Bothriechis nigroviridis
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Bothriechis nigroviridis is a pit viper species found in the mountains of Costa Rica and Panama. No subspecies are currently recognized. The specific name is derived from the Latin niger (black) and viridis (green) in reference to its distinctive color pattern.
Black-speckled palm-pit viper, speckled palm viper, black-spotted palm viper, yellow-spotted palm viper. Adults may exceed 80 centimetres (31 in), although most are less than 60 centimetres (24 in) in length. They are relatively slender and have a prehensile tail. Two exceptionally large females were reported by Hammack and Antonio (1991) that measured 89.2 centimetres (35.1 in) and 93.7 centimetres (36.9 in).
The color pattern usually consists of an emerald green (rarely yellowish green) ground color with strong black mottling. There may also be pale green dorsal blotches that have black edges. The belly is yellowish green and lightly mottled with black. The head is heavily mottled with black on top, often with black parietal stripes. There is also a clearly defined postocular stripe running back towards the angle of the jaw. The iris is heavily stippled and appears almost black. The tongue... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Volcán Barú National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 2 | Chirripó National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 5 | Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 6 | Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-speckled Palm Pit Viper sighting in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 21st most-seen of the 43 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March to August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-speckled Palm Pit Viper in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in September to February, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-speckled Palm Pit Viper sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
5th of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Black-speckled Palm Pit Viper sightings, Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve ranks 5th at about 10%. The best odds are in Volcán Barú National Park (Panama, about 20%), Chirripó National Park (Costa Rica, about 10%) and Braulio Carrillo National Park (Costa Rica, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-speckled Palm Pit Viper is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (12 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
