Yellow-Blotched Palm-Pit Viper- Bothriechis Aurifer

Yellow-Blotched Palm-Pit Viper

 The Yellow-Blotched Palm-Pit Viper (Bothriechis Aurifer) is an uncommon to rare snake of southern Mexico and Guatemala. It was originally described by Bocourt in 1868, but the Chiapas population was considered a distinct species (Bothriechis ornatus) by Julia-Zertuche and Varela in 1978. Campbell & Lamar (2004) considered the name ornatus to be a synonym of B. bicolor. The habits of the snake are largely unknown but it has been encountered in lower montane forest along the Pacific slope of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas and into adjacent Guatemala. It has been most frequently seen by day when it is inactive and coiled in vegetation. The species apparently is mostly nocturnal, foraging for frogs along ravines. 

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

Description

Adults generally grow to less than 70 centimetres (28 in) in length, but sometimes to over 1 metre (3 ft 3 in). The body is relatively slender with a prehensile tail.

The scalation includes 1-5 intersupraocular scales, 8-12 supralabials, 9-13 infralabials and 18-21 (mode 19) rows of dorsal scales at midbody. The second supralabial is fused with the prelacunal to form a lacunolabial and the interrictals number 16-21. Males have 148-167 ventral scales and 58-64 subcaudals (mostly undivided), while females have 152-162 ventrals and 48-61 subcaudal scales.

The color pattern consists of a green ground color overlaid dorsally with a series of yellow blotches that are bordered in black. Between the botches, an irregular, often broken, dorsal stripe can be seen. The yellowish green belly is often lighter than the dorsum. On the head, a dark postocular stripe is present. The iris is usually yellowish-green, sometimes bronze, with black specks or reticulations. Over 90% of all specimens have the usual dark dorsal pattern, but a few are uniform green and have no postocular stripes. The juvenile coloration includes a pale lime green ground color and a colorful tail tip.

Geographic Range

Found in Mexico in the mountains of eastern Chiapas, and in northern Guatemala. Occurs in cloud forest at 1200–2300 m altitude. The type locality given is "Cobán, [Alta] Vera Paz, Guatemala.

Habitat

Forest areas; especially prefer dense low-lying palm forests (and hence the name)

Venom Fact

Venomous

IUCN Conservation Status

Vulnerable