Rainforest Hog-nosed Viper

Rainforest Hog-nosed Viper

Porthidium nasutum

Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Tenorio Volcano National Park

In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%

26 Verified sightings at Tenorio Volcano National Park From 2019 to 2026
125 In all 7 parks
November Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Rainforest Hog-nosed Viper

Common names: hognosed pit viper, hognosed pit viper, rainforest hognosed pit viper, horned hog-nosed viper. Porthidium nasutum is a pit viper species native to southern Mexico, Central America and northern South America. No subspecies are recognized as being valid.

Adults of Porthidium nasutum are usually less than 40 centimetres (16 in) in total length (tail included), and rarely more than 60 centimetres (24 in). Females are considerably larger than males. Both sexes are moderately stout.

Porthidium nasutum is found in southern Mexico southward through Central America to western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador in South America. Inhabits the Atlantic lowlands from Mexico (Tabasco and Chiapas) through Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica to eastern Panama and northwestern Colombia. In the Pacific lowlands, it occurs in southwestern Costa Rica, central and eastern Panama, continuing on to northwestern Ecuador. The type locality given is "Pansos [Panzós], sur les bords du Polochic [Alta Verapaz] (Guatémala)".

The preferred natural habitat of Porthidium nasutum is mesic lowland broadleaf or rainforest from... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~40%
2 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
3 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~20%
4 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
5 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
6 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
7 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 La Paz Waterfall Gardens 🇨🇷 Costa Rica In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Rainforest Hog-nosed Viper in Tenorio Volcano National Park?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Rainforest Hog-nosed Viper sighting in Tenorio Volcano National Park on a given day, based on 26 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 12th most-seen of the 38 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Rainforest Hog-nosed Viper in Tenorio Volcano National Park?

November

In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Rainforest Hog-nosed Viper in Tenorio Volcano National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June, September and December, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Rainforest Hog-nosed Viper?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rainforest Hog-nosed Viper sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.

Is Tenorio Volcano National Park the best place to see a Rainforest Hog-nosed Viper?

2nd of 7

Of the 7 parks where we can rate Rainforest Hog-nosed Viper sightings, Tenorio Volcano National Park ranks 2nd at about 30%. The best odds are in Pico Bonito National Park (Honduras, about 40%).

Which relatives of the Rainforest Hog-nosed Viper live in Tenorio Volcano National Park?

Same family: Viperidae

The closest relatives of the Rainforest Hog-nosed Viper that you can see in Tenorio Volcano National Park (family Viperidae, Vipers) are Fer-de-lance (about 50%) and Central American Jumping Pit Viper (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Rainforest Hog-nosed Viper sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Rainforest Hog-nosed Viper is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Tenorio Volcano National Park (26 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.

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