fer-de-lance

fer-de-lance (fĕr'-də-lăns`), highly poisonous snake, Bothrops atrox, found in tropical South America and the West Indies. A pit viper, related to the bushmaster and the rattlesnake, it has heat-sensitive organs on the head for detecting its warm-blooded prey. Usually about 5 to 6 ft (150–180 cm) long, the fer-de-lance may reach a maximum length of about 9 ft (3 m). It is gray or brown with light stripes and dark diamond markings and has a yellow throat. Common throughout most of its range, it causes many human fatalities. It is classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Reptilia, order Squamata, family Crotalidae.

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fer-de-lance

(French; “spearhead”)

Extremely venomous pit viper (genus Bothrops), found in diverse tropical American habitats, from cultivated lands to forests. It has a broad, triangular head and is gray or brown, marked by a series of black-edged diamonds often bordered in a lighter colour. It is usually about 4–7 ft (1.2–2 m) long. Its bite can be fatal to humans. The name is sometimes applied to all members of the Central and South American genus Bothrops and to an Asian genus, Trimeresurus.