- Where to see one
- 3 U.S. zoos in our directory hold south american bushmaster, confirmed against each zoo's own animal list.
Conservation status
Not Evaluated
This species has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List, so it sits outside the threat scale entirely.
About the south american bushmaster
The South American bushmaster is a large pit viper found in the equatorial forests east of the Andes and on the island of Trinidad. Adults average 2 to 2.5 m long, and the largest recorded specimen was 3.65 m, making it the longest viper and the longest venomous snake in the Western Hemisphere. Its coat is yellowish, reddish or grey-brown with dark blotches that form inverted triangles along the sides. It lives in primary and secondary forest and preys mainly on rats and mice, as well as agoutis, opossums, squirrel monkeys, birds and frogs.
South American Bushmaster facts
- Though it vibrates its tail like a rattlesnake, it has no rattle, which earned it the Latin name mutus, meaning mute.
- Its genus is named for Lachesis, one of the three Fates of Greek mythology.
- It is the third longest venomous snake in the world, after the king cobra and the black mamba.
- It has many local names, including surucucu in the Amazon Basin, shushupe in Peru and mapepire zanana in Trinidad.
Where to see south american bushmaster in the U.S.
3 zoos across 3 states
Find the closest one
Rank the 3 zoos holding south american bushmaster by how far they are from you. Your location is used in your browser to sort this list and is never sent to us.
California· 1
Florida· 1
Tennessee· 1
AZAThe Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Accredited members have passed an independent inspection of animal care and welfare, safety, conservation and education, repeated every five years. Many smaller facilities never apply, so “not accredited” isn't a verdict on its own. What accreditation means · How we check this
Built from each zoo's own published animal list.
