Central American jumping lance viper
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Central American jumping lance viper ( Atropoides mexicanus ) |
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| Atropoides mexicanus | ||||||||||||
| ( Duméril , Bibron & Duméril , 1854) |
The Central American Spring Pitviper ( Atropoides mexicanus ) is a poisonous snake of the genus Atropoides (Spring Terciopelos) and counts in the broader sense to the pit vipers .
features
The Central American spring lance viper is about 50 to 80, rarely 90 centimeters long. The females become significantly larger than the males. The snake is colored light reddish brown and shows a dark, brown triangular and speckled drawing on its body. On the head, a dark brown stripe runs from eye to neck. The body scales of the back ( scutum dorsale ) are keeled. The head is clearly separated from the strongly built body. The muzzle is blunt and not raised. The eye has a pupil that is slit vertically when exposed to light .
Atropoides mexicanus has the poisonous apparatus typical of vipers (Viperidae). It consists of poison glands , which are located on the side of the skull and are represented by reshaped salivary glands, which are connected to the poison or fangs. These are located in the front upper jaw, are folded in when the mouth is closed and are set up when biting (solenoglyph tooth position). The poison fangs are constructed like tubes and allow the poison secretion to be injected.
Way of life
Atropoides mexicanus lives a soil-dwelling way of life. In the highlands the animals are diurnal, in the lowlands they can be diurnal and nocturnal. Reproduction takes place through ovoviviparia (co-giving birth). A litter can contain 13 to 35 juvenile snakes. Young animals feed on small lizards , such as skinks , as well as larger insects . The prey spectrum of adults primarily includes small rodents and lizards. When disturbed, the species assumes a defensive position with coiled body loops, whereby the head is presented to the enemy from the middle with its mouth wide open. When biting, the front body can be thrown far forward.
distribution
The species is distributed in Central America in Belize , Costa Rica , El Salvador , Guatemala , Honduras , Mexico , Nicaragua and Panama . The habitat of this species is quite diverse and consists of tropical forests and cloud forests as well as tree-lined savannas. The species occurs mainly at altitudes between 40 and 1600 m. Atropoides mexicanus can be found regularly. However, no detailed data are available on the stability of the populations . The IUCN lists the species as 'least concern' (not endangered), special protective measures are currently not necessary.
toxicology
Pit vipers have extremely complex mixtures of toxins . There is hardly any information on the poisonous secretion of Atropoides mexicanus , only a few cases of bites are documented. It can be assumed that it contains procoagulants, among other things. These toxins provoke the hemostasis (blood clotting) and can in principle over a exhaustion of coagulation factors a coagulopathy cause. In effect, these substances reduce the blood's ability to clot and increase the risk of hemorrhages (bleeding). Furthermore, blood vessel damaging and myotoxic toxins are suspected, but no significant clinical significance is ascribed to them.
As a result of intoxication , local effects such as pain , swelling and edema initially occur . A necrosis is rare. Systemically, in addition to nonspecific general symptoms (e.g. nausea , vomiting , headache , abdominal pain ), hemorrhages caused by coagulopathy may occur . Shock , allergy and secondary kidney damage cannot be excluded as complications . Atropoides mexicanus poison bites are rarely severe, but should be considered potentially life-threatening and treated immediately. The bite site should not be tied with a pressure bandage , as blood congestion may increase the local toxicity. Various polyvalent antivenins are available.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e Clinical Toxinology Resources, University of Adelaide: A. mexicanus (accessed November 12, 2016)
- ↑ a b IUCN Red List: A. mexicanus (accessed November 12, 2016)
literature
- Mark O'Shea: Venomous snakes, all species in the world in their habitats. Franckh Kosmos Verlag, 2006, p. 42.
- Wallach & Williams: Snakes of the World: A Catalog of Living and Extinct Species. Apple Academic Press Inc., 2014.
Web links
- Metlapilcoatlus mexicanus in The Reptile Database (accessed August 7, 2020)