Bothriechis marchi

Bothriechis marchi, also known commonly as the Honduran palm pit viper and March's palm pit viper, is a species of pit viper, a venomous snake, in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. The species is native to Central America.^[1][3][4] There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.^[3]

Bothriechis marchi
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Viperidae
Genus:	Bothriechis
Species:	B. marchi
Binomial name
Bothriechis marchi (Barbour & Loveridge, 1929)
Synonyms[2]
Bothrops nigroviridis marchi Barbour & Loveridge, 1929 Trimeresurus nigroviridis marchi — Clark & Inger, 1942 Bothrops nigroviridis marchii — J. Peters & Orejas-Miranda, 1970 Bothriechis nigroviridis marchi — Hoge & Romano-Hoge, 1983 [Bothrops nigroviridis] marchi — Wilson & J. Meyer, 1982 Bothriechis aurifer marchi — Burger, 1985 Bothriechis marchi — Campbell & Lamar, 1989

Etymology

The specific name, marchi, is in honor of herpetologist Douglas H. March, who died from the bite of a fer-de-lance in 1939.^[5]

Description

Adults of Bothriechis marchi often grow to more than 80 centimetres (31 in) in total length (tail included). The largest specimen on record was 96.8 centimetres (38.1 in). March's palm pit viper is green and relatively slender with a prehensile tail.^[4]

Geographic range

Bothriechis marchi is found on the Atlantic versant of northwestern Honduras.^[1][3] Its range might extend into eastern Guatemala. Records from Nicaragua are probably in error.^[1] It occurs in mesic forest at elevations of 500–1,500 metres (1,600–4,900 ft) altitude. The type locality given is "the Gold Mines at Quimistan [probably El Oro, Municipio de Quimistán, in the Sierra de Espíritu Santo to the northwest of the town of Quimistán], [Departamento de] Santa Barbara, Honduras Republic".^[2]

Reproduction

Bothriechis marchi is viviparous.^[3]