Porthidium nasutum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Porthidium nasutum
Specimen at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Viperidae
Genus:	Porthidium
Species:	P. nasutum
Binomial name
Porthidium nasutum (Bocourt, 1868)
Script error: The function "autoWithCaption" does not exist.
Synonyms
Bothrops nasutus Bocourt, 1868 Porthidium nasutum – Cope, 1871 Bothriopsis proboscideus Cope, 1875 Th[anatos]. sutus Posada Arango, 1889 Th[anatophis]. sutus – Posada Arango, 1889 Lachesis brachystoma Boulenger, 1896 Bothrops nasuta – Amaral, 1929 Trimeresurus nasutus – Dunn & Bailey, 1939 Bothrops nasutus – J.A. Peters & Orejas-Miranda, 1970 Bothriechis nasutus – Savage, 1980 Porthidium nasutum – H.M. Smith & R.P. Smith, 1976

Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters".

The Porthidium nasutum is a type of venomous snake known by several common names. These include the hognosed pitviper, rainforest hognosed pitviper, and horned hog-nosed viper. This snake is a pitviper species. It lives in southern Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. Scientists do not currently recognize any different types or subspecies of this snake.

What Does the Hognosed Pitviper Look Like?

A P. nasutum snake in Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica.

Another P. nasutum at the La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica.

Adult hognosed pitvipers are usually less than 40 centimeters (about 16 inches) long. They rarely grow longer than 60 centimeters (about 24 inches). Female snakes are much larger than males. These snakes have a sturdy body and live on the ground.

Where Do These Snakes Live?

The hognosed pitviper is found from southern Mexico all the way south through Central America. It also lives in western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador in South America.

You can find them in the lowlands along the Atlantic coast. This area stretches from Mexico (Tabasco and Chiapas) through Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. They also live in eastern Panama and northwestern Colombia.

On the Pacific coast, they are found in southwestern Costa Rica, central and eastern Panama. Their habitat continues into northwestern Ecuador. These snakes prefer moist lowland forests, like rainforests. They live from sea level up to about 900 meters (about 3,000 feet) high.

Is the Hognosed Pitviper Endangered?

No, the hognosed pitviper is not in danger of disappearing. This species is listed as "Least Concern" (LC) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This means it is a common snake found in many places. It is not currently facing any major threats to its survival.