- This highly distinctive reptile most frequently goes by the somewhat unusual common name of the Eyelash Viper in most parts of its range. It does have other general titles it’s sometimes known by, though. These include Eyelash Snake, and Schlegel’s Viper, among others.
- Inside of most scientific circles, however, it’s perhaps much better known by its entirely technical designation. Sadly, like many such epithets, that’s one that’s rather difficult for the layperson to pronounce. That’s because it holds the official term of Bothriechis schlegelii.
- The remarkable snake received that honorific due to the efforts of Arnold Adolph Berthold. The respected German zoologist accomplished the first formal recognition of it as a separate and distinct species. He achieved that scientifically noteworthy feat in the year 1846.
- This wonder of Nature stands out in the minds of scientists for several reasons. Among the many members of its Genus, it represents the one with the largest known population. Despite this fact, however, it has no known subpecies, unlike many species in the same situation.
- Thankfully, its population numbers do indeed seem to be both stable and sufficient for now. That pleasant state also appears to hold true throughout the entirety of its native range. The IUCN therefore presently shows it as Least Concern on its Red List of Threatened Species.
- The marvel of evolution nonetheless still faces many potential threats to its continued existence as a species, at least. Like all life existing on earth today, most of these stem from the actions of mankind. These include the related dangers of habitat loss and climate change.
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Eyelash Viper Physical Description
The amazing Eyelash Viper virtually always grabs the attention of anyone lucky enough to encounter one of these wonders of the reptilian world. This occurs mainly due to their appearance, though, not because of any size factor. That’s true since it’s actually a relatively small variety of pit viper.
The intriguing creature also follows a pattern common to many species, including serpents. That’s the fact that it displays a certain degree of the physiological characteristic of sexual dimorphism. In its specific case, the females of the species typically attain a larger average size than the males.
Collectively, though, the impressive reptile typically measures somewhere between 22 – 32 in (55 – 82 cm) in length. The females of the creature tend to be on the higher end of this range, while the males usually fall closer to the lower end of it. Exceptional examples nevertheless do occur.
Like most of its many relatives across the globe, the body developed as slender and agile. In its case, this seems especially so, given the nature of its habitat. It has keeled scales, giving the skin a rough texture. The tail also develops as prehensile, assisting in climbing and gripping branches.
The head of this animal also evolved as relatively broad and triangular in design, clearly distinct from the neck. That’s further covered with small, irregular scales. It also displays strongly vertical elliptical pupils and relatively large eyes, which provide it with exceptional vision for a snake.
Yet, one of the most distinctive features of the highly evolved Eyelash Viper continues to be the presence of very unusual scales that protrude above the eyes like eyelashes. Most herpetologists believe that these developed to provide the animal some measure of camouflage among the foliage.
Like all known pit vipers, this marvel of evolution holds yet more wonders to discover. Those consist of very special, heat-sensing pits. Nature placed these between the eyes and the nostrils, situated on either side of the head. These pits allow the snake to ably detect warm-blooded prey.
The creature also exhibits an incredibly wide range of colors, including yellow, green, brown, and even red. Some examples even have patterns such as spots, stripes, or blotches, making them highly variable in appearance. People frequently refer to yellow specimens as golden eyelash vipers.
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Reptilia
- Order: Squamata
- Family: Viperidae
- Genus: Bothriechis
- Species: B. schleglii
Eyelash Viper Distribution, Habitat, and Ecology
The tantalizing Eyelash Viper actually evolved as indigenous to a moderately broad portion of the surface of the earth. The exact location of that zone of habitation, however, might surprise some of our readers. That’s because it’s native to portions of North America, central, and South America.
In the North American region, the remarkable animal’s presently only known to appear in the extreme southern portions of the country of Mexico. Even there, it’s found solely in smaller concentrations in certain sections of the state of Chiapas. It’s never been seen any further north.
In Central America, though, the amazing vertebrate’s known to be present in a large number of different countries. It also lives in respectable numbers there, as well. It’s proven present in the nations of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.
In the South American part of its range, however, its known native territory only reaches the most northerly parts of the continent. This amazing reptile’s only confirmed present in three countries, at least for the moment. Those consist of the nations of Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.
Nature also blessed this marvel of evolution with a truly powerful evolutionary advantage. That’s formed of a high degree of flexibility regarding its choice of habitat. It’s therefore found in a wide variety of environments in its distribution range. Yet, it does favor lush, humid, settings.
Dense, tropical rainforests traditionally serve as its primary habitat. These settings provide ample foliage and tree cover, ideal for its arboreal lifestyle. It’s also often found in the understory layer, which offers a humid and shaded environment with plenty of prey and camouflage opportunities.
Montane forests form yet another popular location for the extraordinary species of snake, with high humidity and frequent cloud cover, providing a cool and moist environment. These have a rich diversity of plant life, including mosses, ferns, and orchids, which offer excellent hiding spots.
This unexcelled product of Nature also inhabits areas composed of moist lowland forests, which generally remain characterized by heavy rainfall and dense vegetation. These areas provide a wide variety of microhabitats, such as fallen logs, leaf litter, and relatively dense underbrush.
It’s also often found near various water sources like rivers and streams within these modified habitats. It’s even flexible in terms of elevation. The snake’s usually found between sea level and 2,640 ft (800 m) above that, though most observed specimens tend to stay at the lower altitudes.
Like others of its kin, the mesmerizing Eyelash Viper feeds as a carnivore, typically doing so as an ambush predator. It relies on its camouflage to conceal it until its prey comes close. The snake eats such prey as small birds, frogs and other amphibians, lizards, and small mammals, like rodents.
It lives a principally arboreal life, spending the vast majority of its time in various trees, shrubs, and other vegetation. The prehensile tail aids it in both climbing and anchoring itself to branches. In fact, the snake rarely descends to the ground at all, except to mate, unless forced to for some reason.
Breeding occurs throughout the course of the year, but seasonal peaks nevertheless exist, depending on the region. Females typically give birth to a litter of 6 to 12 neonates. The young are entirely independent from birth and come equipped with venom and camouflage very similar to the adults.
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