Lachesis muta: Difference between revisions

Occurs in primary and secondary forests; adjacent fields and cleared areas.<ref name="Meh87"/> In Trinidad it tends to prefer hilly and mountainous regions.<ref name="Her91">Herklots GAC. 1961. The Birds of Trinidad and Tobago. Collins, London, p. 10.</ref>

 

[[File:Lachechis muta muta in Ecuador.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Lachesis muta (var. muta) in Ecuador]]

Some reports suggest that this species produces a large amount of venom that is weak compared to some other vipers.<ref name="SAP">[http://www.southamericanpictures.com/features/feat18/lachesis.htm ''Lachesis muta'', The Silent Fate] at [http://www.southamericanpictures.com/ South American Pictures]. Accessed 26 October 2006.</ref> Others, however, suggest that such conclusions may not be accurate. These animals are badly affected by stress and rarely live long in captivity. This makes it difficult to obtain venom in useful quantities and good condition for study purposes. For example, Bolaños (1972) observed that venom yield from his specimens fell from 233&nbsp;mg to 64&nbsp;mg while they remained in his care. As the stress of being milked regularly has this effect on venom yield, it is reasoned that it may also affect venom toxicity. This may explain the disparity described by Hardy and Haad (1998) between the low laboratory toxicity of the venom and the high mortality rate of bite victims.<ref name="RIP">Ripa, D. 2001. [http://www.venomousreptiles.org/articles/61 Bushmasters and the Heat Strike] at [http://www.venomousreptiles.org/ VenomousReptiles.org]. Accessed 26 October 2006.</ref>

 

 

==Subspecies==