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Bothrops atrox — also known as the common lancehead, fer-de-lance, barba amarilla, [3] and mapepire balsain — is a highly venomous pit viper species found in the tropical lowlands of northern South America east of the Andes, as well as the Caribbean island of Trinidad. [2] No subspecies are currently recognized. [4]
The name fer-de-lance has been used inconsistently and very informally with several species in the genus Bothrops having been called fer-de-lance at one time or another, most commonly Bothrops asper, Bothrops atrox, Bothrops caribbaeus, and Bothrops lanceolatus.
Bothrops lanceolatus — known as the fer-de-lance, Martinican pit viper, [3] and Martinique lancehead [1] [4] [5] — is a species of pit viper endemic to the Caribbean island of Martinique. [ 1 ] [ 4 ] Some reserve the common name fer-de-lance for this species, while others apply that name to other Bothrops species, as well.
Fer-de-lance, Martinique lancehead Martinique, Lesser Antilles B. leucurus Wagler, 1824: 0 Whitetail lancehead, Bahia lancehead Eastern Brazil along the Atlantic coast from northern Espírito Santo north to Alagoas and Ceará, occurs more inland in several parts of Bahia, uncertain identity of disjunct populations west of the Rio São Francisco
Fer-de-Lance is French for spearhead (literally "iron of the lance"), and may refer to: Snakes of the genus Bothrops, especially: B. lanceolatus, the Martinique lancehead snake; B. caribbaeus, the Saint Lucia lancehead; B. atrox, the common lancehead, native to tropical South America east of the Andes and to Trinidad
In Brazil and probably also in other countries in their area of distribution, this species is probably the most dangerous rattlesnake. After the fer-de-lance (Bothrops asper), it is the most common cause of snake envenoming. In the first half of the 20th century as well as in the 1950s and 1960s, 12% of treated cases ended fatally.
No data are published for the size of the golden lancehead at birth, but newborns are probably of a similar size to B. jararaca, the neonates of which have a snout-to-vent length of 24.5 to 25.3 cm (9 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 10 in) and a weight of 9.38 to 10.61 g (about 1/3 oz).
Four species are venomous: two coral snake species (Micrurus spp. [note 1]), the fer-de-lance (Bothrops atrox) and the South American bushmaster (Lachesis muta). The common coral (Micrurus fulvius) is found on at least two of the Bocas Islands: Gaspar Grande and Monos. No venomous snakes inhabit Tobago.