A small but captivating snake that lives in the high-altitude forests of Central and South America. Known for its bright colors and unique “eyelash-like” scales above its eyes, this snake is as fascinating as it is beautiful. These scales give the pitviper a dramatic appearance, as if it’s wearing fancy eyelashes, but they also help break up its outline, making it harder for predators to spot. The highland eyelash-pitviper can come in many colors, ranging from yellow and green to orange and even reddish hues. Its coloration often blends seamlessly with its surroundings, like moss-covered branches or vibrant flowers, making it a master of camouflage.

This snake is relatively small, usually growing to about two feet long. Despite its size, it is an effective predator. It uses its heat-sensing pits, located between its eyes and nostrils, to detect the body heat of prey. This ability is especially useful in the dense, shadowy forests where it hunts. The highland eyelash-pitviper’s diet mainly consists of small animals such as birds, frogs, lizards, and small mammals. Its venom is strong enough to subdue its prey quickly, but the snake is not aggressive and usually avoids humans unless threatened.

One of the most interesting aspects of this snake is its arboreal lifestyle. It spends most of its time in trees, coiled up on branches or tucked into crevices, waiting patiently for prey to wander by. Its prehensile tail helps it hold onto branches, giving it extra stability as it moves through the trees. Highland eyelash-pitvipers are ambush predators, relying on their stillness and camouflage to catch unsuspecting prey.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

Belize

2013

Colombia

2013

Costa Rica

2013

Ecuador

2013

Guatemala

2013

Honduras

2013

Mexico

2013

Nicaragua

2013

Panama

2013

Peru

2013

Venezuela

2013