Lachesis muta (Linnaeus, 1766)

Guedes, Thaís B., Nogueira, Cristiano & Marques, Otavio A. V., 2014, Diversity, natural history, and geographic distribution of snakes in the Caatinga, Northeastern Brazil, Zootaxa 3863 (1), pp. 1-93 : 25

Lachesis muta (Linnaeus, 1766) “Surucucu-pico-de-jaca”

(Figs. 10.7 and 23.1)

It was recorded in only two localities in Caatinga region, in the states of Ceará and Pernambuco; altitudes of 190 to 736 m elevation. It occurs in highlands of the Baturité Range ( Borges-Nojosa & Lima-Verde 1999), and in low altitude areas next to the Atlantic Forest. This viperid is widespread in the northern portion of the Atlantic Forest ( Argôlo 2004) and throughout Amazonia ( Cunha & Nascimento 1978; Martins & Olivera 1998). It is a rare snake, and the few available records may be related to forested enclaves in the Caatinga. It can be found in relictual moist forests on highlands and arboreal and bushy caatinga with strong Amazonian or Atlantic Forest influence. It has terrestrial habits, is nocturnal, and feeds mostly on mammals ( Cunha & Nascimento 1978; Martins & Oliveria 1998; Marques et al. 2001; Argôlo 2004).