Plate 039 · waiting in the leaf litter IdentificationFive marks on the plate
- 1Triangular head clearly wider than the thin neck.
- 2Dark stripe behind the eye to the corner of the mouth, edged pale.
- 3Loreal pit between eye and nostril, the mark of a pit viper.
- 4Dark trapezoids edged pale, paired on each side.
- 5Keeled scales give a dull, matt look.
Easily confused with UrutuBothrops alternatusHorseshoe or telephone-shaped marks. Lives in the humid Chaco and the east, not in Tucumán’s Yungas. False lanceheadXenodon merremiiRounded head with no pit and a round pupil. Not venomous. 039 / 100 · REPTILES · VIPERIDAELEAST CONCERN Small-headed Lancehead
Bothrops diporus
Yarará chica · Painted Lancehead
It is the most common venomous snake in the lower forests of Tucumán. It lies still for hours among dry leaves, where its pattern makes it almost invisible, waiting for a mouse to pass. It bites when stepped on or touched, so it pays to watch where you walk.
- Length
- c. 70 – 100 cm
- Altitude
- 400 – c. 1,500 m
- Births
- summer, live young
- Venom
- haemotoxic, dangerous
- Venomous
- Live-bearer
- Ambush hunter
- Nocturnal in summer
Altitude rangeFoothill and lower montane forest
Usual Common in the foothills and lower montane forest, along edges, in grass and near crops. It becomes scarce above 1,500 m.
FoodRodents above all
- Field miceAkodon, Calomys · staple
- Frogs and toadsmostly the young
- Lizardstaken by juveniles
- Ground birdsoccasional
Juveniles take more frogs and lizards. Adults eat mainly rodents, which is why they are common near fields and sheds.
BehaviourStill, patient, dangerous
J F M A M J J A S O N D Most active; young bornActive - Camouflage. Trapezoid blotches break up its outline on the leaf litter.
- Ambush hunter. It senses prey heat with the pit between eye and nostril, strikes, then follows the scent trail.
- Venomous. It causes many of the snakebites in the northwest. A bite needs hospital care.
Where to look in Tucumán- Sierra de San Javier
- Reserva Experimental Horco Molle
- Parque Provincial La Florida
- Quebrada de Lules
- El Siambón