Fer-de-lance

Fer-de-lance

The Fer-de-lance (Bothrops asper) is Costa Rica’s most notorious poisonous snake. I have only seen this pit viper species once, and it was during my most recent visit to Costa Rica. The good people at La Tarde knew where this one had staked out a place on the rainforest floor. We took a night hike to find it, and used our flashlights to illuminate it for this photograph.

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Parrot Snake

Parrot Snake

The Parrot Snake (Leptophis ahaetulla) in the above photo is furious because it just lost an epic battle with its lunch. Wrestling in the mud of the rainforest floor near Serena, the unidentified frog (possibly a member of the genus Phrynohyas) kept scrambling, and the writhing reptile just couldn’t get a solid grip. After several minutes, the amphibian finally slipped free and made a break for it!

A Parrot Snake winds and twists in its attempt to grab ahold of a slippery frog.

A Parrot Snake winds and twists in its attempt to grab ahold of a slippery frog.

Parrot Snake and Frog

The frog’s body appears to swell and secrete a mucus that aids in its escape.

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Boa Constrictor

A boa constrictor hangs and waits for something to eat.

A young boa constrictor waits for something to eat on the Osa Peninsula.

Boa constrictors live on both the Caribbean and Pacific slopes of Costa Rica, from sea level to around 1000 meters. This small boa was found hanging among some roots along the beach between Carate and the Corcovado National Park. If you look closely just below the snout, you can see the blur of its flickering tongue. Unlike other snakes in Costa Rica, the boa constrictor is not poisonous, and while they grow very large, pose no real threat to people.

All media is copyright costaricawildlife.net, 2013.