Eyelash Viper or Oropel Bothriechis schlegelii Berthold, 1846 Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata SubOrder: Serpentes Family: Viperidae SubFamily Crotalinae Description The common name of the species arose from the fact that the supraciliary scales form spinelike projections. Among individuals from a single population there is the potential for a great deal of variability w/ regard to color. Olive green is a common ground color with rust, brown, black, orange, or red markings. A beige or grayish ground color is present in some populations, with markings ranging from tan to dark brown. In Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and western Panama yellow individuals, known in some regions as oropels, are encountered. Individuals exhibiting this color morph may be patterned with faint white or rust zigzags along the dorsum, and rust or salmon postocular stripes may be present. These snakes may exceed a maximum total length of 80 cm. Distribution Chiapas, Mexico to western Ecuador and Venezuela. Habitat & Ecology This species primarily inhabits mid to low elevations. Throughout its range, B. schlegelii occupies habitats characterized as montane wet forest, cloud forest, and tropical wet and moist forests(Campbell and Lamar, 1989). B. schlegelii is an arboreal snake that is equipped w/ a prehensile tail which allows individuals to move freely up the boles of trees, along slender lianas, or the thin rachis of palm leaves. They have been observed as high as 16 meters in the trees, but may also be found a few centimeters above the leaf litter perched on a prop root ( Sorrell, unpubl. data). These sit and wait predators are thought to be primarily nocturnal. They specialize in taking a variety of prey items including small mammals, birds, bats, lizards, and frogs from elevated perches (Campbell, 1998). Info from here Photo taken with Konica Minolta Dimage Z5 Hope you like it and thanks for watching :-)