Side-striped Palm-Pit Viper - Bothriechis Lateralis

 

Scientific name: Bothriechis lateralis 

Family: Viperidae Family

Common name: side-striped palm viper

The side-striped palm pit viper (B. lateralis) is generally found in lower montane forest (850 to 2,100 meters), but has also been recorded at elevations nearing 2,800 meters. The specific name of lateralis refers to the yellow stripe on the snake’s lower green dorsum. Ranging from Panama to Costa Rica, undocumented reports suggest it may also occur in southern Nicaragua. Frequently found near streams, this species appears able to survive to a certain extent in cultivated areas, such as coffee plantations, where it feeds upon lizards and mammals. Like several other palm pit viper species, young side-striped palm pit vipers go through an ontogenetic color change as they mature. It has been observed that the brown juveniles are found closer to the forest floor than the green adults, which are usually encountered in leafy vegetation.

Side-striped Palm-Pit Viper 

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Subphylum	Vertebrata
Class	Reptilia
Order	Squamata
Suborder	Serpentes
Family	Viperidae
Subfamily	Crotalinae
Genus	Bothriechis
Scientific Name	Bothriechis lateralis

Length	Normally less than 80 cm, but may exceed 100 cm in rare cases
Color	Emerald green to bluish green ground color covered with a series of alternating yellow paravertebral vertical bars; uniform yellowish-green underside bordered by a pale yellow stripe on either side; top of the head is uniform green with yellow iris
Distribution	Costa Rica and western Panama
Habitat	Lower montane forest, lower montane rainforest, lower montane wet forest
Diet	Small birds, rodents, lizards, frogs
Venom Fact	Venomous
Mode of Reproduction	Viviparous (giving birth to live young)
Litter Size	Up to 18 young
Average Lifespan	Up to 12.5 years in captivity
IUCN Conservation Status	Least Concern

Snake of small to moderate size, can grow up to 97 cm long, but the average adult is between 60 and 70 cm long. Males of this species are slightly longer than females. The body is thin, the head is well differentiated from the neck and the snout has a round profile seen from the side. Characterized by the emerald green or bluish green color, of variable intensity, bordered by a pair of yellow or cream-colored stripes running along the side and bottom. Newborns and juvenile specimens are light or dark brown, sometimes even reddish, with a yellowish-green tail tip, but always with the visible side stripes. Adults and juveniles can have a series of small transverse, light-colored, stripes well distributed along the back.

This is an arboreal species, but it is usually found on the ground and the base of the trees, frequently in altered secondary forests, and areas that have been altered for agricultural purposes, such as coffee plantations. As many other viper species, the Side-Striped Palm Viper is viviparous.

This species can be found in mountain forests, from Costa Rica to the west of Panama, between 700 and 1950 m of altitude. Since it is an arboreal species commonly found in coffee plantations, the bites usually happen on the hands and arms of agricultural farmers.