Side-Striped Palm-Pit Viper

Facts about Side-striped Palm-pitvipers. "Scientific name for Side-striped Palm-pit viper is Bothriechis lateralis", The Side-striped Palm-pitviper are also known as green palm vipers and yellow-lined palm vipers. The fear of snakes is ophiophobia. The Side-striped Palm-pitviper are found in the mountains of Costa Rica and Western Panama. Currently no sub-species have been recognized. They are known to be venomous snakes.

In rare circumstances, adults may exceed 39 inches (99 cm). But in general side-striped palm-pit vipers are normally less than 31 inches (78.7 cm). They Side-striped Palm-pitviperare very slender and have a prehensile tail.

The Side-striped Palm-pitviper have a ground color pattern which is emerald green to bluish green with yellow alternating paravertebra vertical bars. The scales that are adjacent to the yellow pattern are blue or black tipped.

The Side-striped Palm-pitvipers bellies are yellow green boarded with pale yellow stripes on the sides. These stripes run along the lower portion of the paraventral scales and to the extreme lateral part of the ventral scales.

The Side-striped Palm-pitviper head is green on top and a blue-gray postocular stripe. This postocular stripe is now well defined especially in big adult. Their irises are normally yellow in color.

Juveniles are different from adults. The Side-striped Palm-pitviper are brown and have dark brown markings on their heads, bronze irises and postocular stripes. Their paravertebral markings are edged with yellow and their tails are yellow too.

When held in captive, the juveniles Side-striped Palm-pitviper retain their color pattern for around six months. After the six months are over their ground color turns to a dull lime green with yellow edges of the paravertebral vertical bars conspicuous. It takes around 18 to 24 months for them to change their coloration to that of the adults.

A common observation among all snakes is that all green snakes when held captive tend to change their color to blue. This is also seen in the case of Side-striped Palm-pit vipers. Most that are held in captive are bluish green.

Side-striped palm-pit vipers spend their time in the forest trees or shrubs. They love the thick and dense places where they lay still and coil themselves. The Side-striped Palm-pitviper are not aggressive and this is seen by the fact they camouflage to avoid being detected. This makes it hard to see them and to some instances one can actually step over them. If you attempt to touch them they are quick to bite and their bite is poisonous though there are no fatal cases that have been reported so far.

The Side-striped Palm-pitviper prey on small birds, rodents, frogs and lizards. Their prehensile tail that is used as an anchor when resting is very helpful because they use it to grasps their prey. The Side-striped Palm-pitviper are accurate and once they set to snatch their prey they hardly miss.

Side-striped palm pit vipers can survive even in areas that have been agricultural developed. They don’t have a problems staying in places where there is heavy plantation as long as the place has dense forage where they can hide. In fact it has been observed that the Side-striped Palm-pitviper prefer coffee vegetation.