Bothrops taeniatus

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Bothrops taeniatus, the speckled forest-pitviper, is a venomous snake found in the equatorial forests of South America.

Description
Adults are usually under 100 cm long, though some reach about 150 cm, with a maximum record around 175 cm from Suriname. The body is slender and has a prehensile tail, suited to an arboreal life. Its color pattern is highly variable, ranging from lavender-gray to yellow-green, and juveniles undergo notable color changes as they mature. A distinguishing feature is having mostly single subcaudal scales and a row of bold white spots where the dorsal and ventral scales meet.

Range and habitat
This species lives in the equatorial forests of South America, including Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia. It is primarily arboreal, often found in vines and low vegetation, and is thought to spend much time in the forest canopy, especially along edges of forests in lowland and foothill areas.

Venom
Very few bites have been documented. The two recorded bites caused severe local swelling; in one case, tissue damage was so extensive that amputation was required despite antivenin treatment.

Subspecies
There are two recognized subspecies:
- B. t. taeniatus (the nominate subspecies) — widespread in South America.
- B. t. lichenosus Roze, 1958 — known from Chimantá Tepui, Venezuela (the other subspecies is less widely distributed).

Conservation and taxonomy
The species is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Taxonomically, it belongs to the genus Bothrops in the family Viperidae and was described by Wagler in 1824. The name taeniatus comes from a Greek word meaning ribbon or stripe, reflecting its diverse patterning.