comprising its distribution, common names include bocaracá,[12] oropel (golden morph),[12] víbora bocaracá, toboba pestañas,[6] víbora de pestañas[8] (eyelash viper), and serpiente loro[8] (parrot snake).
The geographic range of B. 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. It is also found on the Pacific versant and lowlands in parts of Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. It occurs in mesic forest at elevations almost from sea level to 2,640 m (8,660 ft) altitude. The type locality is “Popayan” (Popayán, Colombia).[1]
B. schlegelii prefers lower altitude, humid, tropical areas with dense foliage, generally not far from a permanent water source.[13] One study noted the preference of B. schlegelii for deep, shady ravines.[14] They are rarely found on the forest floor and prefer to spend most of their time on tree branches or vines. [15]
Like other Bothriechis members, B. schlegelii is arboreal and has a strong prehensile tail. It is largely nocturnal, consuming small rodents, frogs, lizards and small birds.[5] It is not known to be an aggressive snake, but will not hesitate to strike if harassed.
A typical ambush predator, it waits patiently for unsuspecting prey to wander by. Sometimes, it is known to select a specific ambush site and return to it every year in time for the spring migration of birds. Studies have indicated that B. schlegeli learns to improve strike accuracy over time.[1] Sometimes B. 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.
There is a myth among villagers in some small areas of South America that the eyelash viper will wink, flashing its "eyelashes" at its victim, following a venomous strike. Snakes are not physiologically capable of such behavior, as they have no eyelids and can not close their eyes.[16]
The eyelash viper reaches sexual maturity at around two years of age, and the ovoviviparous species reproduces throughout the year in warm environments.[5] Females carry eggs for around six months before they hatch internally, where the young complete their development.[5] Pregnant females have enlarged lower abdomens, and may stop eating in later stages of pregnancy.[5] In a typical brood they give birth to 2–20 live young, which are 15–20 cm (6–8 in) in length and appear physically similar to adults.[5]
Males engage in a sometimes hours-long courtship ritual called a "dance of the adders", in which two males posture and intimidate one another in an upright, "cobra-like" stance until one is pushed away or falls to the ground.[5] They are polygynous, and usually mate at night.[5]
Despite the inherent danger of its venom, B. schlegelii is frequently available in the exotic animal trade, and is well represented in zoos worldwide. It is frequently captive bred for color and pattern. Exporting from the wild is not as common as it once was, but is not unknown. In general they make hardy captives, readily feeding on provided mice.
Some authorities also recognize a montane form that is treated either as a subspecies (B. s. supraciliaris) or as a species (B. supraciliaris).[7] Found in the province of San José in Costa Rica,[17] it was sometimes referred to as the eyelash mountain viper,[7] while more recent publications recognizing the species designation refer to it as the blotched palm-pitviper.[18][19]
Eyelash vipers have not been evaluated by the IUCN Red List, and were removed from CITES Appendix III in 2002.[5] While not listed as threatened, they could be at risk of habitat loss from increased deforestation for timber, agriculture, and urbanization.[5]
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Yellow individual in La Selva Biological Station
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White individual in Cahuita National Park
Facial features
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Threat behavior
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Illustration
Bothriechis schlegelii, known commonly as the eyelash viper, is a species of venomous pit viper in the family Viperidae. The species is native to Central and South America. Small and arboreal, this species is characterized by a wide array of color variations, as well as the superciliary scales above the eyes. It is the most common of the green palm-pitvipers (genus Bothriechis), and is often present in zoological exhibits. The specific name schlegelii honors Hermann Schlegel, who was a German ornithologist and herpetologist. For other common names see . No subspecies are currently recognized as being valid.
