Yarara

Beautiful but dangerous pitviper.

This robust-bodied pit viper belongs to one of the most dangerous of the snake genera. Its venom quickly and efficiently kills its prey, and even a small amount can do terrible damage to the human body.

Yet this admittedly dangerous and beautifully patterned animal wants no more than to make a living like the mice it preys on.

Read on to learn more about the yarara.

4 Amazing Facts

1. Females are much bigger than males.
2. Their venom is a stew of procoagulants, hemorrhagins, and neurotoxins.
3. Babies are venomous from birth.
4. The genus the yarara belongs to, Bothrops, is responsible for more fatal snake bites than any other genus of snake in the New World.

Where To Find Yararas

These snakes are found in the South American countries of Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay in warm, humid habitats such as rainforests, swamps, marshes, and areas around rivers. They’re also found in deciduous forests found in more temperate zones and grasslands.

They tend to avoid dry areas such as deserts.

Evolution and Origins

The jararaca or yarara is a type of pit viper that is extremely poisonous and can be found only in southern Brazil, Paraguay, and northern Argentina, all located in South America.

Its scientific name is Bothrops jararaca, and it has been given this name because of its large size. The term “jararaca” is a combination of the Tupi words “yarará” and “ca,” both of which mean “large snake.”

The venom of the Bothrops jararaca, also known as the Brazilian pit viper or jararaca, has a powerful impact on hemostasis and causes consumptive coagulopathy, as well as local and systemic hemorrhage. This species was recently renamed Bothropoides jararaca.

Scientific Name

The Yarara’s scientific name is Bothrops alternatus. The name Bothrops identifies the snake as a pit viper, for it is made up of the Greek word bothros, which means “pit” and ops, which means “face” or “eye.” Alternatus describes the alternating patterns on the snake’s body. There are no subspecies of B. alternatus.

The Different Types

Though there are no subspecies of the uturu, coloration can vary remarkably between individuals. Snakes may have a ground color that ranges from shades of brown, gray, or olive with brown to black markings edged in white or cream. These vivid markings alternate along the line of the snake’s spine.

Sometimes the pattern looks like a cross, which gives the snake its name of crossed pit viper. Crescent-shaped markings give the snake its names of urutu and wutu. Now and then there’s a yarara snake that has dark stripes running down the length of its back.

Population and Conservation Status 

Though its exact population is unknown, the yarara is common where it is found, and its conservation status is least concern.

Appearance and Description 

The crossed pit viper is a robust-bodied snake that rarely grows much longer than 6 feet. The average length is between 2.6 and 4 feet, with females being notably bigger than males.

Along with the intricate pattern over the rest of the body, the head is usually dark brown or black and striped with white, and the body pattern is compressed into zigzags on the tail. The belly of the snake is pale but has one dark stripe that runs from the neck to the tip of the tail.

Venom: How Dangerous Are They?

The yarara is a member of one of the most dangerous snake genera. Though deaths are rare, the bite of one of these snakes can cause extreme illness. There is pain and swelling at the sight of the bite as well as necrosis and bleeding blisters. Victims also bleed from their gums, nose, and eyes and in severe cases can suffer kidney failure and catastrophic hypotension. In some cases, people had to have limbs amputated after being bitten by this snake.

Behavior and Humans

B. alternatus is a nocturnal snake that usually keeps to the ground, though it is a good climber, juveniles are often found in the trees to avoid predators. During the day the adult snakes find some sort of cover, and their coloration helps them blend in with the terrain. Their camouflage is one reason why they are such a bite risk. People who are barefoot or wearing sandals can’t see them clearly and simply step on them, causing the sometimes short-tempered snake to bite.

The snake is an ambush predator that follows prey and then coils up and waits for it to get within striking range. Younger snakes eat frogs and other amphibians while adults prefer rodents and other small mammals. Controlling the number of rodent pests on farmland makes the yarara, though venomous, beneficial to humans.

Though females are quite a bit larger than males, males fight for the right to mate, which happens in the spring. Females might be able to store sperm and delay the fertilization of their eggs. B. alternatus is ovoviviparous, which means that the female carries the developing eggs in her body and the babies hatch out inside of her or immediately after an egg is laid.

She can lay from one to 24 eggs at a time, depending on how well-fed she is, and some snakes do not breed every year. Newly born snakes already have a good store of venom, and they’re immediately independent. They look just like their parents, but their scales are a brighter color. Male and female yararas are probably able to breed when they’re about two years old and they can live from 10 to 20 years.

Despite the strength of its venom, B. alternatus is prey for several animals, including birds of prey such as the burrowing owl. These predators kill the snake with a blow to its head or its neck before the snake can strike.