Bushmaster (Lachesis muta) - Loreto, Peru.

The Amazon Bushmaster (Lachesis muta) and its close relatives are the largest of the pitvipers in the western hemisphere - and among the largest in the world. Much maligned and misunderstood, these gigantic snakes are reclusive and actually rather timid in most circumstances. They exist in low densities, usually in undisturbed habitat and typically in burrows or beneath tangled root masses. But not all about them is myth. A large, fully aroused Bushmaster merits respect and should be given a wide birth. All in all, Bushmasters are magnificent, world class animals. Río Nanay, Loreto, Peru September 2017.

comments (4)

Barry

Lion

Great picture and although I have only encountered one once (when a juvenile entered the lodge cafeteria), most people who have encountered them say what you do that they are mostly rather timid despite their reputation for extreme aggression. Given your background with Herpetology, it is great to hear that you agree. A world-class animal indeed! Posted 7 years ago

Ferdy Christant

Lion

Incredible find. How big are they, Dante?
I really love the wide angle approach on this subject, although it kind of scares me how close you had to be for it. Posted 7 years ago
1. Anotheca
  
  Lion
  
  This female was roughly 8 feet long. She was very relaxed and I had to manage her at one point without any issue. Is there a way to add an image in the comments here? I have a shot gently managing her that demonstrates size. Bushmasters have a massive reputation. But females tent to be easy going and males are mostly irritable when they are looking for a female. Each snake has its own personality but if you know what to look for, all the signs are there. Posted 7 years ago
2. 1. Ferdy Christant
    
    Lion
    
    Indeed often a bad reputation is overblown and taken out of context.
    You can link to an image if it is outside of JungleDragon just by pasting the URL here. If you've instead uploaded the photo inside JungleDragon you can directly embed the image in a comment or description field. This too is only a matter of pasting the URL of the photo page inside JungleDragon. Example:
    
    You can also put things like tags, users, lists, Youtube/Vimeo links inside comments and description fields to really enrich a story. Posted 7 years ago, modified 7 years ago

The South American Bushmaster

''Lachesis muta'' is a venomous pit viper species found in South America . Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

Info 2 0

Similar species: Snakes And Lizards

Species identified by Barry