Boicoatiara

Description

Bothrops cotiara is a species of venomous snake in the family Viperidae. It is endemic to Brazil and Argentina. The specific name, cotiara, is taken from one of its common names. Boicoatiara, boicotiara, boiquatiara, coatiara, jararaca-de-barriga-preta, jararaca-preta, and quatiara. It is found in Argentina in Misiones Province; and in Brazil in the states of Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and São Paulo. The type locality is "Núcleo Colonial Cruz Machado, Marechal Mallet, Estado do Paraná, Brasil". Bothrops is a genus of highly venomous pit vipers endemic to Central and South America. The generic name, Bothrops, is derived from the Greek words bothros, meaning "pit", and ops, meaning "eye" or "face", together an allusion to the heat-sensitive loreal pit organs. Members of this genus are responsible for more human deaths in the Americas than any other group of venomous snakes. Currently, 45 species are recognized. These snakes range from small, never growing to more than 50–70 cm (19.5–27.5 in), to large at over 200 cm (6.6 ft) in total length. Most are characterized by having a sharp canthus rostralis and an unelevated snout. The arrangement of the scales on top of the head is extremely variable; the number of interorbital scales may be 3–14. Usually there are 7-9 supralabials and 9-11 sublabials. There are 21-29 rows of dorsal scales at midbody, 139-240 ventral scales, and 30-86 subcaudals, which are generally divided. Lacépède originally applied the name "lanceheads" to all of these snakes, which he considered conspecific. Thus, older writings, as well as popular and sometimes scientific writings (including the American Heritage, Merriam-Webster, and New Shorter Oxford dictionaries), still often call them fer-de-lance (French, "spearhead"). However, many scientists and hobbyists now restrict this name to the Martinican species, B. lanceolatus. Other common names include American lanceheads and American lance-headed vipers. Found in northeastern Mexico (Tamaulipas) southward through Central and South America to Argentina, Bothrops species also occur on the islands of Saint Lucia and Martinique in the Lesser Antilles, as well as on Ilha da Queimada Grande off the coast of Brazil. B. atrox is also found on the island of Trinidad in the Southern Caribbean off the eastern coast of Venezuela.