Bothrops atrox

Bothrops atrox
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Viperidae
Subfamily:	Crotalinae
Genus:	Bothrops
Species:	B. atrox
Binomial name
Bothrops atrox (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
Coluber atrox Linnaeus, 1758 [Coluber] ambiguus Gmelin, 1788 Vipera Weigeli Daudin, 1803 Cophias holocericeus Wied-Neuwied, 1821 Trigonoceph[alus]. atrox – Schinz, 1822 Vipera atrox Weigelii – Schinz, 1822 Trigonoceph[alus]. holocericeus – Schinz, 1822 Bothrops Furia Wagler, 1824 Bothrops tessellatus Wagler, 1824 Craspedocephalus atrox – Fitzinger, 1826 Craspedocephalus Weigelii – Fitzinger, 1826 [Bothrops] atrox – Wagler, 1830 [Bothrops] ambiguus – Wagler, 1830 T[rigonocephalus]. atrox – Schlegel, 1837 Trigonocephalus Colombiensis Hallowell, 1845 Bothrops affinis Gray, 1849 Bothrops atrox var. tessellatus – Jan & Sordelli, 1875 Lachesis atrox – Boulenger, 1896 Botrhops atrox – Recinos, 1913 B[othrops]. Neuvoiedii Venezuelenzi Briceño Rossi, 1934 Trimeresurus atrox – Schmidt & Walker, 1943 Bothrops atrox atrox – , 1952 Bothrops colombiensis – Hoge, 1966 Bothrops atrox colombiensis – Gubensk, Turk & Drujan, 1978 Bothrops isabelae Sandner-Montilla, 1979 Bothrops lanceolatus aidae Sandner-Montilla, 1981 B[othrops]. atrox aidae – Vanzolini, 1986 Bothrops lanceolatus nacaritae Sandner-Montilla, 1990

Bothrops atrox — also known as the common lancehead, fer-de-lance, and barba amarilla — is a species of pit viper found in the tropical lowlands of northern South America east of the Andes. No subspecies are currently recognized.

A terrestrial species, adults usually grow to a total length 75–125 cm (about 30-50 inches) and are moderately heavy-bodied. Reports of the maximum size are not clear, as this species is often confused with B. asper. Soini (1974) mentioned of a series of 80 specimens collected in northeastern Peru, the largest was a female of 138.8 cm (4.55 ft). The largest specimen measured by Campbell and Lamar (2004) was a female with a total length of 162 cm (5.31 ft).

The scalation includes 23-29 (usually 23-25) rows of dorsal scales at midbody, 169-214 and 177-214 ventral scales in males and females, respectively, 52-86 (usually 75 or fewer) subcaudal scales in males, which are usually divided, and 47-72 subcaudals in females. On the head, the rostral scale is about as high, or slightly higher, than it is wide. There are three to 11 (usually five to 9) keeled intersupraocular scales, seven to 13 (usually eight to 11) sublabial scales and six to 9 (usually seven) supralabial scales, the second of which is fused with the prelacunal to form a lacunolabial.

The color pattern is highly variable, including a ground color that may be olive, brown, tan, gray, yellow, or (rarely) rusty. The body markings are highly variable, as is the degree of contrast: in some specimens the pattern is very well defined, while in others it may be virtually absent. In general, however, the body pattern consists of a series of dorsolateral blotches, rectangular or trapezoidal in shape, which extend from the first scale row to the middle of the back. These blotches may oppose or alternate across the midline, often fusing to form bands. They also have pale borders, which in some cases may be prominent, and may be invaded from below by tan or gray pigment, occasionally dividing them into pairs of ventrolateral spots. The belly may be white, cream or yellowish gray, with an increasing amount of gray to black mottling posteriorly that may fade again under the tail. The head usually does not have any markings other than a moderately wide postocular stripe that runs from behind the eye back to the angle of the mouth. The iris is gold or bronze, with varying amounts of black reticulation, while the tongue is black.

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Wikipedia