Subj : ES Picture of the Day 14  2022
To   : All
From : Dan Richter
Date : Thu Apr 14 2022 12:01:08

 EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes
and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and
archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


 Eyelash Viper

   April 14, 2022

    Eyelash viper_Costa Rica

   Photographer:  James Van Gundy

   Summary Author:  James Van Gundy

   The  Eyelash Viper (Bothriechis schlegelii) is a member of the
    Pit Viper family and a relative of the North American
    rattlesnakes,  cottonmouths. and  copperheads. This viper is
   a small poisonous snake found in Central America and northern South
   America. It gets its name from the small fleshy protuberance that sits
   above its eyes. Across its geographic range, this snake species
   demonstrates a wide variety of  color morphs including, red, green,
   and yellow forms with the yellow often predominating in areas where
   bananas are grown.

   This particular individual was encountered at  Volcan Arenal
   National Park in Costa Rica. The snake was perched atop a small
    epiphytic bromeliad on the side of a tree and was attempting to
   look like a large yellow flower. This stance is known as  aggressive
   mimicry, where a predator appears to be something that is attractive to
   its prey. The eyelash viper preys upon a variety of small animals
   including lizards, frogs, and birds. The snake strikes quickly and
   injects its venom through two movable fangs. Like its pit viper
   relatives, its poison is  hemotoxic.

    Mimicry, or the act of attempting to look like something that you
   are not, is practiced widely in the animal kingdom. In contrast to the
   eyelash viper, animal mimicry is generally more frequently used to
   avoid predation than it is to foster it.
     * La Fortuna, Costa Rica Coordinates: 10.458205, -84.674390

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Animal Links

     *  Animal Diversity Web
     *  ARKive
     *  BirdLife International
     *  Bug Guide
     *  Discover Life
     *  Integrated Taxonomic Information System
     *  Microbial Life Resources
       Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the
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        Universities Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu
 
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