Lachesis muta
South American Bushmaster ( Lachesis muta muta)
The South American Bushmaster ( Lachesis muta) - also known as Shushupe or Surucucu - is a ground-dwelling, nocturnal snake and lives in the rainforests of South America.
Features
The tail end is pointed and horny, before that there are a number of thorny rows of scales. Much like rattlesnakes can the bushmaster the tail end when energized to vibrate. The coloring of the upper surface is reddish yellow with a longitudinal row of large, black and brown diamonds, in which there are two small, brighter spots. The underside is yellowish white; the head is mottled with irregular black brown.
Way of life
He kills small mammals with a poisonous bite after he ambushed them. He is about 2.5 m long, in exceptional cases up to 3.0 m. The Bushmaster is the longest viper in the world and the largest venomous snake in America. His fangs are up to 35 millimeters long.
The Bushmaster are the only egg-laying ( oviparous ) Grubenottern America and they incubate their eggs.
Subspecies
From the South American bushmaster two subspecies are described:
- Lachesis muta muta - Ecuador, Peru and northern Brazil
- Lachesis muta rhombeata - East Brazil