A small, colourful arboreal pit viper of Central American cloud forests, named for the spiky raised scales above its eyes.
Description
The eyelash viper is a slender arboreal pit viper rarely over 80 cm, with a prehensile tail and a triangular head topped with raised scales above each eye that resemble eyelashes. Colour varies remarkably between individuals — bright yellow, rust, green, grey, or mottled forms all occur.
Behavior
A nocturnal ambush hunter, the eyelash viper coils on a leaf or branch beside flowering shrubs and waits for hummingbirds, anoles, and hylid frogs. It strikes upward with great speed and rarely lets go. Despite its small size, the venom is medically significant.
Range
Found from southern Mexico through Central America to northwestern South America, generally at low to middle elevations. Banana plantations exporting fruit have occasionally transported individuals to North America and Europe.
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