Viperidae
Emerald Horned Pitviper
VenomousOphryacus smaragdinus
The Emerald Horned Pitviper (Ophryacus smaragdinus) is a venomous snake in the Viperidae family, recorded in 1 country.
If you are bitten
This is a venomous snake. Treat any bite as a medical emergency: stay calm, keep the bitten limb still and roughly level with the heart, remove rings and tight clothing, and get to emergency care immediately. Do not apply a tourniquet, cut the wound, apply ice, or try to suck out venom. Call your local emergency number or poison center.
- Family
- Viperidae
- Danger
- high
About the Emerald Horned Pitviper
Common names: Emerald horned pit viper.
Ophryacus smaragdinus is a pit viper species endemic to the mountains of eastern Mexico. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Etymology
The specific name Ophyracus is derived from the Greek language word ophrys (ὀφρύς), which means "brow" or "eyebrow", and the Latin word acus, which means "needle", an allusion to the characteristic horn-like scales over the eyes; smaragdinus (or "emerald-green" in English) is the Latinization of the Latin noun smaragdus, which itself derives from the earlier Greek noun σμάραγδος, meaning emerald, i.e., a sharp horned toad with an emerald-green colored body.
Description
Adults grow to between 450 and 500 millimetres (17+3⁄4 and 19+5⁄8 inches) in length. No rattle. Supraocular horn is not in immediate contact with the eye. On lateral surfaces of head, a distinctive white, cream, or pale yellow triangular marking is present. Head wide with a rounded blunt snout. There are 3–5 canthals present between the nasals and the supraocular scales. There are 1–4 keeled postrostral internasals. Loreal pit is divided. Ventrals 155–166, 3–5 postoculars, 3–5 suboculars, subcaudals 39–46, 7–9 supralabials and dorsal scale rows are 21-21-17.
Body emerald or olive green, which gives the common name. Sometimes it can be brown or tan. On dorsal surface, there are 37–46 dark blotches, which are outlined in black. In mid dorsal region, these dorsal blotches are broken to form an undulating dark stripe. Juveniles are grey in color. Tail which is 12 to 15 in the total body length, contains 5–12 pale bands. Head contains black spots and markings. A dark black-outlined postocular stripe is present.
Geographic range
It is found in east-central Hidalgo, west-central Veracruz, northeastern Puebla, and north-central Oaxaca. Habitats include montane cloud forest, humid pine-oak woodland and pine forest with secondary vegetation.
Behavior
Terrestrial and less arboreal.
Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.
Frequently asked: Emerald Horned Pitviper
- Is the Emerald Horned Pitviper venomous?
- Yes. The Emerald Horned Pitviper (Ophryacus smaragdinus) is venomous and belongs to the Viperidae family (viper). Its bite is considered high risk to people. Treat any bite as a medical emergency.
- Is the Emerald Horned Pitviper poisonous?
- Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Emerald Horned Pitviper is venomous, delivering venom through a bite.
- Is the Emerald Horned Pitviper dangerous?
- This is a venomous snake. Treat any bite as a medical emergency: stay calm, keep the bitten limb still and roughly level with the heart, remove rings and tight clothing, and get to emergency care immediately. Do not apply a tourniquet, cut the wound, apply ice, or try to suck out venom. Call your local emergency number or poison center.
- Where does the Emerald Horned Pitviper live?
- The Emerald Horned Pitviper has verified records in 1 country, including Mexico. See the distribution section below for its full range.
- Why is it called the Emerald Horned Pitviper?
- The specific name Ophyracus is derived from the Greek language word ophrys (ὀφρύς), which means "brow" or "eyebrow", and the Latin word acus, which means "needle", an allusion to the characteristic horn-like scales over the eyes; smaragdinus (or "emerald-green" in English) is the Latinization of the Latin noun smaragdus, which itself derives from the earlier Greek noun σμάραγδος, meaning emerald, i.e., a sharp horned toad with an emerald-green colored body.
If you are bitten by the Emerald Horned Pitviper
Do
- Get away from the snake and stay calm. Most bites worsen when people panic or try again to handle the snake.
- Call 911 or Poison Control (1-800-222-1222) right away. Antivenom works best when given early.
- Note the time of the bite and, from a safe distance, the snake's color and pattern, a phone photo is enough. Do not chase it.
- Keep the bitten limb still and at roughly heart level. Sit or lie down and limit movement.
- Remove rings, watches, and tight clothing near the bite before swelling starts.
- Gently wash the bite with soap and water and cover it with a clean, dry dressing.
Do not
- Do not cut the wound or try to suck out the venom.
- Do not apply a tourniquet or ice.
- Do not drink alcohol or caffeine.
- Do not take aspirin or ibuprofen, they can worsen bleeding. Acetaminophen is safer for pain.
- Do not try to catch or kill the snake. A dead snake can still bite by reflex.
First-aid guidance adapted from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC NIOSH), Venomous Snakes. Educational only; always follow the instructions of emergency responders.
Where it is found
More Viperidae snakes
Mexican Horned Pit ViperOphryacus undulatus
Broad-horned PitviperOphryacus sphenophrys
Western RattlesnakeCrotalus oreganus
Western Diamond-backed RattlesnakeCrotalus atrox
Eastern CopperheadAgkistrodon contortrix
Northern CottonmouthAgkistrodon piscivorus
AdderVipera berus
Timber RattlesnakeCrotalus horridus
Classification
How scientists group this snake, from the broadest category down to the exact species. Each step narrows to its closest relatives.
Keep learning
- Are Snakes Dangerous? The Real Risk, in PerspectiveMost snakes are harmless and avoid people. Here is the honest picture of snakebite risk worldwide and how to lower your own.
- Snakebite First Aid: What to Do (and What Never to Do)A clear, CDC-based guide to snakebite first aid: the steps that help, the popular myths that hurt, and how to tell a serious bite from a minor one.
- Venomous vs Nonvenomous: How to Tell the DifferenceThe folk rules for telling venomous snakes apart, where each one fails, and why location-based identification beats guessing by sight.
- What to Do If You Find a SnakeFound a snake at home or on a trail? Here is how to stay calm, give it space, identify it safely, and know when to call a professional.
Distribution from GBIF & iNaturalist. Venom status per CDC. Background: Wikipedia. Informational only. Never handle a snake to identify it.