Bothrops pulcher

Bothrops pulcher is a venomous pitviper species found in South America. The specific name is Latin, meaning "beautiful", in reference to the color pattern.[2] No subspecies are currently recognized.[3]

Bothrops pulcher
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Genus: Bothrops
Species:
B. pulcher
Binomial name
Bothrops pulcher
(Peters, 1862)
Synonyms
  • Trigonocephalus pulcher - Peters, 1862
  • Lachesis pulcher - Boulenger, 1896
  • Bothrops albocarinata - Shreve, 1934
  • Bothrops alticola - Parker, 1934
  • Bothrops albocarinatus - Peters & Orejas-Miranda, 1970
  • Bothrops alticolus - Peters & Orejas-Miranda, 1970
  • Bothriopsis albocarinata - Campbell & Lamar, 1989
  • Bothriopsis alticola - Campbell & Lamar, 1989
  • Bothrops pulcher - Campbell & Lamar, 1989
  • Bothriechis albocarinata - Schätti, Kramer & Touzet, 1990
  • Bothriechis alticolus - Schätti & Kramer, 1991
  • Bothriechis oligolepis albocarinatus - Schätti & Kramer, 1993
  • Bothriopsis pulchra - McDiarmid, Campbell & Touré, 1999[1]
Common names: Andean forest-pitviper.[2]

Description

A small and moderately slender species, only two lengths are given by Campbell and Lamar (2004): 76.4 cm for a specimen from Colombia and 65.9 cm for the type of Bothrops alticola, although the tail was incomplete.[2]

The scalation includes 19-23 (usually 21) rows of keeled dorsal scales, 167-178/173-181 ventral scales in males/females and 63-64/53-60 subcaudal scales in males/females, with a varying number towards the end of the tail being divided. On the head there are 5-8 keeled intersupraocular scales, 7-9 (usually 7) supralabial scales, the second of which contacts the prelacunal, and 8-10 sublabial scales.[2]

The color pattern consists of a greenish yellow or medium to dark green ground color that usually becomes more obscure towards the front of the body. The dorsal pattern is a series of 29 bands or transverse black spots that tend to fuse with each other towards the front part of the body. All of this is overlaid with a pattern of white dorsal keels. The belly is yellow with black mottling that usually increases down the body so that the tail is a uniform dark color. The end of the tail tends to be cream or pink with a rounded terminal spine. On the head, a cheek stripe is present that extends to the angle of the mouth. Above it is a parallel black stripe that runs from the supraoculars to the angle of the jaw. The labial scales are usually a very dark green color without any mottling. The iris is yellow and the tongue black.[2]

Geographic range

Found in South America on the eastern slopes of the Andes from south-central Colombia to southern Ecuador[1] and northern Peru.[2] The type locality given is "Quito" (Ecuador); a mistake according to Peters (1955).[1]

References
  1. McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
  2. Campbell JA, Lamar WW. 2004. The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere. 2 volumes. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca and London. 870 pp. 1500 plates. ISBN 0-8014-4141-2.
  3. "Bothrops pulchra". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
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