Saint Lucia lancehead

Description

The Saint Lucia lancehead or Saint Lucia pit viper (Bothrops caribbaeus) is a Endangered species of venomous snake from the West Indies. The Saint Lucia lancehead can reach a total length in excess of 1.3 m (4.3 ft). It is gray to gray-brown, with an irregular temporal stripe, and gray or brown markings that are distinct mid-dorsally and fade towards its sides. It is found only on the island of Saint Lucia in the Caribbean Lesser Antilles. The snake is threatened and today limited to two areas of the island. The only location outside of St. Lucia where these snakes are allowed to be kept is the Kentucky Reptile Zoo. Accidents with this pit viper are extremely rare, with only one report, the victim had local pain and edema, after a week left facial hemiplegia with facial paralysis and local bleeding, extensive swelling, edema in the abdomen and chest, necrosis and cerebral ischemia. 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 βόθρος, bothros, meaning "pit", and ώπς, 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.