Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Photographs on this web-site were taken by Paul Smith, Hemme Batjes, Regis Nossent,
Alberto Esquivel, Arne Lesterhuis, José Luis Cartes, Rebecca Zarza and Hugo del Castillo and are used with their permission.
FAMILY VIPERIDAE - VIPERS
Seven species in this family arranged into two genera Bothops and Crotalus. All Paraguayan Viperids belong to the subfamily Crotalinae. Snakes in this family are highly-venomous and are amongst the most feared snake species on earth. Their haemotoxic venom is fast-acting, attacking both the nervous system and causing multiple organ failure and is responsible for a large number of human fatalities annually.
Vipers typically have a triangular shaped head and keeled scales. The maxilla is short and capable of rotation, bearing one large, hollow, envenomating fang. The maxilla is not in contact with the premaxilla. The premaxilla is toothless.
SUBFAMILY CROTALINAE - RATTLESNAKES AND LANCEHEADS
The Crotalids are identified by the heat-sensitive facial pit located laterally on the head between the eye and the nostril. There is a lateral excavation on the maxilla.
REFERENCES
Fouquette MJ (unpublished) - Synopsis of Recent Reptiles to Genus - Arizona University
Whitfield P Ed.1984 - Longman Illustrated Animal Encyclopedia - Guild Publishing, London.
