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ZooNooz Article - december 2005
Killer eyelashes
Story by Mark Grant
Photograph Cathy Hattersley
Eyelash Vipers are venomous, with fangs so large they have to fold them back when they are not in use to prevent them piercing the bottom jaw.
In a corner of the Reptile House, the green background is suddenly transformed by a splash of bright yellow. It's the Eyelash Viper, a strange name for a snake, as they do not have eyelashes or even moveable eyelids. What this snake does have is a small scale protruding above the eye, just where an eyelash would be in a human. Nobody is really sure what it is for, but one suggestion is that it breaks up the smooth outline of the snake's head and makes it hard for its prey to see.
Eyelash Vipers |
Not all Eyelash Vipers are yellow; they can range in colour from brown to green. They are found in Central America and the northern parts of South America, close to water, often dangling from a branch by their prehensile tail, waiting for some unsuspecting animal to pass within striking distance.
Eyelash Vipers are venomous, with fangs so large they have to fold them back when they are not in use to prevent them piercing the bottom jaw. In the wild, they can survive up to a year without eating. In captivity, they are fed every two to three weeks, but they can be fussy eaters, needing some coaxing to take mice. The trick is to stimulate a feeding response by tipping the viper's tail repeatedly with the mouse.
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