The Bothrops alternatus, known as yarará in Argentina, is a life-threatening venomous snake of the warm and humid regions of South America. It belongs to the genus Bothrops and the family Viperidae. It is found found in Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay. It can also be encountered in Venezuela.
The glands of Bothrops alternatus secretes cytotoxic venom, which destroys the tissue around the bitten area. This causes severely necrotized tissues (gangrene). Thus, there have been many cases in which amputation of the hand or foot was required in order to avoid septicemia (blood-poisoning).
Physical Description
The Bothrops alternatus snake is brown with white-grey, inverted V-shaped markings that border dark brown patterns and has a triangular head. Its eye has vertical, slit pupils. As a member of the family Viperidae, it has long tubular fangs. The adult female can have a maximum length of 1.60 m, with 1.30 m being the average length.
Below, a Bothrops alternatus snake curled up on the ground in Brazil
The head of a Bothrops a.
The same species slithering on the sand on a river shore.
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