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CENTRAL
AMERICA
Central
America is
pristine habitat home to many
thousands of reptiles and amphibians.
Hondauras, Costa Rica, and Panama
highlight some of the best habitats
for snake species in this region.
In Costa Rica
alone, there are 135 species of
snake. Out of these, 17 varieties
are venomous members of the Viper
and Coral Snake families. The
deadliest is the Pacific sea snake,
but don’t flee the water just
yet—it tends to keep to itself.
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| Colubridae
/ Colubrids |
A Colubrid is
a snake that is a member of the
Colubridae family. It is a broad
classification of snakes that includes
well over half of all snake species
on earth. While most colubrids are
non-venomous (or have venom that
isn't known to be harmful to humans)
and are normally harmless, a few
groups, such as genus Boiga, Coluber
and Rhabdophis, can produce medically
significant bites. In addition,
the Boomslang and African Twig Snake
have both caused human fatalities.The
venom-injecting fangs associated
with venomous colubrids are almost
always in the back of the mouth,
compared to vipers and elapids.
In North America, all snake species
in the colubridae
family are generally harmless to
humans. Please note: This list does
not currently include sub-species.
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| Elapidae/
Elapids (Venomous) |
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The cobra
family is thought to have evolved from
Colubrid snakes and many appear very similar
in appearance with long, slender bodies
and large scales (plates) on the head.
They differ in having more advanced venom
delivery systems than the venomous Colubrids.
Elapids have fangs that are "effectively
tubular" in that the fangs contain
grooves that are enclosed by an infolding
of the edges. The fangs are in the front
of the mouth rather than the rear as is
seen in venomous Colubrids. The Elapidae
contains some of the world's most dangerous
snakes including cobras (Naja), mambas
(Dendroaspis) and sea snakes (Hydophinae
and Laticaudinae). Elapids are found worldwide
and in Ausralia are the predominant family.
In North America, three species of elapids
are found, two species of coral snakes
and one sea snake. The coral snakes are
relatively small snakes that spend most
of their time underground. Their primary
food is other snakes. Despite their small
size and small fangs, their venom is extremely
toxic.
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| Viperidae
/ Vipers (Venomous) |
| The vipers are
generally considered to be the most advanced
family of snakes since they possess a very
sophisticated venom delivery system. Large
tubular fangs are placed in the front of
the mouth and they are hinged, allowing
them to be folded back when not in use.
Their heads are covered with numerous small
scales and their eyes have vertically eliptical
pupils. All the vipers found in North America
are in the subfamily of pit vipers (Crotalinae)
having a pair of heat sensing pits located
between each eye and nostril. The rattlesnakes
are a truly American family of pit vipers
since they are not found in the Old World
and all but two species are found in the
U.S. or Mexico. They are divided between
two genera based on their head scales. Members
of the genus Crotalus have numerous small
scales on their heads while members of the
genus Sistrurus have large scales (plates)
on their heads. |
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Central
American Snakes
Central America is a
land of tropical and sub-tropical climates.
Snakes in this region are generally active
year round and can be found in each of
the Central American countries. The rainforests
of Central America are home to some of
the most beautiful and rare species of
snakes on our planet.
Central
American Snake Forum
Visit our Central American
Snake forum for discussion on all North
American snake species including Care,
Field Herping, and general knowledge and
discussion on the species from this area.
Central
American Snake Enthusiast Forum - Click
Here
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