Life-saving venom
Its venom is essential raw material for producing polyvalent antivenom.
Bothrops asper
Terciopelo
Pit viper
Detects body heat to locate prey even in total darkness.
Velvet effect
Its common name comes from the soft, matte scales on its head.
Highly prolific
Females give birth to live young; litters of 5 to 86 neonates have been documented.
Distribution
In Colombia it occurs in the Pacific and Caribbean lowlands, with additional presence in humid inter-Andean valleys.