Types of lanceheads

Bothrops is a genus of pit vipers in the family Viperidae, found only in the New World. The name lancehead refers to the broad, pointed, lance-shaped head shared across the group. Like all pit vipers, they carry heat-sensing pits between the eye and nostril that let them detect warm-bodied prey. Our database lists 40+ species in the genus, and all 44 are venomous. Well-known members include the terciopelo and common lancehead (Bothrops asper), often called the fer-de-lance; the jararaca (Bothrops jararaca); and the golden lancehead (Bothrops insularis), found only on Ilha da Queimada Grande, Brazil's Snake Island, and nowhere else on Earth.

The genus ranges widely across Central and South America, from Mexico down through the Amazon basin and into Argentina, spanning rainforest, dry forest, and the farmland and forest edges where people live and work. This overlap with human activity is central to why Bothrops matters so much for public health. These snakes are the single most important cause of venomous snakebite in Latin America: Bothrops accounts for the large majority of serious and fatal bites in the region, more than any other genus.

Bothrops venom is potently hemotoxic. A bite can cause intense pain, rapid swelling, bleeding, and disruption of the blood's ability to clot, along with local tissue death (necrosis) around the bite site. Without prompt medical care, these effects can lead to lasting damage and, in serious cases, death. The standard treatment is antivenom administered at a hospital, and Latin American countries operate established antivenom programs precisely because Bothrops bites are so common and consequential.

Ecologically, lanceheads are ambush predators. They sit still and wait for prey rather than actively chasing it, and they are frequently found in agricultural areas and along forest edges. Many species give live birth rather than laying eggs. Because they hunt from the ground and are extremely well camouflaged in leaf litter, they are easy to step near without noticing, which is why farmworkers face the highest risk and why most bites land on the feet and lower legs.

A wild lancehead is never safe to handle, and no venomous snake should be approached or picked up regardless of how calm it looks. If a bite occurs, the only reliable response is to get the person to a hospital for professional care and antivenom as quickly as possible. Treatment is a medical matter handled by emergency services, not something to manage on your own.