March's Palm Pit Viper - Brendan Monaco

March’s Palm Pit Viper

(Bothriechis Marchi)

http://www.lazoo.org/blog/tag/rowleys-pit-viper/

Description and Ecology:

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/30846-Bothriechis-marchi.0.kRzvOWsQOXM#imgrc=-35rDhjYmzQSnM:

The March’s Palm Pit Viper, also known as Bothriechis Marchi is one of 10 venomous pit viper species. Palm Pit Vipers tend to be small and relatively slim (around 2 to 3 feet long). They are often spotted near low-lying palms. They can be distinguished by their green/bluish-green color and their lack of “horns”, comparable to the eyelash pit viper, a closely related pit viper species.

Bothriechis marchi is a poorly researched species of neo-tropical palm viper, with little being know about its natural ecology. They are arboreal (rarely seen on the ground), and have a fairly long prehensile tail. March’s palm pit vipers are able to utilize a variety of microhabitat when hunting or resting.

March’s Palm pit vipers rely on "heat imaging" to sense their environment, particularly sensing prey. Like other snakes, they have long tongues which they use to sense chemical changes in their atmosphere. These characteristics make it easy for these snakes to hunt for prey in the dark. This species relies on a diet of mainly available small mammals, lizards & birds.

Geographic and Population Change:

Map of distribution of March’s Palm Pit Viper 

https://zookeys.pensoft.net/articles.php?id=3094

The March’s Palm pit viper is most commonly found in rainforests or wet forests at intermediate elevations (500 – 1500 m). They mainly reside in the Atlantic-drained slopes of Honduras and may extend as far as eastern Guatemala. They can also be found in    vegetation above streams and riverbeds. Occasionally, palm pit vipers have been reported to occure near sea level, but these observations most likely represent inaccurate locality data.

This species most was most commonly observed in the 1980’s but their population has noticeably decreased in the early 2000’s. This species’ population decline has occurred throughout its’ entire range due to increased threats to mainland and habitat. The main
cause of this species’ presence on the endangered species list it due to the fact that they inhabit very small locations We now know that the bothriechis marchi species inhabit around 5 to 6 locations, and that any additional habitat fragmentation could easily cause this species to go extinct.

Main Threats:

In 2014, The March’s Palm Pit Viper was listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 due to its’ large population decrease. This species occurs in only five locations, and “…is restricted to intact forest, suffering from ongoing declines due to numerous factors (habitat loss, collapse of prey populations, and extraction for the pet trade).” (IUCN)

Deforestation on the border of Honduras

https://robinmoore.photoshelter.com/image/I0000y0x7KY9p.G0

The primary reason for the habitat destruction for this species is largely due to deforestation of timber and the expansion of agriculture in this region. While timber extraction is placing increasing pressure on many species of flora and fauna, illegal logging continues to bear major threats to sustainable development programs. Because they occupy small ranges, any more habitat destruction could result in complete extermination for these snakes.

Additionally, this species is threatened by the exotic pet trade and the lack of other amphibian species present in their habitat. Honduras had been issuing permits for the exportation of hundreds of these snakes.

Recovery Plan:

Although some actions have been taken to decrease logging threats, this issue still remains and continues to push the March’s Palm Pit Viper into extinction. Necessary conservation measures include attaining more resources for park operations as well as policies to further prevent forest destruction. Currently, the March’s Palm Pit Viper resides in Cusco, Pico Bonito, and Pico Pijol National Parks and the Texigant Wildlife Refuge. Further measure to regulate pet trade need to be implemented under Appendix II of CITES and other national laws.

What Can You Do?

Coiled March’s Palm Pit Viper on tree branch

https://speakupforthevoiceless.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/palmpit.png

• Reduce demand for timber products and join movements that aim at regulating deforestation
• Increase social awareness for threats against March's Palm pit viper through organizations and social media
• join movements that fight against acts that threaten endangered species (deforestation, pollution, etc.) 

Other Resources and For Conserving Wildlife:

Solutions to deforestation: http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/forests/solutions-to-deforestation/

Trading in extinction: http://theconversation.com/trading-in-extinction-how-the-pet-trade-is-killing-off-many-animal-species-71571

Join an Activist Network: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/endangered-species-coalition-activist-network

Works Cited:

Depre, Jose C. “Bothriechis Marchi.” Speak Up For The Voiceless.

https://speakupforthevoiceless.org/2015/07/31/endangered-species-friday-bothriechis-marchi

“Little Scorpions.” March’s Palm Pit Viper. Jan 28. 2016.

http://littlescorpion.com/marchs-palm-pit-viper/

Solis, Jose. “The Herpetological Bulletin.” Feeding observation on Bothriechis marchi in Parque Nacional Cusuco, Honduras. \ 2016. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316619624_Feeding_observation_on_Bothriechis_marchi_in_Parque_Nacional_Cusuco_Honduras

IUCN Redlist of Endangered Species.

http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/203659/0