Lachesis (also known commonly as the bushmasters) is a genus of 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.

Taxonomy

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'.

Geographic range

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

Reproduction

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.

Cultural depictions

A bushmaster snake is the antagonist in the tenth episode of the radio show Escape. The episode's title was "A Shipment of Mute Fate", and starred Jack Webb and Raymond Lawrence. It was broadcast on 15 October 1947. The story was also adapted for Suspense starring Jack Kelly, broadcast on January 6, 1957.

Jack T. Colton killed a bushmaster in the film Romancing the Stone from 1984 when seeking shelter in a crashed plane.

A bushmaster snake bit a character in the film Primal in 2019.

The Marvel Comics supervillain Bushmaster is named after the genus.

The following weapons and military vehicles are named after this viper:

  • Bushmaster XM-15, an AR-15 style rifle manufactured by Bushmaster Firearms International;
  • M242 Bushmaster, a chain gun manufactured by Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems;
  • Bushmaster IMV, an Australian infantry mobility vehicle;
  • A variant of the amphibious Landing Vehicle Tracked introduced in 1944, the LVT-3 Bushmaster.

References

Further reading

  • Eatherley, Dan (2015). Bushmaster: Raymond Ditmars and the Hunt for the World's Largest Viper. New York: Arcade. 320 pp. .
  • Mehrtens, John M. (1987). Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. .
  • O'Shea, Mark (2005). Venomous Snakes of the World. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. 160 pp. .