 |
Lachesis
muta (Mapepire Zanana or Bushmaster) in-situation and in habitat
(Photo by Rainer Deo)
|
Strewn across the globe are highly
venomous snakes that stand out to herpetologists and civilians alike. Some of
these include the King Cobra from Asia (the largest venomous snake in the world),
the Black Mamba from Africa (considered the fastest snake in the world), the
Inland Taipan from Australia (the most venomous terrestrial snake in the world)
and the Atlantic Bushmaster, locally known as Mapepire Zanana, from South
America (the largest pit-viper in the world). Only two viper species can be
found in Trinidad and it should be said with pride, that the Bushmaster is one
of them.
What makes the Bushmaster such a unique and highly specialized snake?
1.
Oviparous (Egg-laying): When compared to close relatives, such as the Mapepire
balsain (Bothrops cf), Bushmasters stand out as being the only documented genus
of new world pit-vipers to lay eggs, as opposed to retaining eggs and giving “live
birth” (ovoviviparity). The mother lays her eggs in the burrows created by
agouti, lappe and armadillos or in holes under the buttress roots of trees such
as the Mora (Mora excelsa). She coils around them to provide insulation, since
their habitat is usually very cool and courageously guards them until they
hatch.
2.
Big snake, small prey: It is
typically believed that the larger a snake grows, the larger the prey it would
hunt and be able to consume. This however, is not applicable to a number of groups,
including the Bushmasters. They are known to feed primarily on small forest mammals
with the Trinidad spiny-rat being one of their favourite local preys. Inexperienced
keepers would be left baffled when a large Bushmaster (8-10 ft long) would bite
and kill a rat but refused to eat it because it was simply too big.
3.
Intolerant of hot environments: It might be
assumed that it is typically always warm and sunny in the tropics. However, Bushmasters
are found most frequently in the hilly and mountainous areas of Trinidad where
the environment gets very moist and cool. Deep within some of Trinidad’s
forests, nights and early mornings may have temperatures that drop to as low as
19 degrees Celsius. These wet and cold conditions are essential for the survival
of the Bushmaster which can accommodate multiple small prey in its lengthy
body. If the environment and the snake become too warm,
bacteria found within its prey would begin to multiply rapidly, resulting in the
poisoning and almost certain death of the snake.
4.
Fossorial (Burrowers): Bushmasters
are semi-fossorial which means they spend a significant amount of time
underground in holes and burrows. In Trinidad, the Bushmaster is referred to as
Mapepire Zanana, a name with French Creole and Carib origins. It translates to “Pineapple
snake”, an appropriate comparison considering how bumpy and serrated some of
the scales are. The roughness of the skin is an evolutionary feature which aids
the snake
in excavating its burrows.
 |
| Closer look at scales on the Bushmaster. Photo by Rainer Deo |
To learn more about the Bushmaster or other snakes
in Trinidad, feel free to contact the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’Club (TTFNC) Herpetology Group, and get yourself a copy of the field guide to
the amphibians and reptiles of Trinidad and Tobago – published by the TTFNC!
This post was written by Rainer Deo – TTFNC Herpetology
Group member.
No comments:
Post a Comment