Bothrops lanceolatus

{{Speciesbox

| image = Trigonocephale.JPG

| image_caption = Taxidermied museum exhibit

| image2 =

| image2_caption = Juvenile B. lanceolatus

| genus = Bothrops

| species = lanceolatus

| status = EN

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=Dewynter, M. |date=2019 |title=Bothrops lanceolatus |volume=2019 |page=e.T50957018A50957026 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T50957018A50957026.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}

| authority = (Bonnaterre, 1790)

| synonyms = * Vipera Caerulescens
Laurenti, 1768

[Coluber] glaucus Gmelin, 1788
C[oluber]. Lanceolatus
Lacépède, 1789
C[oluber]. Brasiliensis
Lacépède, 1789
C[oluber]. Tigrinus
Lacépède, 1789
C[oluber]. lanceolatus
– Bonaterre, 1790
C[oluber]. hastatus
Suckow, 1798
Vipera lanceolata – Latreille
In Sonnini & Latreille, 1801
Vipera brasiliniana Latreille
In Sonnini & Latreille, 1801
Coluber Megaera Shaw, 1802
Vipera tigrina – Daudin, 1803
Vipera brasiliana Daudin, 1803
Trigonocephalus lanceolatus – Oppel, 1811
[Trigonocephalus] tigrinus
– Oppel, 1811
[Cophias] lanceolatus
– Merrem, 1820
Trigonoceph[alus]. lanceolatus – Schinz, 1822
Craspedocephalus lanceolatus – Fitzinger, 1826
[Bothrops] lanceolatus
– Wagler, 1830
T[rigonocephalus]. lanceolatus – Schlegel, 1837
Bothrops cenereus Gray, 1842
C[rasedocephalus]. brasiliensis – Wucherer, 1863
Bothrops brasiliensis
– Cope, 1875
Bothrops glaucus
– Vaillant, 1887
Lachesis lanceolatus
– Boulenger, 1896
Lachesis lanceolata
– Boettger, 1898
Bothrops lanceolata
– Hoge, 1953
Vipera coerulescens
Hoge & Romano-Hoge, 1981
Bothrops l[anceolatus]. lanceolatus
– Sandner-Montilla, 1990
Bothrops lanceolatus
– Golay et al., 1993
Vipera coerulescens
– Golay et al., 1993McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. {{ISBN|1-893777-00-6}} (series). {{ISBN|1-893777-01-4}} (volume).

}}

Bothrops lanceolatus — known as the fer-de-lance, Martinican pit viper,Brown JH. 1973. Toxicology and Pharmacology of Venoms from Poisonous Snakes. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas. 184 pp. LCCCN 73-229. {{ISBN|0-398-02808-7}}. and Martinique lanceheadCampbell JA, Lamar WW. 2004. The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca and London. 870 pp. 1500 plates. {{ISBN|0-8014-4141-2}}. — is a species of pit viper endemic to the Caribbean island of Martinique. Some reserve the common name fer-de-lance for this species, while others apply that name to other Bothrops species, as well. No subspecies are currently recognized.{{ITIS |id=634870 |taxon=Bothrops lanceolatus |access-date=14 May 2021 }}

Geographic range

Bothrops lanceolatus is generally considered endemic to the island of Martinique in the Lesser Antilles. Along with Bothrops caribbaeus and B. atrox, it is one of three Bothrops species found in the West Indies. The type locality according to Bonnaterre (1790:11) is "La Martinique".

Description

It measures 1.50 to 2 m (5 feet) long. Its color is brown, black and gray.

Behavior

As ambush predators, Martinique lanceheads typically wait patiently somewhere for unsuspecting prey to wander by.They are known to select a specific ambush site and return to it every year in time for the spring migration of birds. Studies have indicated these snakes learn to improve their strike accuracy over time.

=Diet=

All of the various species are carnivorous, and eat other animals. Their diet primarily changes based on size and location. Larger individuals can feed on larger prey, while smaller species must eat smaller prey items. Martinican pit vipers hunt rats, mice, birds, rabbits, lizards, frogs, snakes, bats, and more.

=Reproduction=

With few exceptions, crotalines are ovoviviparous, meaning that the embryos develop within eggs that remain inside the mother's body until the offspring are ready to hatch, at which time the hatchlings emerge as functionally free-living young. In such species, the eggshells are reduced to soft membranes that the young shed, either within the reproductive tract, or immediately after emerging.

Venom

Their venom has toxins that can cause clotting and bleeding in humans, as well as muscle damage and swelling.

Vexillological trivia

The species is depicted on the unofficial flag of Martinique, one of the few examples (the Gadsden flag and the First Navy Jack of the United States, and the flag of Mexico being others) of snakes being depicted on flags.