Speckled Forest Pitviper Snake

Facts about Speckled Forest Pitviper snake. "Scientific name for Speckled Forest Pitviper snake is Bothriopsis taeniata". Speckled Forest Pitviper is an enigmatically patterned snake that is believed to have originated from the equatorial forests of South America. The Speckled Forest Pitviper snake resides in different areas varying from vines and low vegetation to forest edges. The snake mainly lives on tree canopies.
The Speckled Forest Pitviper snake can grow up to a length of 175 centimeters (69 inches) though the estimated average length of a full grown snake is 100 cm (39 inches). The snake has a slender body that is enriched in a variety of colors ranging from yellow green to lavender grey. It also has a prehensile tail that boosts its ability to move through trees smoothly and nimbly. Unlike other species of Pit Vipers, Speckled Forest Pitviper has single sub-caudal scales, that is, the hypertrophied plates below the tail are not divided as it is with other species. It also has a row of white spots through where the ventral and dorsal scales are interconnected.

The Speckled Forest Pitviper is considered an active hunter. It prefers going for its prey rather than pouncing on it when the prey comes its way. With the aid of sensory pits located between the nostrils and the eyes, the snake is able to detect a prey located few meters away since these senses are able to detect the heat generated by warm blooded animals. It also has strong and sharp fangs that cannot only grasp a prey but aid in killing it. The main target foods for Speckled Forest Pitviper snakes are small birds, lizards, small rodents and frogs.

Just like many other snakes, the Speckled Forest Pitviper snake lacks external ear openings. Their middle ear does not have the highly specialized features found on other vertebrates. The Speckled Forest Pitviper snakes therefore have a very poor sense of hearing even though they can efficaciously and accurately sense vibrations in the ground.

The estimate lifespan of Speckled Forest Pitviper snake is still under research. However, it is believed that the snake can live for up to 10 years or even more. Scientists also believe that the lifespan of the Speckled Forest Pitviper snake, just like other snakes, depends on the condition of the area where it is leaving.

The reproduction is similar to many other snakes. The females have to internally incubate their eggs for a gestation period of approximately six months. Since the Speckled Forest Pitviper snakes are ovoviviparous, after the gestation period the eggs are hatched while still in the body of the mother. The females can bear between 2 and 20 siblings per blood. In most cases, the siblings measure between 15 and 20 centimeters (6 to 7.8 inches) in length depending on the number reproduced and the size of the mother.

Several studies indicate that Speckled Forest Pitviper snake is one of the world’s most venomous snakes. Various documented stories show people who have been bitten by the snake suffer severe swelling and amputation within the areas bitten.

The Speckled Forest Pitviper snake can be found in most of northern South America and Panama. They are common in the pacific lowlands of Ecuador and Columbia, the Andes Mountains from Columbia and Venezuela to Bolivia, the Atlantic forest of Brazil and the Amazon Basin.