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Poisonous animals
 
Cnidarians (Jellyfish, Corals and Anemones)
 
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Sea snakes
 
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North America
 
Mexico and Central America
 
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Genus/Species

 

Ophryacus spp., Mexican horned pitvipers

Clinical entries

For clinical data see section “Risk” below

formerly genus Bothrops or Porthidium

Species

  • 1. Ophryacus smaragdinus
  • 2. Ophryacus sphenophrys
  • 3. Ophryacus undulatus

 

This new genus was previously included in the genera Bothrops or Porthidium (Campbell and Lamar 2004).

Taxonomy

Serpentes; Viperidae; Crotalinae

Common names

Mexican horned pitvipers

  • 1. Emerald horned pitviper
  • 2. Broad horned pitviper
  • 3. Mexican horned pitviper

Distribution

Southern and central Mexico. See link "Distribution" at the top of the page for detailed information.

Biology

Appearance similar to Bothriechis schlegelii. Distinctive spine-like scales above the eyes. Dorsal zigzag or blotchy pattern.

O. undulatus semiarboreal but tail not prehensile, moderately stout body; greyish or brownish color with darker blotches, body lenght between 55 and 70 cm; live in pine-oak and cloud forests, 1'800-2'800 m.

O. smaragdinus greenish color with brown blotches, living in montane cloud forest, humid pine-oak woodland and pine forest, 1'400-2'340 m.

O. sphenophrys with greenish ground color and darker zigzag pattern; found on extremely humid windward slopes of the Sierra Madre del Sur, at elevations between 1'340-1'460 m.

Risk

The clinical effects of bites from these species are unknown.

Literature (biological)

Campbell and Lamar 2004, Grünwald et al. 2015