Bothrops is a genus of highly venomous pit vipers commonly called lanceheads. They are found in Central America, South America and the Caribbean and are amongst the most dangerous snakes known. The most representative species is B. atrox, also called the common lancehead, fer-de-lance and barba amarilla ("yellow beard") in the Spanish language. Often confused with fer-de-lance is jararaca (B. jararaca).

Venom

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Bothropic venom is extremely toxic and may be lethal in a few hours, depending on the quantity injected and the resistance of the animal or human to it. It acts on a chain of proteolysis of plasma proteins, leading to rapid decrease of blood pressure (hypotension) of the bitten animal and to circulatory shock and death. The physiology, biochemistry and pharmacology of bothropic venom has been extensively studied since the end of the 19th century, mainly by Brazilian scientists after Vital Brazil, who developed at the Butantan Institute in São Paulo the first monovalent and polyvalent antivenoms against it. Rocha e Silva and others have demonstrated that the bothropic venom releases bradykinin, a powerful hypotensive agent. A bradykinin potentiating factor (BPF) has been discovered by Ferreira and collaborators, which led to the development of a new class of antihypertensive drugs, the ACE inhibitors, such as captopril.

Species

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Species	Authority	Common name	Geographic range
B. alcatraz	Marques, Martins & Sazima 2002	Jararaca-de-Alcatrazes	North-East Brazil (São Paulo)
B. alternatus	Duméril, Bibron and Duméril, 1854	Urutu	North-East and Central Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil
B. ammodytoides	Leybold, 1873	Yararanata	Argentina
B. andianus	Amaral, 1923	Andean lancehead	Peru (Cuzco, Puno)
B. asper	Garman, 1884	Terciopelo	South Mexico, Central America, Colombia, West Ecuador, Venezuela
B. atrox	Linnaeus, 1758	Barba Amarilla	Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana, Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia, East Ecuador, North-East/East Peru, North Bolivia, Trinidad
B. barnetti	Parker, 1938	Barnett's lancehead	North Peru
B. brazili	Hoge, 1954	Brazil's lancehead	South/South-East Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana, South Colombia, Brazil, East Ecuador, North-East/East Peru, North Bolivia
B. caribbaeus	Garman, 1887	Saint Lucia lancehead	Lesser Antilles (St. Lucia)
B. colombianus	Rendahl & Vestergren, 1940		West Colombia (Cauca, Antioquia)
B. colombiensis	Hallowell, 1845		Colombia, North Venezuela
B. cotiara	Gomes, 1913	Cotiara	North-East Argentina, Brazil
B. erythromelas	Amaral, 1923	Caatinga lancehead	Brazil
B. fonsecai	Hoge & Belluomini, 1959	Fonseca's lancehead	Brazil
B. iglesiasi	Amaral, 1923	Sertao lancehead	Brazil (North Piaui)
B. insularis	Amaral, 1922	Golden lancehead	Brazil (Queimada Grande Island, São Paulo)
B. itapetiningae	Boulenger, 1907	São Paulo Lancehead	South-East Brazil
B. jararaca	Wied-Neuwied, 1824	Jararaca	Brazil, North-East Paraguay, Argentina (Misiones)
B. jararacussu	Lacerda, 1884	Jararacussu	North-East Argentina (Misiones), South Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil
B. jonathani	Harvey, 1994	Jonathan's lancehead	Bolivia (Cochabamba)
B. lanceolatus	Bonnaterre, 1790	Martinique lancehead	Lesser Antilles (Martinique)
B. leucurus	Wagler, 1824	Whitetail lancehead	Brazil
B. lojanus	Parker, 1930	Lojan lancehead	Ecuador (Loja Province)
B .marajoensis	Hoge, 1966	Marajó lancehead	Brazil (Marajó Island)
B. moojeni	Hoge, 1966	Brazilian lancehead	Brazil, East Paraguay, Argentina (Misiones)
B. muriciensis	Ferrarezzi & Freire, 2001	Murici lancehead	NE Brazil (Alagoas)
B. neuwiedi	Wagler, 1824	Jararaca Pintada	Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Uruguay, Argentina
B. pictus	Tschudi, 1845	Desert lancehead	Peru (along the Pacific coast, up to 1800 m)
B. pirajai	Amaral, 1923	Piraja's lancehead	Brazil (Bahia)
B. sanctaecrucis	Hoge, 1966	Bolivian lancehead	Bolivia
B. venezuelensis	Sandner Montilla, 1952	Venezuelan lancehead	North Venezuela

Snakes | Vipers | Pit vipers

Bothrops | Żararaki | Jararaca