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Snakes of Costa Rica

Page history last edited by smacnicoll@... 15 years ago

 

 

Snakes Overview:

 

Snakes are other exotic reptiles that are present in Costa Rica. They represent half of all of the reptile species in the country. But of 135 species of snakes, only 17 are poisonous. Among the poisonous snakes are: a type of rattlesnake, coral snakes (red, black and yellow or white stripes), and the "terciopelo" or fer-de-lance snake. Snakes evolved approximately 120 million years ago from their closest descendant, the Monitor lizard over time . They lure their prey in then kill them with venom. The snakes in Costa Rica used to be treated as god. The anaconda has been recorded as the most massive of snakes, weighing 235 lbs. at a length of 29 feet. The anaconda's range is restricted to South America, but its close cousin, the boa constrictor is found in Costa Rica. Boas are common in the lowlands of both coasts and feed on birds, lizards, rodents, and sometimes even young deer, ocelots, and porcupines.

 

 

Where Snakes Live in Costa Rica:

Snakes mostly live in grassy areas where they cannot be seen easily. Also a lot of snakes live in trees and other various places. In Costa Rica they live in jungle hot spots.

 

Precautions Travelers Should Take:

You need to take caution and have respect.  Most of the snakes are not poisonous.

 

It's not a good idea to handle snakes in the wild. You shouldn't reach in  holes or under rocks, debris, or forest-floor leaf litter without first checking with a stick to see what might be there. And remember that many snakes are well-camouflaged creatures which sleep on branches, so never reach for a branch without looking. You should even be cautious when peering inside plants such as bromeliads: the dark-colored chunk-headed snake likes to doze inside the moisture-collecting plants during the dry season. Unless you really know your snakes, it's best to leave ALL of them completely alone and walk the other way.

Antivenom (or antivenin or antivenene) is a biological product used in the treatment of venomous  bites or stings.

the bigger the snake the more poisonous it will put in you

Photo Gallery of Snakes:

Boa Coral snake (Micrurus sp.)
This is a picture of a Boa. There are Boas in Costa Rica. Boa snakes use the trees as camouflage to hide from there enemies.
 
 
Coral snake (Micrurus sp.)

 

 

Coral snakes are most notable for their red, yellow/white, and black colored banding. They are poisonous and live in sandy areas.

 They are called the Eyelash Viper, they look like they have what looks like eyelashes.
  Yelow Snake 
Fer-de-Lance
 

Pit Viper it can kill its prey when it is camouflaged. The pit viper sometimes kills it's prey in one bite

 Yellow Snake the yellow snake does have venom but rarely bites unless it is scared or feels threatened.

 

Fer-de-Lance

Bothrops asper This snake has dangerous venom and can kill in one bite.

 

 

 

Links:

 

Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. The free encyclopedia that anyone can edit. Costa Rica Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Rica. March 2009.

 

 

Costa Rica Photos. http://www.costaricaphotos.com/. Published 2007 by Edenia Systems International. March 2009.

 

Philip Greenspun, MIT. Amphibians and Reptiles. http://philip.greenspun.com/cr/moon/amphibians-and-reptiles. March 2009.

 

Comments (8)

Justin Cortes said

at 7:32 am on Mar 19, 2009

nice snake

smacnicoll@... said

at 5:18 am on Mar 16, 2009

Again, tell some precautions that travelers should take.

smacnicoll@... said

at 5:51 am on Mar 13, 2009

smacnicoll@... said

at 5:39 am on Mar 13, 2009

What are precautions you should take in Costa Rica regarding snakes in Costa Rica?

smacnicoll@... said

at 12:37 pm on Mar 12, 2009

Please add the names of the snakes in the bottom two pictures. Where do snakes live in Costa Rica, are they everywhere or just in certain areas.

smacnicoll@... said

at 5:20 am on Mar 12, 2009

Why don't you pick out a few snakes and identify them. Tell about how big they are, if they are venomous, and what they eat.

smacnicoll@... said

at 6:40 am on Mar 11, 2009

Tony, The color highlighting is too difficult to read. Please just color the text. Thanks

Janaya DaSilva said

at 7:20 am on Mar 9, 2009

cool

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