Predation on a juvenile Terciopelo (Bothrops asper) by a tarantula (Stichoplastoris denticulatus) in Tirimbina Biological Reserve, Costa Rica

 

Predation on a juvenile Terciopelo (Bothrops asper) by a tarantula (Stichoplastoris denticulatus) in Tirimbina Biological Reserve, Costa Rica

The Terciopelo (Bothrops asper) is a mostly nocturnal and terrestrial species that inhabits lowland and foothill rain-forests and altered habitats (e.g., agricultural areas, pastures, and human settlements) from northern Mexico to the Pacific lowlands of Colombia and Ecuador at elevations of 0–1,500 m  asl  (Leenders  2016;  Savage  2002).  Few  predators  are  known to target adults but raptors (e.g., Laughing Falcons, Herpetotheres  cacchinans;  Swallow-tailed  Kites,  Elanoides forficatus; and Crane Hawks, Geranospiza caerulescens) and snakes (e.g., Mussuranas, Clelia clelia, and possibly Central American  Indigo  Snakes,  Drymarchon  melanurus)  might  prey on them (Sasa et al. 2009).

Villegas, S., Charlyn Elizondo Montano, & Justin Rodríguez Castro. (2026). Predation on a juvenile Terciopelo (Bothrops asper) by a tarantula (Stichoplastoris denticulatus) in Tirimbina Biological Reserve, Costa Rica. Reptiles & Amphibians, 33(1), e23400. https://doi.org/10.17161/randa.v32i1.23400