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 Vipe...