Bothrops asper
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
The terciopelo (Bothrops asper), is a species of pit vipers, found from north-east Mexico to northern South America. At low to moderate elevations, its habitat ranges from northeastern Mexico to Colombian and Ecuadorian Andes, as well as Venezuela. With a mass of up to 6 kilograms (13 lb), and a maximal length of 2.5 metres (8.2 ft), the terciopelo is among the largest vipers. It is light to dark brown in color, often with yellowish, zig-zag patterning on either side of its body. Dubbed "the ultimate pit-viper" for its defensiveness, large size, fangs and potent venom yield, it has a fearsome reputation, responsible for the most envenomated snakebites within its range, largely due to its proximity to humans, livestock and pets. Nonetheless, like all venomous snakes, the terciopelo actively avoids contact with humans and other larger animals, with bites generally only occurring when the snake is cornered, pursued, or threatened. No subspecies are currently recognized.
The generic name, Bothrops, comes from the Greek words bothros and ops, which mean 'pit' and 'face' (or 'eye'), respectively. This is a reference to these snakes' highly sensitive heat-detecting pit organs... Wikipedia →
Recording0:08
Mexico · 2025
© ehecatl17 · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Panama City | 🇵🇦 Panama |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoo Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Yumka' | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | São Paulo Zoo | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 4 | Houston Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Amaru | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 6 | La Paz Waterfall Gardens | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 7 | Parque Zoológico Nacional Simón Bolívar | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 8 | Croco Cun Zoo | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 9 | Ecozoológico San Martín | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 10 | Dallas World Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Biouniverzoo | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 12 | Cali Zoo | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 13 | International Animal Rescue – Costa Rica | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 14 | La Aurora Zoo | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 15 | Zoológico Miguél Álvarez del Toro | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
No species of the same family or order lives in Utría National Natural Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Fer-de-lance sighting in Utría National Natural Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April
In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Fer-de-lance in Utría National Natural Park on a given day, against about 10% in February, June–July, September and December, the lowest months. May has too few records to rate.
Between 6 and 9 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Fer-de-lance sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
6th of 28
Of the 28 parks where we can rate Fer-de-lance sightings, Utría National Natural Park ranks 6th at about 40%. The best odds are in Braulio Carrillo National Park (Costa Rica, about 60%), Piedras Blancas National Park (Costa Rica, about 50%) and Tenorio Volcano National Park (Costa Rica, about 50%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Fer-de-lance is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Utría National Natural Park (9 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.
