Reptiles · Squamata · Viperidae

Terciopelo

Bothrops asper

Not Evaluated

It has not yet been assessed against the IUCN criteria. See full glossary

It is responsible for more snakebites than any other species within its range, because it so often lives close to farmland and human settlement.

Weight

up to 6 kg

Size

1.4 m – 2.5 m

Lifespan

15 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Unknown

RainforestCarnivore Nocturnal Solitary Reptile Rainforest

5countries22same family

Fun facts

Newborns use the bright yellow tip of their tail as a lure to draw in small prey.
It eats small mammals, birds and amphibians, taken from ambush.
It is reckoned the most prolific snake in the Americas, with as many as 90 young to a litter.
fisiologíaIt accounts for a large share of the snakebites recorded in Central America, and its venom acts mainly on blood clotting and local tissue.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
Habitat & environment: Tropical rainforest, farmland and lowlands of Mexico, Central America and northern South America
Birth weight: 25-30 cm long at birth, the yellow tail tip used as a lure to draw in prey
Size at birth: 25 - 30 cm long at birth
Sexual maturity: ~3 years (the male at 99.5 cm, the female at 111.3 cm long)
Gestation / incubation: 6-8 months (180-240 days), a viviparous species
Litter / clutch size: 5 to 90 young per litter, reckoned the most prolific snake in the Americas
Lifespan in captivity: Documented record of up to 20.4 years in captivity

Sources consulted: Instituto Clodomiro Picado; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Storyteller Travel; Animal Diversity Web; Tico Travel; Delamazonas; Grokipedia (Bothrops asper); Wikipedia (Bothrops asper); Reptiles of Ecuador