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RE: BOTHROPS - S America
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by Cro on July 31, 2008
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Craig, as far as the temperment, both Bothrops atrox and Bothrops asper are known to be fast moving snakes, that will vigorously defend themselves.
Both have long fangs, and those can inject large amounts of the potent venom deep into tissues.
Do not let a LD 50 chart keep you from thinking that these snakes are not very dangerous. In the real world, LD 50 Charts have very little meaning or use.
The venoms of both of these snakes cause tremendous amounts of necrosis, and cause severe problems with coagulation, which leads to hemorrhages and extensive bleeding.
Best Regards John Z
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RE: BOTHROPS - S America
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by FSB on July 31, 2008
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Ever since a Marine bound for Iraq gave me a male Terciopelo it has become one of my favorite snakes, but I would not at all say they are easy to keep. For one thing, they are prone to bouts of dysecdysis, especially of the brille or spectacle (eye cap), and this is one snake you definitely don't want to handle with your hands if it can be avoided. My male was very anorexic and already suffering from patchy dysecdysis when I first got it, which I managed with a prolonged soak until the remaining pieces of skin could be easily removed. It refused food for several weeks and finally began eating live mice. It has now become an avid eater of f/t rats and comes out of his hide anytime I'm thawing rodents or feeding other snakes. Now that he's all filled out, he is an absolutely handsome snake with stunning earth-tones, especially the rich velvety brown cap on top of the head, which contrasts nicely with the pale face below. To avoid having to deal with shedding problems, keep them well-fed and filled-out and raise the humidity considerably with daily misting as soon as you notice the onset of the shed cycle.
As far as temperament goes, snake personalities vary widely between species and between individuals within species. I also think that a lot depends on the person working with them, as I have often seen the same snake respond very differently to different people. In general, terciopelos are shy snakes and spend most of their time coiled as quietly as any copperhead, but the slightest touch or disturbance can set off an explosive frenzy of motion that is much more like a mamba than a pit viper. They are known for suddenly doubling back to strike at a pursuer, but so far mine have always taken off in the opposite direction, and have never struck at me once. They seem much more intent on escape than attack. The forward motion is relentless, however, and these snakes will only rarely ride a hook, and then it better be a really brief ride. I can sometimes very gently hook and lift my male from a resting coil and into another container, but as soon as he touches the bottom, he comes pouring out the other side like a jet of water, so you have to have the lid ready to go. Shift boxes are highly advisable.
I have seen LD-50's listed for these snakes somewhere, but can't remember exactly where they rated. Much more to the point are the many photographs I have seen of the drastic effects of their bites, which include very severe necrosis and edema. They have very long fangs and are fully capable of delivering a fatal injection to a major blood vessel. Lancehead expert Dean Ripa, of the Cape Fear Serpentarium, has called Bothrops asper "the most dangerous pit viper to catch" so that should tell you something. This is definitely not a snake for beginners, or even advanced hobbysists who aren't altogether into them. The females can get extremely large, second in pit viper length only to Lachesis ssp., while males have a lighter build and usually don't exceed 6 feet. In some ways, their hourglass pattern, etc. is very like a copperhead's, but these snakes can definitely act more like copperheads on methamphetamines! Secure housing in an absolutely secure room in a secure building is the main thing.... an escaped terciopelo is the stuff nightmares (and legal crackdowns) are made of. They are not only fast as any coachwhip, they are excellent climbers and hiders. Another thing - they are far more active and alert at night, so I definitely wouldn't work with these snakes after sundown. I would recommend a visit to the Cape Fear Serpentarium in Wilmington N.C. to see some really nice ones and get an idea of how impressive these snakes are.
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RE: BOTHROPS - S America
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by iLuVeNoM on August 2, 2008
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I don't let LD50 charts or any charts for that matter affect my attitude towards hots. I'd rather get nailed by a cobra than a Terciopelo any day of the week.
As long as I'm at John's house for my free doses of AV! ;)
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RE: BOTHROPS - S America
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by iLuVeNoM on August 2, 2008
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Great info on this forum I have to say. You can get information from any casual site but detailed information on experiences and everyday caring for these animals are priceless.
I know now why I was confused with the Bothrops genus - I was web surfing too much. I've been on sites where they called any Lancehead a Fer-de-lance, and they constantly mix up the scientific names. I even seen a mistake on one of Dean Ripa's site (and I respect Dean and all he's done, and always will) where under a Fer-de-lance was the Bothrops Asper name. Now having said that, I also notice that it depends on where you are in South Amercia, that they do the same thing.
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