Bothrops lutzi

Bothrops lutzi, also known commonly as the Cerrado lancehead, is a species of venomous snake in the family Viperidae.^[3] The species is native to central eastern Brazil.^[4]

Bothrops lutzi
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Viperidae
Genus:	Bothrops
Species:	B. lutzi
Binomial name
Bothrops lutzi (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1915)
Synonyms[2]
Lachesis lutzi Miranda-Ribeiro Bothrops iglesiasi Amaral, 1923 Bothrops neuwiedi bahiensis Amaral, 1925 Bothrops neuwiedi piauhyensis Amaral, 1925 Bothrops neuwiedi lutzi — Amaral, 1929 Bothrops lutzi — Silva in Campbell & Lamar, 2004 Bothropoides lutzi — Fenwick et al., 2009 Bothrops lutzi — Carrasco et al., 2012

Geographic range

Bothrop lutzi can be found in the Brazilian states of Bahia, Ceará, Goiás, Minas  Gerais, Piauí, and Tocantins.^[5]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of Bothrops lutzi is savanna, at altitudes from sea level to 800 m (2,600 ft).^[1]

Venom

Bothrops lutzi has sparked an interest from the scientific community due to its venom, as it is believed to have some therapeutic potential. Scientists have found that the venom carried by B. lutzi has antibacterial and antiparasitic effects, which can help fight against microbial resistance by medical patients, as well as parasitic diseases like Leishmaniasis and Chagas disease.^[6]

Reproduction

Bothrops lutzi is ovoviviparous.^[2]

Etymology

The specific name, lutzi, is in honor of Adolfo Lutz of the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, who collected the type specimen, upon which Miranda-Ribeiro based his new species description. Adolfo Lutz was the father of Brazilian herpetologist Bertha Lutz.^[7]