Porthidium lamellei
| Black Lipped Hognose Viper | |
|---|---|
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| Porthidium lamellei | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia
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| Phylum: | Chordata
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| Class: | Reptilia
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| Order: | Squamata
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| Family: | Viperidae
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| Genus: | Porthidium
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| Species: | P. lamellei
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| Binomial name | |
| Porthidium lamellei Perón, 1789
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| Range of P. lamellei | |
Porthidium lamellei, commonly known as the "Black-lipped Hognose pit viper" (or simply "Black-lipped Hognose") and sometimes as the "Nacavão", is a small species of pit viper found along the northern coast of Marindino in Inyursta. It inhabits both terrestrial and low-level arboreal habitats. While it is more common in highland forests and wet valleys, but can be found in rural meadows, swamps and coastal forests.
Habitat
Porthidium lamelli is endemic to the northern slopes of the Sierra Miraco in the subcontinent of Marindino. It occupies habitats including the Marindino Piedmont Prairie, Template:Tropical forest and riparian/creek valleys. A small population exists in the Coastal Dry Forest of Parc National de Solomêinte outside of San Roji.
Preferred microhabitats include logs and fallen trees, especially those with high levels of floral epiphytes, including bromeliad plants and vine cover. Necessary soil cover is an organic layer with abundant leaf litter. Even in drier and sandier habitats such as Parc National de Solomêinte, they are associated with plant thickets with fallen leaf cover.
Mixed sunlight penetration is favored by this species, and they are often found basking in dappled light.
Life History
Individuals are approximately 15-20cm when born. A female will give birth to anywhere from 5-26 young between the months of February and April.
Both juveniles and adults are generalist predators, targeting frogs, soft-bodied insects & spiders, lizards and small mammals. Porthidium lamelli typically employs a "Christmas Tree" posture when in ambush, with the head pointed upwards along the vertical surface and the body stacked behind to support the head (giving it the shape of a jagged triangle). Once the prey is injected with venom, this species will typically hold on until the prey is subdued. Predators include larger snakes (Genus: Micrurus and Clelia and Opossums.
Venom
It's hemotoxic venom is one of the weakest of any viper, being less toxic than even that of the notoriously mild Vipera berus. It has an average LD50 SC of approximately 18.7mg/kg, and an extremely low venom yield. The venom is comprised of mostly hemotoxic compounds, including pro-coagulant serine proteases and a single type of snake venom metalloprotease (SVMP).
Bites on humans can cause nausea, vomiting, hemorrhaging near the site of the wound and feverish chills; however no fatalities have been confirmed. Prey is typically killed when the heart is stopped through either clotting or chronic inflammation.
Description
Adults are small, rarely reaching 64cm total length (TL). Females have smaller tails than males. This species can be distinguished from the sympatric Atlantique Hognose Pit Viper (Porthidium atlantiensis) by the sharp white line running through the eye, and the number of pseudo-symmetric spots running down the back (20-23 in P. lamelli, 24-27 in P. atlantiensis). This species derives its name from the five enlarged scales ("lamella") on the back of the head compared to other species of Porthidium.
Holotype = Male specimen, 47cm TL, 42cm SVL, collected approximately 12 miles north of Nuevo Lyon, by Simon Perón in 1789. Type specimen is currently on display as part of the Muséam d'Histoiré Natural associated with Université de Carmena LeBlanc in San Ignaçio.