Bushmaster - description of where he lives, features

The content of the article

1 Description
2 Lifestyle
3 Area
4 Breeding
5 Interesting Facts
6 Video: Bushmaster (Lachesis muta)

The bushmeister is a rather large poisonous snake in size, one of many representatives of the viper family, living in the northern regions of South America, the behavior of which is very interesting to observe. Due to its secrecy, this reptile has received undeserved notoriety among the local population and truly mythological status.

In length, this type of reptile reaches 4 meters, however, such large individuals are quite rare. The main habitat is areas characterized by abundant vegetation and the presence of natural sources of water. By its nature, the Bushmaster is not at all aggressive, but rather a cowardly look.

Description

Bushmeyer is a large poisonous snake of the viper family, the average body length reaches 2.5-3.5 meters, weight - up to 5 kg. I would like to draw attention to the fact that this type of reptile is the largest of all representatives of the family and all types of snakes that live in South America.

The body of the snake is quite large and dense, rather rare in characteristic shape - it resembles a triangle, while this does not at all prevent this species of reptile from remaining very flexible and mobile.

The body of the bushmeister is completely covered with dense and rather rigid scales (large scales). The only place where the scales are softer is the wedge-shaped head of the snake.

The reptile has a very characteristic body color, which does not allow confusing the bushmeister with any other species - the main color is yellow-brown, covered with a pattern of large rhombuses of a darker color.

The teeth of the snake are quite large and very sharp, in just one bite the bushmeister injects about 400 mg of poison into the body of his victim, which is enough to instantly take the life of small animals, birds, rodents. This dose of poison is fatal for humans in only 10-15% of cases.

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Lifestyle

Bushmaster is a snake leading a solitary and fairly monotonous lifestyle, as a rule, this type of reptile spends all day in dense thickets of vegetation, hiding from the rays of the sun. This snake of the viper family begins to hunt exclusively with the onset of the dark. This is manifested in the fact that the bushmeister moves closer to the shore of the water source and begins to wait for his prey in the thickets of grass. I would like to note the high patience of these reptiles, which, in anticipation of the necessary prey, can lie motionless for several days.

The appearance of the reptile is quite aggressive, in addition, the bushmeister has a truly gigantic size, however, it is quite calm and at the same time shy snake. That is, in the case of the approach of a person or a rather large animal, this creeping reptile prefers a quiet flight, quickly hiding from the eyes of his potential enemies.

In the event that a person catches a representative of this type of reptile off-guard, the bushmeister begins to get nervous, which is manifested by unusual and unusual behavior of this kind - quite frequent and loud blows with the end of the tail on the ground, imitating the sounds made by rattlesnakes.

Area

The main habitat of this species of snakes is the northern regions of South America. A small colony of this species lives on the island of Trinidad. It is usually found in humid tropics, away from residential settlements.

Breeding

Reptiles become mature when the Bushmaster reaches two years of age.With the onset of spring, males go in search of their pair, in this they are helped by the pheromones secreted by the female, designed specifically to attract representatives of the opposite sex.

The courtship period is not too long, as a rule, the male’s attention is limited to the head touching the head of the selected female. If the last male was to his liking, the mating season begins with unique reptile mating dances, during which the bodies of snakes are closely intertwined.

The result of the mating season is egg laying, as a rule, the average number of eggs in one clutch does not exceed 20 pcs. The female lays eggs in a small and shallow pit, which breaks out in moist soil. After the eggs are laid, the female sprinkles them with sand and is located on top, having toppled into a ball. Thus, the female Bushmaster protects her future offspring until young individuals of this species of reptile are born. The duration of the incubation period is about 65-70 days.

Interesting Facts

One of the legends says that Bushmasters sneak into human houses at night and drink milk from cattle and lactating women.

Another common myth about the Bushmaster suggests that this snake is actually an evil forest spirit that can extinguish even the most powerful flame with one breath.

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