Martinique Lancehead

Bothrops lanceolatus is generally considered endemic to the island of Martinique in the Lesser Antilles. Along with Bothrops caribbaeus and B. atrox, it is one of three Bothrops species found in the West Indies. The type locality according to Bonnaterre (1790:11) is "La Martinique".

As ambush predators, Martinique lanceheads typically wait patiently somewhere for unsuspecting prey to wander by. They are known to select a specific ambush site and return to it every year in time for the spring migration of birds. Studies have indicated these snakes learn to improve their strike accuracy over time.

Diet. All of the various species are carnivorous, and eat other animals. Their diet primarily changes based on size and location. Larger individuals can feed on larger prey, while smaller species must eat smaller prey items. Martinican pit vipers hunt rats, mice, birds, rabbits, lizards, frogs, snakes, bats, and more.

Reproduction. With few exceptions, crotalines are ovoviviparous, meaning that the embryos develop within eggs that remain inside the mother's body until the offspring are ready to hatch, at which time the hatchlings emerge as functionally free-living young. In such species, the eggshells are reduced to soft membranes that the young shed, either within the reproductive tract, or immediately after emerging.