Лахезис: Оңтүстік Американың уытты жыландары

Genus of snakes

Lachesis (also known commonly as the bushmasters) is a genus of venomous pit vipers in the family Viperidae. Member species are found in forested areas of the Neotropics. The generic name refers to one of the Three Fates, Lachesis (in Greek mythology), who determined the length of the thread of life. Four species are currently recognized as being valid.

The genus Lachesis was traditionally composed of only three species, but Campbell and Lamar (2004) recognized a fourth species, L. acrochorda (García, 1896), referring to it as the Chochoan bushmaster. Although they are not the heaviest vipers, since the Gaboon viper (Bitis gabonica) and the eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) are heavier, large adults can weigh Bushmasters are sexually dimorphic in size, with males reaching larger sizes than females. The bushmasters' tail ends with a horny spine which sometimes vibrates when disturbed like rattlesnakes; due to this, it has been called 'the mute rattlesnake'.

Lachesis species are found in Central and South America, as well as the island of Trinidad in the Caribbean.

Bushmasters lay eggs, about a dozen in an average clutch. The female reportedly remains with her eggs during incubation and may aggressively defend the nest if approached. The hatchlings average in length and are more colorful than the adults. Lachesis is thought to be unique among New World pit vipers by laying eggs rather than giving birth to live young, although some evidence suggests that the species Bothrocophias colombianus found in Colombia may do the same.