Snake - yikes!

[Panama Jungle]

You might be interested in this critter that we stumbled across a couple of weeks ago during a jungle survival course:

See it?

Luckily our point man did before he stepped on it. Two metres of spring-loaded death.

Picture not the best quality but it was taken with my mobile and I wasn't keen to get too much closer!

 

[JonathanD]

Whereabouts in the world were you?

 

[stevesteve]

Nicely hidden!

"Two metres of spring-loaded death." do you know what it was?

Cheers
Steve

 

[JonathanD]

Looks like a Fer-de-lance - Bothrops atrox.

 

[Siberianfury]

looks like a bushmaster, basicaly a giant fer-de-lance, they pack an insane ammount of vemon.

 

[Panama Jungle]

It was a pit-viper - a Fer de Lance

It was here in Panama, they are quite common.

Not a Bushmaster, different species, equally feared.

We made a detour around it!

 

[TeeDee]

May I ask who the course was with?

Civilian or Military?

Website link if Civvy?

 

[maddave]

Snake???


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BKRZTalEys

 

[Panama Jungle]

May I ask who the course was with?

Civilian or Military?

Website link if Civvy?

Civvy. http://www.rainforestcouncil.com


I should declare an interest - and hope posting the link doesn't contravene any rules!

Cheers.

 

[JonathanD]

It was a pit-viper - a Fer de Lance

It was here in Panama, they are quite common.

Not a Bushmaster, different species, equally feared.

We made a detour around it!

I used to have a couple of Fer-de-lances. Quite the most grumpy and hardest venomous snake I've ever looked after, including the Dendroaspis family. They are the only venomous snake in captivity that I have had close calls with.

 

[TeeDee]

Civvy. http://www.rainforestcouncil.com


I should declare an interest - and hope posting the link doesn't contravene any rules!

Cheers.

Hopefully not. I did request the Info.

Thanks for posting , looks like an interesting Link.

 

[TeeDee]

I used to have a couple of Fer-de-lances. Quite the most grumpy and hardest venomous snake I've ever looked after, including the Dendroaspis family. They are the only venomous snake in captivity that I have had close calls with.

Have you ever owned Poison Arrow Tree frogs? I've wondered if the one you are allowed to keep here are as Toxic as the Wild one's?

 

[JonathanD]

Have you ever owned Poison Arrow Tree frogs? I've wondered if the one you are allowed to keep here are as Toxic as the Wild one's?

No, although herpetology covers the whole spectrum of Reps and amphibs, I specialised in snakes, particularly venomous and vipers. I do know a few people who have kept them and you used to have to have a DWA, but as their poison is derived from their natural foodstuffs, I don't think that it is required anymore.

I did have to go and bag up a collection recently from a person who had recently died (not from snakebite... heart attack), he had quite a few poison arrow frogs, scorps and african elapids. The frogs were not on his DWA list, and they were the nasty buggers too, so the law must have been revised.

 

[Prawnster]

I used to keep two Poison Dart Frogs, Dendrobates tinctorius. Dyeing Poison Dart Frogs, so called because their moist skin would change the colours of bird feathers and the tribes people would use them for fancy head dresses.

They're not toxic in captivity and it's not fully understood why, although it's probably to do with diet, perhaps formic acid from ants.

Fascinating and incredibly beautiful creatures to keep (mine were captive bred). Hard work though, unless you live in a warm country you have to culture small bugs for them to eat.

Cheers
Sean

PS I'm glad your guide spotted that snake. Good eyes

 

[JonathanD]

They are stunning Sean. Thanks for clearing up the DWA thing, I wasn't 100% on that.

 

[Panama Jungle]

I used to have a couple of Fer-de-lances. Quite the most grumpy and hardest venomous snake I've ever looked after, including the Dendroaspis family. They are the only venomous snake in captivity that I have had close calls with.

You kept them?? You are mad!! Incidentally the ones here are bothrops asper (central american lanceheads) not bothrops atrox (who live in s america).

 

[TeeDee]

Fascinating and incredibly beautiful creatures to keep (mine were captive bred).

Very Very Pretty. Thanks for posting.


EDIT;- Random thought , with the advant of gene splicing and mixing I wonder if we can create our Fresian Cow herds to be as beautiful as these little jungle jewells?

 

[JonathanD]

You kept them?? You are mad!! Incidentally the ones here are bothrops asper (central american lanceheads) not bothrops atrox (who live in s america).

I'm a herpetologist... comes with the job

 

[Mikey P]

Picture not the best quality but it was taken with my mobile and I wasn't keen to get too much closer!

Guess you're not on Orange then.

 

[Adze]

Modded your image to make the snake easier to see: