THE FIERCE FER-DE-LANCE
A bite from a fer-de-lance (Bothrops asper) can turn a person’s body tissue black as it begins to die. These pit vipers – which live in Central and South America, grow to between 1.2 and 2.5 metres long and weigh up to six kilograms – are responsible for about half of all snakebite venom poisonings in Central America. Because fer-de-lance venom contains an anticoagulant – a substance that hinders blood clotting – a bite from this snake can cause a person to haemorrhage. A single female can give birth to 90 offspring, each with a potential life span of over 20 years.